Abstract
We present here lithofacies and mineral magnetic results from a ∼50 m thick composite record of fluvial, lacustrine and aeolian facies within the Leh valley basin of Indus River in Ladakh Himalaya. Mineral magnetic studies decipher interplay of two contrasting sediment sources viz., the unimodal ferrimagnetic source derived from Ladakh batholithic glacial domain and mixed ferri-to antiferromagnetic source derived from Indus sedimentary sequence. The lithofacies variability expresses dynamic changes in the depositional regimes controlled by base level fluctuations that are governed by the interaction of basin fill conditions and the response to Late Quaternary climatic perturbations. A three stage evolution of the Leh valley basin is proposed after comparison to other characteristic lithofacies changes within the valley as: (I) the basin under-fill conditions marked by fluvial and fluvio-lacustrine phase till ∼24m (∼64 Ka OSL age) above modern base level followed by (II) predominantly varved, glacio-lacustrine, basin overfill phase till 38m (∼28 Ka) gradually passing into an aeolian phase; and (III) basin incision that began at the earliest Holocene warming. Advancement and retreat of glaciers from the transverse valleys, attributed to climatic oscillations, appears to have greatly controlled the basin-fill conditions in the Leh valley. The present approach demonstrates its larger scope in recording the Late Quaternary response of individual valley basins to delineate local and regional attributes of climate change in the Himalayan and Karakoram region.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Benn, D.I. and Owen, L.A. (2002) Himalayan glacial sedimentary environments: a framework for reconstructing and dating the former extent of glaciers in high mountains. Quaternary Internat., v.97–98, pp.3–25.
Bookhagen, B., Rasmus, C., Thiede, M. and Strecker, R. (2005) Late Quaternary intensified monsoon phases control landscape evolution in the northwest Himalaya. Geology, v.33(2), pp.149–152.
Bürgisser, H. M., Gansser, A. and Pika, J. (1982) Late Glacial lake sediments of the Indus valley area, northwestern Himalaya. Eclogae. Geol. Helv., v.75, pp.51–63.
Clift, P. D., Campbell, I. H., Pringle, M. S., Carter, A. and Zhang, X., et al. (2004) Thermochronology of the modern Indus River bedload: New insights into the controls on the marine stratigraphic record. Tectonics, v.23, pp.1–17.
Collinson, D.W. (1987) Methods in Rock magnetism and palaeomagnetism: techniques and Instrumentation. Chapman and Hall Publication 503p.
Duller, G.A.T. (2008) Luminescence Dating: guidelines on using luminescence dating in archaeology. English Heritage (Report): 45pp.
Dunlop, D.J. and Ozdemir, O. (1997) Rock magnetism: fundamentals and frontiers, Cambridge University Press, 573p.
Evans, M.E. and Heller, F. (2003) Environmental magnetism: Principles and applications of enviromagnetics, International Geophysics Series, Academic Press, no.86, 293p.
Fort, M. (1982) Geomorphological Observations in the Ladakh area (Himalaya):Quaternary evolution and present dynamics. In: V.J. Gupta (Ed.), Contributions to Himalayan Geology 2, Hindustan Publ. Co., Delhi, pp.39–58.
Fort, M., Burbank, D.W. and Freytet, P. (1989) Lacustrine sedimentation in a semi-arid alpine setting: an example from Ladakh, northwest Himalaya. Quaternary Res., v.31/3, pp.332–350.
Hobley, D.E.J., Sinclair, H.D. and Patience, A.C. (2010) Processes, rates, and time scales of fluvial response in an ancient post glacial landscape of the northwest Indian Himalaya. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull., v.122, pp.1569–1584.
Jamiesson, S.S.R., Sincliar, H.D., Kirstein, L.A. and Purves, R. S. (2004) Tectonic forcing of longitudinal valleys in the Himalaya: morphological analysis of the Ladakh Batholith, North India. Geomorphology, v.58(1–4), pp.49–65.
Kotlia, B.S., Shukla, U.K., Bhalla, M.S., Mathur, P.D. and Pant, C.C. (1997) Quaternary fluvio-lacustrine deposits of Lamayuru basin, Ladakh Himalaya: preliminary palaeolake investigations. Geological Mag., v.134/6, pp.807–812.
Mitchell, W. A., Taylor, P. J. and Osmaston, H. (1999) Quaternary geology in Zanskar, NW Indian Himalaya: evidence for restricted glaciation and preglacial topography. Jour. Asian Earth Sci., v.17, pp.307–318.
Murray, A.S. and Wintle, A.G. (2000) Luminescence dating of quartz using an improved single-aliquot regenerative-dose protocol. Radiation Measurements, v.32, pp.57–73.
Owen, L.A., Caffee, M.W., Bovard, K.R., Finkel, R.C. and Sharma, M. C. (2006) Terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide surface exposure dating of the oldest glacial successions in the Himalayan orogen: Ladakh Range, northern India. GSA Bull., no.118, pp.383–392.
Owen, L. A., Derbyshire, E. and Fort, M. (1998) The Quaternary Glacial History of the Himalaya. Quat. Proc., 6, pp.91–120.
Owen, L.A., Finkel, R.C., Barnard, P. I., Ma, H., Asahi, K., Caffee, M.W. and Derbyshire, E. (2005) Climatic and topographic controls on the style and timing of Late Quaternary glaciation throughout Tibet and the Himalaya defined by 10Be cosmogenic radionuclide surface exposure dating. Quaternary Sci. Rev., v.24, pp.1391–1411.
Owen, L. A., Thackray, G., Anderson, R. S., Briner, J., Kaufman, D., Roe, G., Pfeffer, W. and Yi, C. (2009) Integrated research on mountain glaciers: Current status, priorities and future prospects. Geomorphology, v.103, pp.158–171.
Phartiyal B., Sharma A., Upadhyay R., Ram-Awatar and Sinha A.K. (2005) Quaternary geology, tectonics and distribution of palaeo- and present fluvio/glacio lacustrine deposits in Ladakh, NW Indian Himalaya — a study based on field observations. Geomorphology, v.65, pp.241–256.
Sangode, S.J. and Bagati, T.N. (1995) Tectono-climatic signatures in higher Himalayan lakes: a palaeomagnetic rock magnetic approach in the lacustrine sediments of Lamayuru, Ladakh, India. Jour. Himalayan Geol., v.6, pp.51–60.
Sangode, S.J. and Gupta, K.R. (2010) An Overview of two Decades of Quaternary Research in India: Some reflections based on Bibliographic Analysis. Episodes, v.33, pp.109–115.
Sangode, S. J., Phadtare, N. R., Meshram, D. C., Rawat, S. and Suresh, N. (2011) A Record of Lake Outburst in the Indus Valley of Ladakh Himalaya, India. Curr. Sci., v.102/9, pp.1712–1718.
Sant, D.A., Wadhwan, S.K., Ganjoo, R.K., Basavaiah, N., Sukumaran, P. and Bhattacharya, S. (2011a) Morphostratigraphy and palaeoclimate appraisal of the Leh valley, Ladakh Himalayas, India. Jour. Geol. Soc. India, v.77, pp.499–510.
Sant, D.A., Wadhwan, S.K., Ganjoo, R.K., Basavaiah, N., Sukumaran, P. and Bhattacharya, S. (2011b) Linkage of paraglacial processes from last glacial to recent inferred from Spituk sequence, Leh valley, Ladakh Himalaya. Jour. Geol. Soc. India, v.78, pp.147–156.
Shroder, J.F. and Higgins, S.M. (1989) Quaternary glacial chronology and neotectonics in the Himalaya of northern Pakistan. Geol. Soc. Amer. Spec. Paper no.232, pp.275–294.
Shukla, U.K., Kotlia, B.S. and Mathur, P.D. (2002) Sedimentation pattern in a trans-Himalayan Quaternary lake at Lamayuru (Ladakh), India. Sedimentary Geol., v.148, pp.405–424.
Thompson, R. and Oldfield, F. (1986) Environmental magnetism. Allen and Unwin, London pp London, UK, 227p.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Sangode, S.J., Rawat, S., Meshram, D.C. et al. Integrated mineral magnetic and lithologic studies to delineate dynamic modes of depositional conditions in the Leh valley basin, Ladakh Himalaya, India. J Geol Soc India 82, 107–120 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-013-0129-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-013-0129-0