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Decoding the Late Pleistocene-Holocene Terrace Evolution along the Main Frontal Thrust Zone, Northeastern Himalayas, India: Insights from Tectonic Geomorphology, Sedimentology, and Optical Dating

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Journal of the Geological Society of India

Abstract

Fluvial archives are the best preserved and provide valuable means of obtaining information pertaining to climate and tectonic deformation of an area. The present study is an attempt to reconstruct the landform evolution history in the northeastern Himalayan region of India. Based on field investigation, tectonogeomorphic mapping, and OSL dating, strath and various levels of cut-and-fill terraces were investigated along the mountain front. Optically stimulated luminescence ages of the terrace sequences suggest that the valley incision occurred in three phases, at ∼23 ka, ∼14 ka and ∼9–3 ka and one phase of aggradation was also identified at ∼ 7 ka. The strath terraces suggest two major episodes of tectonic uplift in the region around ∼ 8 ka and ∼ 6 ka. This yields an uplift rate of 0.4 and 0.9 mm/yr. The result from the study suggested that the rapid rejuvenation along the mountain front led to the formation of the strath terraces with enhanced incision of the fluvial terrace and influenced the sedimentary architecture of valley fill sequences.

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Acknowledgement

SPP and AT would like to thank Director General, ISR for permission to publish this work and constant encouragement. The study forms part of doctoral thesis of AT. The study was funded by MoES (New Delhi) project (MoES/P.O.(Seismo) 1(319)/2017) and the post graduate research grant by IAS to AT

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  1. Active Tectonics Group, Institute of Seismological Research, Gandhinagar, 382 009, India

    Aashna Tandon & S. P. Prizomwala

  2. Gujarat University, Ahmedabad, 380 009, India

    Aashna Tandon

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  1. Aashna Tandon
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  2. S. P. Prizomwala
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Correspondence to S. P. Prizomwala.

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Tandon, A., Prizomwala, S.P. Decoding the Late Pleistocene-Holocene Terrace Evolution along the Main Frontal Thrust Zone, Northeastern Himalayas, India: Insights from Tectonic Geomorphology, Sedimentology, and Optical Dating. J Geol Soc India 99, 1063–1070 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-023-2432-8

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