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Morpho-structural approach to assess landslides in the Kali river valley, NE Kumaun Himalaya, India

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Abstract

In the present study, inner Kumaun Himalayan region between village Jauljibi and Dobaat along the Kali river has been studied to understand the causes and the distribution of landslides in the area. Various geomorphic indices such as longitudinal and topographic swath profile, stream length gradient index, steepness index, and valley floor width to valley height ratio have been extracted for interpreting the active tectonics of the region, and the topographic bedding plane intersection angle (TOBIA) index for the disposition of the bedding or foliation planes of the rocks with respect to the terrain. In addition, the active nature of the thrusts and faults in the region has been interpreted with the offsets or deflection of the river terraces along these thrusts and faults. Interrelationships among these indices and the spatial distribution of landslide indicate that the region between Dharchula and Dobaat is the most tectonically active region as indicated by the presence of Dharchula Fault, Lasku Fault and South Chhiplakot Thrust along with the abnormally high steepness index and knickpoints in the region. Other regions of active tectonics are Dhap—Kalika and Jauljibi—Baniyagaon regions due to Ghatibagarh Kalika Fault, and Berinag Thrust and Rauntis Fault, respectively. In addition it has been reported that the density of landslides in the cataclinal slopes is higher as compared to landslides in the orthoclinal and anaclinal slopes, indicating the role of the disposition of the rocks with respect to the terrain in the spatial distribution of landslides in the study area.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun, India

    Vikram Gupta, Ambar Solanki, Shradha Jagtap & S. S. Bhakuni

  2. Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India

    Mallickarjun Joshi

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  1. Vikram Gupta
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Gupta, V., Solanki, A., Jagtap, S. et al. Morpho-structural approach to assess landslides in the Kali river valley, NE Kumaun Himalaya, India. Environ Earth Sci 81, 35 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-021-10151-5

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