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Tectonic design and evolution of the Himalaya
K. S. Valdiya Summarized by Ajit Shah
Seism-tectonic activities in this area are constantly observed. Himalaya and Tibet constitute a part of this Alpine Himalayan orogenic belt where a constant push by Indian Sub continental mass is observed in the NNE direction, on the collision course with the Eurasian continental mass from the North in the SSW direction. These forces eventually collided at the Indus Suture Zone forming the rift valley where the great Indus and Brahmaputra Rivers and their tributaries flow and in this process uplifted the great sedimentary sequence to form the Tibetan Plateau, known as the 'Roof of the World'. This phenomenon is still active and the height of the Himalaya is rising about 3 to 4 cm/year. During this process high tectonic stresses are evolved and the total effect is often observed in the numerous occurrences of earthquakes in this region. Valdiya (1984) in his book on aspects of Tectonics; Focus on South Central Asia (Published by Tata Mc Graw Hill, New Delhi), described the large number of tear faults and fractures as a part
transverse and
Geheged
Fig.4.13: Transverse conjugate sets of tear faults of the Himalayan belt and of the basement
of the Ganga Basin in the foreland. (Valdiya, 1976)
Copyright acknowledgement - Author, K. S. Valdiya Original Source - Aspects of Tectonics, Pg. 50-57, 165-168, Tata McGraw - Hill Pub. Co. 1984
Ref. Upcoming Vol. XXI
Tectonic design and evolution of the Himalaya
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