Table of Contents
The News
- Recently, a study was conducted by the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun, in Ladakh region over the Indus Suture Zone (ISZ).
- The study has found that tectonic fault line that runs through Ladakh is not “locked” and is tectonically active.
- The fault is in fact moving northward.
Background
- Geologists, believed that the parts of the Himalayas
- Shivaliks
- Himachal Himalayas
- Uttarakhand Himalayas
- Jammu and Kashmir Himalayas
- Sikkim Himalayas
- were active and moving.
- But, the understanding about the Ladakh region was that Himalayan faultlines here are locked and inactive. Ladakh region was considered stable in comparison to other parts.
Latest Study
- The Wadia group’s study was conducted in Ladakh from the north of Ladakh’s capital, Leh, to the Tso Moriri lake covering a distance of 213 kilometres.
- The study became very prominent after a low-intensity earthquake in 2010 near the village of Upshi in Ladakh.
- It has concluded that the quake in 2010 can be attributed to a thrust rupture in Ladakh fault suggesting its still active.
Latest Study
- The study further observed in this region the presence of
- Tilted sedimentary beds
- Broken Earth’s crust
- Uplifted river terraces
- Brittle deformation in bedrocks
- Tests were conducted by the group using Seismic data, rate of denudation and Optically Stimulated Luminescence.
- The test results, conclude that Indus Suture Zone has been tectonically active for the past 78,000 years.
Danger in Ladakh???
- The study highlights, that despite the active fault line, the threat of a strong earthquake in the Ladakh region “remained slim” as no intense seismic signature was observed.
Danger in Ladakh???
- Caution is always better…!!!
- Its still active tectonic fault line and Earthquakes are unpredictable.
- Moreover, Ladakh region has sparse vegetation which makes its vulnerable to erosion and landslides.
- Fault lines weaken the rock formation and create further problems. A simple heavy rainfall or a cloud burst can cause flash floods and wreak havoc here.