Tectonic Faultline In Ladakh Moving Northward – Free PDF Download

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.

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