Geomorphology reveals active decollement geometry in the central Himalayan seismic gap

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dc.contributor.authorMorell, KDen_AU
dc.contributor.authorSandiford, Men_AU
dc.contributor.authorRajendran, CPen_AU
dc.contributor.authorAlimanovic, Aen_AU
dc.contributor.authorFink, Den_AU
dc.contributor.authorSanwal, Jen_AU
dc.date.accessioned2015-09-08T23:55:46Zen_AU
dc.date.available2015-09-08T23:55:46Zen_AU
dc.date.issued2015-06-01en_AU
dc.date.statistics2015-09-02en_AU
dc.description.abstractThe similar to 700-km-long "central seismic gap" is the most prominent segment of the Himalayan front not to have ruptured in a major earthquake during the last 200-500 yr. This prolonged seismic quiescence has led to the proposition that this region, with a population >10 million, is overdue for a great earthquake. Despite the region's recognized seismic risk, the geometry of faults likely to host large earthquakes remains poorly understood. Here, we place new constraints on the spatial distribution of rock uplift within the western similar to 400 km of the central seismic gap using topographic and river profile analyses together with basinwide erosion rate estimates from cosmogenic Be-10. The data sets show a distinctive physiographic transition at the base of the high Himalaya in the state of Uttarakhand, India, characterized by abrupt strike-normal increases in channel steepness and a tenfold increase in erosion rates. When combined with previously published geophysical imaging and seismicity data sets, we interpret the observed spatial distribution of erosion rates and channel steepness to reflect the landscape response to spatially variable rock uplift due to a structurally coherent ramp-flat system of the Main Himalayan Thrust. Although it remains unresolved whether the kinematics of the Main Himalayan Thrust ramp involve an emergent fault or duplex, the landscape and erosion rate patterns suggest that the decollement beneath the state of Uttarakhand provides a sufficiently large and coherent fault segment capable of hosting a great earthquake.© 2015, Geological Society America, Inc.en_AU
dc.identifier.citationMorell, K. D., Sandiford, M., Rajendran, C. P., Rajendran, K., Alimanovic, A., Fink, D., & Sanwal, J. (2015). Geomorphology reveals active decollement geometry in the central Himalayan seismic gap. Lithosphere, 7(3), 247-256. doi:10.1130/l407.1en_AU
dc.identifier.govdoc6003en_AU
dc.identifier.issn1941-8264en_AU
dc.identifier.issue3en_AU
dc.identifier.journaltitleLithosphereen_AU
dc.identifier.pagination247-256en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1130/l407.1en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttp://apo.ansto.gov.au/dspace/handle/10238/6179en_AU
dc.identifier.volume7en_AU
dc.language.isoenen_AU
dc.publisherGeological Society America, Inc.en_AU
dc.subjectGeomorphologyen_AU
dc.subjectEarthquakesen_AU
dc.subjectRocksen_AU
dc.subjectSpatial distributionen_AU
dc.subjectErosionen_AU
dc.subjectHimalayasen_AU
dc.titleGeomorphology reveals active decollement geometry in the central Himalayan seismic gapen_AU
dc.typeJournal Articleen_AU
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