Understanding the Himalayan Sediment Routing System: A Key for Interpreting the Paleo-Sedimentary Record

Aditya, Kumar (2022) Understanding the Himalayan Sediment Routing System: A Key for Interpreting the Paleo-Sedimentary Record. Masters thesis, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata.

Text (MS dissertation of Kumar Aditya (17MS002)) 17MS002_Thesis_file.pdf Restricted to Repository staff only Download (2MB)

Abstract

The Himalayas have the broadest sediment production and delivery system due to their unique morphology and orogenic control over the Asian monsoon. The study of foreland sedimentary records from the Himalayan foreland basin has contributed significantly to our understanding of Himalayan construction processes. Several previous research have looked at the isotopic and geochemical composition of sediments in foreland basins and hypothesised about the hinterland processes. To test this idea, I chose the Yamuna catchment, which has been extensively studied. In order to better understand the surface processes acting on the Himalayan foreland basin, we have tried to study the modern fluvial system, which can be utilised to decipher previous activities. For geochemical and isotopic study, sediment samples were collected in a traverse parallel to the Yamuna. We performed geochemical and isotopic studies on field samples to remark on sediment provenance and the temporal variable sediment influx received by the foreland basin from hinterland source regions and the Himalaya's excavated older foreland basin. As a source tracer, we used the Sr-Nd isotopes proxy. The ratio of measured Sr isotopes varies between (0.76987-0.81873). We also presented a comparison of existing modelled isotopic ratios from the Yamuna basin with our observed ratio, finding a substantial discrepancy in the measured data that is more clustered towards the lesser Himalaya. Variation in observed data can be explained in terms of local vs. regional field observation, with geomorphic events such as landslides complicating the situation.

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