Geomorphology, sedimentology, and minimum exposure ages of streamlined subglacial landforms in the NW Himalaya, India–status: completed (2011–2013)

In this study, we mapped and studied the streamlined subglacial landforms, including drumlins in three study areas, the upper Chandra valley around Chandra Tal, the upper Spiti Valley, and the middle Yunam Valley of the NW Himalaya of India, using geomorphic, sedimentological, and geochronological methods. These streamlined subglacial landforms include a variety of morphological types. Sedimentological data indicate that subglacial deformational processes form the streamlined subglacial landforms in the Chandra Tal and upper Spiti Valley study areas. In contrast, streamlined landforms in the middle Yunam Valley result from melt-out and subglacial erosional processes. In the Yunam Valley study area, 11 new cosmogenic \(^{10}\)Be surface exposure ages were obtained for boulders inset into the crests of streamlined subglacial landforms and moraines and also for a bedrock surface. The streamlined landforms date to 8–7 ka, providing evidence of an early Holocene valley glaciation.

Collaborators: Milap Chand Sharma, JNU; Lewis A. Owen, NCSU; Madhav K. Murarai, New Delhi.

Publications: Saha et al. 2016.


Figure Geomorphology of the Chandra Tal area. (A) Wide intermontane basin with an average width of ~2 km where in the past the main valley glacier from the Baralacha La joined the westerly tributary Samundri glacier. (B) Distribution of streamlined landforms on the low ridge section (~4300 m a.s.l.) west of the Chandra Tal. (C) Rose diagram demonstrating the long-axis trends of mapped drumlins with strong trends between 120 and 150° and a mean of ~135°. (D) Parallel and transverse clast fabric patterns of the sample KG1/DPF drumlin. (E) Similar parallel fabric of sample IDPF1, measured from the side of a glacier. (F) Similar NW and SE fabric of sample DPF2. (G) NW, E and SE fabric of sample KG2/DPF. The clast fabric results support the ice-flow direction inferred from the geomorphic map (B).


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