anor sone Ge Geology of Nepal- Dr. Ranjan Kumar Dahal Home About Me LectureNotes Reseach Publications Resources 5 Om te eR, es ae at's New! Recently published papers I! Dara RK. 2095, Engineering Goological Issues afr Gorkha Eartguake 20180 Nepal = prolminary escostanding, papor presented in Oty Asian Regoral Conference of AEG, Kyoto, Japan, to download proceeding pape cick hero timate change presentation of GGoodisaster Research Centar, Clk hee, Urban Geolooy Exploration sna Deiing Numerical Medeting Statics for Geologist Matnematie for Geloget Pre i “Theory Stuctural Gecloay Foundation Design Soil Mechanics Exploration and Dsiing for Ee Soil Mechanics Practical [se Search Wo have 2 guests and no members enine [Fat eetiorge srr ath a | ‘5. esa aE aT ‘FA rrjane@tugectogy.ecu.np SFU rkcahal@grsilcom Joo ct Mel Geology of Nepal te) Ranjan Kumar Dahal, PO Department of Geology, Tabhuvan University, Ghantaghar, Kathmandu, Nepal Poase use this information extensively, bul | quest fo acknowledge the souen For itaton, use this line: DDahal RK. 2008, Geology of Nepal, publshe in personal home page ww ranan nee. Himalaya in brief ‘The Himalayan Range is young mountain system of word, Its a brosd conruous arc lang the none fringes ofthe Traian subcontinent, rom the bend of the Indus Rver inthe nathwest tothe Brabmaputa Rver nthe east The Himalayan mountan cain extends in a east-west dretion between the wide sans ofthe Ids and Bramfapua in the south andthe vast expanse of he high ioetan Plateau inthe nach, The limit of he Himalayas inthe stand west |s marked by the easter and western ac of Himslayan bends. Between these bends the Himalayan ange is ‘gpraximstly 2400 km long ar 200 km o 300 km wid, The Himalayas cove an area of approximately 600,000 9, km insouth Asia Himalaya was formed bythe eallsin ofthe Insta Plate with Tibetan (ras) Plate around 85 millons years ago (Fig 1.1) Mary scents baive that al tat ime the nerthwaré moving Inc pairs ouchod the suthor edge of Tostan (Eurasia) plate cunseiaweeare Fig 14, Calision of naan plate wth Tbstan plate and formation of Himalaya (modi at USGS, 1999) “The mountain busing (orogenic) pocass canines from the calision an the mountain is sil on making process, Tis Is tceabe by present day nornward maversant of naa atta at of & em per year ana the oocurences of fequert ‘selamle shakes a along the Himalaya and ts suroundngs(Jackaen and Bhar, 1994, Pandey st a, 1985, har fa, 1998), Most pat of he eit accommodated within the Himalaya by varus trusts 2s wall ising peaks. Prominent research af Himalaya was begun after seventies erly when te plat tectonics theory was became popular among scierists and engineers. Undoubtedy, Himalaya became an ingenious nara laboratory tothe researchor for esting mary thoug of lao felons and ah surface dynamics, Himalayas one othe rare — ‘mountain rarges onthe Earth where, na sngl avers, more than 80 km thick verical section af meutain car Assessed om rol to top. Good exposures of deep seated metamorphic rock sequences tothe ossilierous tap hwwrrarjannetnpindex resources igectogy-of- nepal 8ano Goodigaster Research Canter, Cetra! Daparient of Geology, Tabruvan Univer, Kripa, Katmandu, Nepal Phone" 00977-12112090, "4120127 (R), 4332449 0) Mobile. 00977-9851050¢68 malt raranglugeoogy e.rp ‘Aaanalgnalicom Kethmand, Nepal Geology of Nepal- Dr. Ranjan Kumar Dahal sedimentary tock on ton ae eally accessible fr research, The Himalayan mountain system developed in a sees of Stages 30:0 50 millon years ago and they a sll active and continua ore todoy, Himalaya ls considered as @ lectoneally very active and valwable mountain syslom of wo. In 1964, Augusta Ganssor provided tho rst Comprahonsive pete ofthe Himalayas (Fg 1.2) and ho ad transversely dices the whole Himalayan ange In allowing ve major eroups. The Punjab Himalaya unas the Himalayan range that is in between the Shatyj (est ad the ntss Rivers in the west. It extension fs about S50 km ‘The Kumaon Himalaya hs extersion is shout 820 Km, This isthe Himalayan range borered eastey by the Mahakali River and westerly by the Say River ‘The Nepal Himalaya [Nepal has the Ingest cision ofthe Himalaya. ts extensions about 800 Km and stars rom west atthe Mahakal River and ends at the east bythe Tita River ‘Sikkin-Bhutan Himalaya Is longs about 400 Km ae extends betwoon Sikkim ar Bhutan ‘The NEFA Himalaya Ik etches about 440 Km fram th eastern boarder of Bhutan tothe Teangpo River in the east Longiuiratly, Himalayan Range s also vided into ive tector zenes (Gansser, 1964), Gangate Plan ‘SubHimalayan Zone Lesser Himalayan Zone TiotarTethys Himalayan Zone ‘These ast west extending zonee rn almost parallel to eocn other (Fig 1.2). They have erent hogy, stnctre, a geotaleat sto. EB ean ree tenis aetna TTD testing EEE suas CT Man Cont That Fig, 1.2 Longtuainl Subavsion ofthe Himalaya (moe ater Ganssor 1954) Geological Framework of Nepal Himalaya [opal eccupos tho cevtra sector of Kimalayan ar. Neal ono thi ofthe 2400 kr long Himalayan rangs is within [Nepal Simlarto ater pate ofthe Himalaya, fm saul fo noth, Nepal canbe alo sucvded i the felling Fs major tectorie zones Gangetic Plan ‘Su>HHmalayan(Siwalie) Zone Lesser Himalayan Zone ‘Tipton Tethys Himalayan Zone La ip hwwrrarjannetnpindex. ptr ascurcesiectogy-of- nepalano Geology of Nepal- Dr. Ranjan Kumar Dahal Each of those zones Is characteized by thir own thelony, tectonics, structures and gcleical sto. The gereralized (gevlogcal map is aven in Fig 3 Fig 13, Geclosieal map of Nepal (msi rom Dahal, 2006) ‘These al tectonic zones are separated from each othe by the thrust fats. The souzhermost faut, the Main Frost ‘Thrust (MFT) soparates tho SubHimalayan (Salk) Zone fem Gangetic Pans. Ths Man Boundary Thust (MET) separates the Lesser Himalayan Zone from Swale. The Main Central Trust (MC) separates te igh Himalayan Zone from the Lessee Himalayan Zone. The Soul Tibslan Detachment System (STOS) marks the boundary bolwoon tha Highor Hiralayan Zone andthe overlying fssilferous sequence ofthe Tostar-Tetnys Himalayan Zone. Tho Inso- Tuangpo Suure Zone isthe contact kro: between Inia late and Tibetan (Eurasian) Palen tems of plat tectoncs, Lemertmaie —_Moreinaaye Tea eta mats GST i ET ae Fea Tug. WT - Man Baty Tt MCT hTaege Suto re Fig 14, Gonaaizd cross section of Himalaya (medi after Dahl 2006) Geological Zones and Types of Materials, “Tho man gecesi zones of the Nepal Himalaya ao doserbes below Gangetic Plain ‘The Gangete Plains also called a Teal Zone and it's the Nepalese porton ofthe Gangetic Plain that extends frm the Indian Stil inthe South to the Su-Himalayan (Sivalx) Zonet the Nor The plain ees than 200 meters above lvel and usualy nas thick (nearly 7500 m) alluvial sediments. The alluvial semen contain manly balde, ravel Sit and cay, The with of Tara Zane varie from 10 to 0 km and frm a neatly conruoca bal om eat fo west. Exceptionaly at wo place, Cian and Rapl vals, tho Tera Zone i ilorupted by Siva for TO km and BO KM respectively, Teal Zones eolad basin an has Sesiment originated fom peaks of Nothem par. Tote nr his Zane Is seperates by an acive tnustsystom called 9s the Man Feral Thust (MFT) with Siwalk. At some pcos ‘along MET. the Siva ocks are observed 10 rst over the recent sediments of the Teri (Dahal 2008). ‘large rumber of berohol logs and geophysical investigation mae during the groundwater investigation and pttleum ‘exploration in Tra play ladle to sty the surface and subsurface gecogy of he Tea. Tuer haps ta classy the Tera ite Northam Tri or Bahar Zone, Mile Tor and Sounom Tx ‘Northern Terai (Bhabar Zone) ‘The northam Trl saxon to the fotis of Sivalic an contin souttward to a maximum width of 12 km, This pat of Tras also known as Bhabar Zane. This one ls mary composed of boulders, pobdes, cobbles and coarse Sand dared from th ocks of Siwalk and Lasser Himalaya. Those bouldrs, pebbles, and cobbles are mostly mace up ‘of sandstones (Fg 7.5) ar! he rocks fom the immecate northern veinty, Shab Zone ats as a recargo zone forthe (groundwater of Tera. Most of tha rvers eos thir wat wil passing through this zone. In his Zano, water fades in Walls show very sharp Muctuations between he surmer and reny seasons. At some places the wel became Completely cryin summer. Duc tothe very course nature othe sediments, low water table and euick percdlaton of this zones particularly not poauctve for agiculturo are tartare ical fr the development of ferst (Miao Trai arshy) Zone tap hwwrrarjan net pindex resources igectogy-of- nepalano Geology of Nepal- Dr. Ranjan Kumar Dahal This is @narow zono of about 10-12 km wide and Wing bstween the None Tori Zene andthe Southem Teri Zone. ‘This zone is characterized by pebely and brown to grey coated unconsolidated sandy sediments wih fen clay pangs. Cay is mostly dat gry colores and inercalned wh frown colored sand layers, Te medium fo coarse gare sandy layers possesses good groundwater reservoir Because of marked change nslevaio from haber Zona, zone comprises marked davelopmet of sping Ine, natural ponds, marshland ane lakes (Dahal 206) Immodate south of sping nas, wre aro mary atosian layers ar fund in pth of 25 mo 200m. Tne permoabity of Mido Tra Zone imines towards south and finaly non pammeable layers 2 encountores in Boundary of tha Seuthem Tera Zane (Fg 15). ‘Southern Tera! Zone ‘Southam Teri Zone is southem mast par of Teal up to Nepalndia borer and also cortinus irc India. This zone consists of man sediments of Gangetie Pain. Basically, sand, sit ad cay (Fig 1.5) are the man sediments of this ‘zone, Ths zone ls composed o! nor eedmonts than the Middle Teri Zane, To he extrem sou bordering tne In Pans, the sedans become net ar also show change of facies. The water iaele is about 3 m Blow the surface and aguilers aro poor Fig 1.5) Only ver channols ata north-south extending Biles aquers are fun. There, ‘excopt at ho nrtnom pat and along od river avant, there ae partly no good agers nthe lower horzons (Dahal 2008), Fortis reason, in the southem Tera of Nepal the development of he groundwater also appesrs to be ‘ica by deep tbe wets. Fig 18, Suosuace condition of Te | Zone of Nepal (edtied ater GROP, 1994) ‘Sulb-Himalayan (Siwalk) Zone ‘The Sub-timalaya Zone sas called at Svali Zane and is deliited onthe south bythe Main Frontal Thrust (MET) and onthe north by the Main Boundary Tust (MB) I consists baslaly offal posts ofthe Neogene age (23 Ilion years to 6 miles yeas ok). This Zone extends a lon the Himalaya farming the southermost il range With with of 8 fo 80 km. The Lesser Himalayan rocks thst southward over tho rocks of Siva along the MBT (Dahal 2008), The gneral po beds of Swall has notwara tend win varying angles athe overl sixes eastavest. The ‘Shwatk Zone has numberof east-west runing tests. walk Zane Isao pen wih fossils. Fossil of pans, psces, replies and mammals (Carver, Proboscidea, Artiodactyla, Rodentia and Primates) have been repre tram ‘Salk. The tree‘ classicaton of Swain Piwar region of Pasta and westem Indan Himalaya was frealy pple to the equvalet Salk of Nepal (Burbank eta, 1988) om the Begering of the geolaseal stuies in Nepal [Acvowing to tives fld classification, Swakc can bo classed a flow Lower Sali Mite ovate Upper Siwali ‘The example of goologieal map of Salk around Hetauda ates given n Fig 16. The map Mates the Upper, Middle ‘and Lower Sivaic inthe Helaude and Amlekrgur area, The olher geological names (famation) of Upper, Mids and war Sale ae alee provides in mapas formation names tap hwwrrarjan net pindex resources igectogy-of- nepalano Geology of Nepal- Dr. Ranjan Kumar Dahal Fig 18, Gocogical Map of Htawda-Bakiya Khola area (Adopiod from Ulak and Nakayama, 1998) Lower Siwellk ‘The Lower Sivalk consist of regularly laminated beds of fine grained grenish sandstone and sitstone wih mutstone. ‘The aterating midetane beds ar ickly baded and af variegated, re. pul, a brown colours, The bost cexpostres of Lower Salk are found in Suranaka, Amekhguy, Arun Khola, Barchhetra and Rt Kola area of Nepal Mido Sina ‘The Masa Sivalc ao comsrised of mexkun to cameo grained satard-pepper ooks tke mixture of al an black pepper) sanéstones ntreeadoa with mudstone (Fi 1.7). Ths is eronttod frm Yi Lowor ivatkinlacking \atogatod magstone ad sandstone. In upper pat othe Miele Sivalk,poboly sandstone bad a also found In Miato Svat to saestono bods have thickness mest ranges from 1 m 1 45 m. The exposes of Mido Siwalk ‘ae found mary in Surkhot, Sura Khoa, Hetaa, and Butwal & Fig 17, nterbedsng sandstone and mudstone in Nile Siwalik, Buwa-Tansen secon of Siddhartha Highway Upper Siva ‘The Upper Svalkc is comorsed of conlomsrate and boulder 264s and subordnataly sand and sit bes. The mudstone beds of te Upper Sivalic are massive ae regulary Deddod ae contain many invertebrate fossils inclu Bractlopeds and Gastonods. The upper par ofthis sequonce certains conglomerate beds, which have mosly boulder And cobble ize rounded to subangulr lagen of Lesser Henlayan rocks. In Bares, Hetaude, Bhlubang, ard Chitwan the good exposure of Uoper Siwalk can be seen, Lesser Himalayan Zone ‘The Lesser Himalayan Zones bounded to tha rath by the Main Ceiral Tht (MCT) an to the south by Main Boundary Thrust (MBT) MBT canbe traced aut n whee Nepal Himalaya and Wt canbe also wel observed in eal Inthis Zane treughout the Himalayas. The bath sequances ofthe Lesser Himalaya mainly have unosslfereus, sedimentary, and metasedimeniary rocks such as sat, phil, schist quartzite, Imestoe, dolomite, et, ranging in ‘98 from Precambrian to Eocene, There ae also oma gran nissone in he na tap hwwrrarjan net pindex resources igectogy-of- nepalano Geology f Nepal- Dr. Ranjan Kumar Dahal er treat Pacis Fig 18, Aesal photograph of Usaypur dst (easter Nepal), wall marked Main Boundary Thus (MBT) is passing turn milo! photorapn Fig 19, MBT observed in BuwaFTansen socton of Siéshartha Highway From east to west, the Lessor Himalayan Zone of Nepal vais in rock ype, ape structres, an igneous rock inrsion, Eastem Nepal s characterized by the cevelopment of extensive thrust sheets (allechironcus) of ign grade metamorphic rocks (gests and schist which have moved sou?maeas. Below this sequence, de a etsian, large exposure ofthe Tongrade metamorphic rocks (atocthonous) can be soen. In Conk Nepal, large tit sheet cae tho Kethmeanda [Nappe(allochthanaus) covers a wide area acund the Katmandu ron. Wnareas West of Karmardu, between the ‘Bush Ganda and Bhes rivers, amount of transported righ grade metamorphic forks (aloehthoneus) is very low ad the area ie gavel covered by autochthonous sequence, Auth west ofthe Bhat River, upto tne westem bores of Nepal (Dadelehurs Batted) nignayace metamerphi rocks reappear and cover much of te train, ‘The Higher Himalayan Zone ‘The Higher Hinsayan zene mainly consists of huge pile of strongly metamerphosed rocks, Geological, the Higher Himalayan Zone inclus the rocks ling nat ofthe Main Canal Thus (MCT) and below tho highly fossiferos Tooter Tethys Zone. This zone s saparated wih TibtanThys Zone by normal fat system called a5 South Tibetan Detachment Syston (STDS). Higher Himalayan Zone consists of an approximately 10 km Puce svecession of stony rmetamarshosed coarse raid rocks. I exonds cosinuously along tho erie lngth ofthe county as in whole Himalaya and its wth varies fom pace to place (see Fig 13) The kyante = sillmante mineals bearing aresses, schists, and marbles of he zone fom the basomert ofthe Tosian-Teys Zones, Grates ar foun inthe Upp part of the unt. ‘The Tibotan-Tethys Zone: ‘The Tietan-Tethys Zon les in nother pat of he county. begins om the top ofthe STDS (Fig 1.10) ard extends to the north in Tibet, In Nop the fosters orks ofthe Tela Tathys Zone are wolkdovelopes in Mustang Fig 1.11), “Manang and Doba area. Ineastem par. amount o exposure ofthe ThetanTehys Zone is amost noglghbla and feura only In top ofthe Mount Everest (Fig 1.3). Most of the eter Great Himalayan poaks of Nepal such 96 Manas, ‘Artapua, and Dhaulag Pave rocks of TiolarTethys Zone. Tis zone s composed of sedmeniary rocks, sch as shal, Imestone, and sandstone, ranging in age from Caran io Eacane, This zoe in som area is fourd as ortinuous deposits of Kiger Himalayan Zone without moral Fault tap hwwrrarjan net pindex resources igectogy-of- nepalano ig 1.10, South Tibetan Datachmnt System (STDS) separating Higher Himalayan Zon rom Tisetan-Tethys Zone, (hnaktan Khoa, noth wos fom Koktthal, Muay (Adopted Hom Datel 7008) a Fig 1.11, Clif ofimestone belongs to Tibeten-Tethys Zane, Jomsom, Mustang Physiography of the Nepal Himalaya Physiographic division of Nepal has boon in practice since 1980s. It as 1969, Tony Hagen succossivaly divided Nopal characteristic physiographic zones of Nepal. Some geographer and geomorPetogsts also used fwe fold cassfations Inthe goneal Serse namely eral Chua, Mecle Mountain, High Meurtain and High Himalaya, Neverthooss, dota ryslegraphical provinees of Nepal ara gven on Tale 1.1 ang Fig 4.12 and Fig !.13lusrates ine generalized Prysiographic poi of tho Nopal Himalaya, Table 1.1, Pysiogephical vison ofthe Nepal Himalaya (modified ater Upret, 1909) ex [eomeic nt Jan | atiuee | tain toct tee won preteen fe im | Iandorm cevlomert + [am queen 0 0200 | annun oane gavin | muwrapoten ssn and fe ovat, gay (Gat) sae endeongoner. | andabos ote 2 | envatne 530 |2eaa00 | vamye wn me cna | anerepanin ws and ¢ [snaoranoe | 1095 | scoosane | som, atti, ove. | weone —— wrtom trewone boon oh | ep few tae aco [aonacoo [ean pte, grees | Tesane apt inate, gant, | Vestn, sour, ane rewire grap | sop aoe ebngeg te he 7 [rainersiatyn | 180 ozone | eneaun, soit | Tacans pte, Ponies and atte | Venterg, eosar a atigeg te he mgr | sod osun ane ste tap hwwrrarjan net npindex resources igectogy-of- nepalanor ip hwwrrarjannetnpindex. ptr ascurcesigectogy-f- nepal Geology of Nepal- Dr. Ranjan Kumar Dahal Pi Fig 132, Physoorapty oft Nepal Himalaya (afer Dahal and Hasegawa, 2008) aN GN as a7 Fig 1.13, Generalized geographical cess section ofthe Nepal Himalaya (modifies after Dal 2008) References anal R.,K, 2006, Geology for Tecnica Students, Sskut Academic Publeations, Katmandu, Nepal, 7550 (GROP, 1994, Reassessment ofthe groundwater development strategy for rgation nthe Tea, Vo. 3 Groundwater, MG, Deparment of Ingation, Groundwater Resources Development Project, Hagen, T., 1969, Repat onthe geclogieal survey of Nepal selminaryrecornassance: Zireh, Mémoites de la soe. Haléique dos Sc. naturales, 165 p. Jackson. and Bihan rogor (1294) Constants on Himalayan defamation fared tm vetical vlecty fl in Nepal and Tibet, Jounal of Geophysical Resoareh 99 (87) 13897-13872. Kizak,K, 1994, An Outne ofthe Himalayan Uphoaveal, A case stay of the Nepal Himalayas, Kathmandu, Japan Intematnal Cooperation Agency ICA}, 127 Le Fort, P. 1984, French Earth Sciences research in Himalaya rgion. Aliance Francaise putication, Kathmandu, 174 Pp. Pandy MR. Tandkar RP. Ave JP. Lavé J. nd Massot J.P (1985) Inerolsmie stan accumulation on tho Himalayan crustal ramp (Nepa: Geopiysical Research Letters, 2, 751-704, Ulak PD, Nakayama, K., 1998, Lihostatigrashy and the evlutin of the the vl style af the Siwalk Group inthe etauda-Bakiya Kola area, Cental Nepal. Bu Dot. Geol Trbhuvan Univesity, 614 prt, 19, An overview ofthe stratigraphy ard tectonics ofthe No (1909) pp. 577-805. pri, BN. ang Yoshida, M. (Ed,) 2008, Guidebook for Himalayan Trekkers, Seis No, ‘, Geology and Naira Hazaris along ine Kaliganal Valley, nepal, Daparment of Geology, Tt-Chandra Carus, Thbruvan Univers, Kaitenandu, Nop 185. USGS, 1999, Understanding Plate Maton, URL: hitp/fpube.usgs.goupublctors 5 Himalaya, Jounal of Asian Earth Scionces 17 texluncerstanng hi Aeseren | Pteators | Resouces Susady te 1h At Jeon Tonto