Research Projects

The proposed research focuses on active fault mapping of the soan Dun region in the NW Himachal Himalaya, specifically the Main Boundary Thrust (MBT) zone. The MBT zone is a unique example of a structurally controlled and tectonically active landscape, mainly from Uttarakhand to the sirmaur district of Himachal Pradesh. The area contains siwalik and outer lesser Himalayan metasediments rocks, which are highly shared and fractured due to active deformation caused by the sirmauri Tal Fault (sTF) and Malgi Fault (MF) within the MBT zone. The active deformation in the region is not only deforming and displacing topography but also causing hill slope instability within the wide zone of MBT. The project aims to document signatures within the MBT zone and study the structural, geomorphic, morphotectonic, and palaeoseismic history of the sTF, MF, and MBT. The study will help assess geohazard vulnerability and highlight the seismic potential of the sirmauri Tal Fault and MBT zone. The study of landform deformation patterns will also help in future urban planning and sustainability development in the adjoining region of Dehradun.