Research Projects

The collision of the Indian tectonic plate with the Eurasian plate has created the Himalayan mountain range, which has an arcuate eastern end and a suture between the two plates. This collisional event has formed many great river systems, such as the Brahmaputra, associated with the evolution of the Himalayas and the Indian Plateau (IBR). The erosion rate in this region is controlled by fluvio-glacial systems, varying between 1 to 10 mm yr-1. River sediments provide insight into erosion and weathering processes through denudation rates, measured using Terrestrial Cosmogenic Nuclides (TCN) like 10Be and 26Al. The dating of river terraces provides the uplift rate, and Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating methods are used to explore tectono-geomorphic events like glacial and landslide lake outburst floods, changes in depositional setting, channel migration and evulsion, denudation, and erosion rates. Bedrock and detrital samples in Fission-track Thermochronology can determine the rate of exhumation at 5 and 11 km depth. The study area is located along the Noa-Dihing River, bordering Assam-Arunachal Pradesh, in the juncture between Mishmi Hills and the easternmost part of the northern IBR associating the Naga Hills. The proposed study will map major tectonic and structural features and estimate denudation rates. The identification and estimation of mountain 'raising' and 'tearing' factors have a direct socio-economic impact, as sediment influx downstream of the Noa-Dihing would change channel morphology and impact the population in the populous Assam valley. This outcome could help in civil engineering constructions, preservation of flood mitigation structures, and creating a resilient society.