Research Projects

The Himalayan active fault poses a significant threat to humans in the region due to its potential for devastating earthquakes. These earthquakes rupture either the down-dip segment of the MHT or the HFT up to the surface during great events, manifesting along the range front as discontinuous fault scarps. The ongoing Indo-Eurasian convergence accumulates an interseismic elastic strain that is released during large-great earthquakes, neutralizing the slip potential of the Himalaya. To reduce damage due to such earthquakes, understanding their recurrence in both space and time is crucial. Paleoseismological studies contribute to understanding and assessing seismic potential and associated hazards in the Himalaya and boundary regions. Recent paleoseismological investigations confirm the primary rupture of the surface since the 17th century during great earthquakes. Previous studies limit the western extent of the 1950 C.E. event faulting along the HFT up to the Subansiri valley, while investigations to the west within the mesoseismal zone at Hemi Basti report evidence of a 1697 C.E. event. A seismic gap exists between the 1714 and great 1950 earthquakes that did not slip since 1697. This project aims to understand the role of the transverse segment boundary to arrest or transmit the rupture and verify the extent of 20th and 17th century surface rupture in the Eastern Himalaya using closely spaced trench studies in the gap areas. Field investigations between Nameri and Pasighat sites, Assam-Arunachal Himalayan front, will help define the spatio-temporal distribution of earthquake ruptures and magnitude of pre-instrumental earthquakes along the HFT, and the control of segment boundary on the along-strike propagation of surface ruptures in the NE Himalaya.