Geology and Tectonics of the part of Higher Central Himalayan Tethyan Zone
Abstract
The area incorporated in the paper covers the part of earlier known Painkhanda and Malla Johar regions of Higher Central Himalaya of Garhwal and Kumaun, lying north of Central Crystalline zone of Greater Himalaya. The Tethyan sedimentary sequence presents a thick pile of sediments with well preserved fossils from Cambrian to early Tertiary. The Hercynian orogeny is well marked. The flysch horizon in this section has yielded dinoflagellates and coccoliths reported first time, pointing towards Tertiary elements in flysch which was previously considered only Upper Cretaceous. The radiometric dates of ophiolitic complex have indicated Upper Cretaceous volcanism associated with "Exotic Blocks" of dolomitic limestone which has moved over flysch sediments. Besides the NW-SE trending axis of folds and faults the N-S trend is also developed. This zone exhibits thrust nappe structures having movement from North to South. The contact between Tethyan and Crystalline zones is dearly tectonic with profuse magmatic activities.
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