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Overburden-Induced Flattening Structure in the Himalaya: Mechanism and Implication


Affiliations
1 Department of Geology, University of Calcutta, Kolkata 700 019, India
2 Department of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai 400 076, India
 

Small-scale structures in fold-thrust belt are mainly formed in response to the emplacement of thrust sheets. However, some small-scale structures may not be developed directly in response to the emplacement of thrust sheets, but might be genetically tied with the orogenic process. Metre- to centimetre-scale late-stage folds on foliation in phyllite with near-recumbent fold geometry are selectively developed with a specific spatial distribution, particularly in places where the foliation is steeply dipping, in the Ramgarh thrust sheet in the Darjiling-Sikkim Himalaya. The recumbent-fold structures appear to have been formed in response to overburden-induced vertical compressive deformation on steep dipping foliation, especially in the subvertical southern limb of the antiformal structure of the Lesser Himalayan Duplex in the Darjiling-Sikkim Himalaya. The role of gravity and overburden in the formation of these structures from worldwide orogenic belts may be considered to validate their genesis.

Keywords

Orogeny, Overburden-Induced Flattening, Recumbent Fold, Thrust Sheet.
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  • Overburden-Induced Flattening Structure in the Himalaya: Mechanism and Implication

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Authors

Sayandeep Banerjee
Department of Geology, University of Calcutta, Kolkata 700 019, India
Abdul Matin
Department of Geology, University of Calcutta, Kolkata 700 019, India
Malay Mukul
Department of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai 400 076, India

Abstract


Small-scale structures in fold-thrust belt are mainly formed in response to the emplacement of thrust sheets. However, some small-scale structures may not be developed directly in response to the emplacement of thrust sheets, but might be genetically tied with the orogenic process. Metre- to centimetre-scale late-stage folds on foliation in phyllite with near-recumbent fold geometry are selectively developed with a specific spatial distribution, particularly in places where the foliation is steeply dipping, in the Ramgarh thrust sheet in the Darjiling-Sikkim Himalaya. The recumbent-fold structures appear to have been formed in response to overburden-induced vertical compressive deformation on steep dipping foliation, especially in the subvertical southern limb of the antiformal structure of the Lesser Himalayan Duplex in the Darjiling-Sikkim Himalaya. The role of gravity and overburden in the formation of these structures from worldwide orogenic belts may be considered to validate their genesis.

Keywords


Orogeny, Overburden-Induced Flattening, Recumbent Fold, Thrust Sheet.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv109%2Fi10%2F1814-1821