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Apatite and zircon fission-track thermochronology constraining the interplay between tectonics, topography and exhumation, Arunachal Himalaya

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Abstract

Thirty-eight new apatite and zircon fission-track ages from 26 bedrock samples vary from 2.0 ± 0.3 to 12.1 ± 1.2 Ma, and 3.3 ± 0.3 and 13.2 ± 0.7 Ma, respectively, along three transects of the Kurung, Subansiri, and Siyom Rivers, which flow across the major structures of the Arunachal Himalaya. These cooling ages reveal marked variations in millennial-scale (>105 yr) exhumation rates from 0.6 to 3.0 mm/yr. A distinct positive correlation is visible between local topographic relief, hill slopes, channel steepness, and exhumation rates. The cooling ages are younger in the northern antiformal domains and older within the synformal nappe along the mountain front. Thermal modelling and time–temperature paths suggest that zones of rapid exhumation are controlled by structural windows within the Lesser Himalaya that were developed between 8 and 6 Ma over blind Main Himalayan Thrust (MHT). This time of rapid rock uplift and major topographic change led to a two-fold increase in the exhumation rates in the northern antiformal domains than the southern front of Arunachal Himalaya. Variation in cooling ages does not correlate with the present-day precipitation pattern. Tectonics appears to be the leading factor in driving the exhumation rates and landscape evolution in the Arunachal Himalaya.

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Figure 1
Figure 2

accessed from SRTM 90 m digital elevation model. AFT (apatite fission-track) and ZFT (zircon fission-track). Light blue transparent rectangles, e.g., Zone A, Zone B, and Zone C, indicate the defined precipitation zones to analyze to cooling ages (see text). Red dots with error bars represent ZFT ages whereas blue dots with error bars represent AFT ages.

Figure 3
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Figure 8

(modified from Yin et al. 2010; Adlakha et al. 2019). (a) The initial stage during Eocene to Early Miocene (~45−21 Ma) which the HHC/LHS were covered by the THS and thrusting along the STDS; (b) Early Miocene (~21−18 Ma and prior to 8 Ma) extrusion of the HHC along the MCT and the STDS, and the onset of LHS duplexes; (c) development/amplification of the LHS duplexes and formation of antiformal windows (~8–6 Ma); and (d) major phase of exhumation during Late Miocene to Present (6–0 Ma) of the HHC and the LH duplexes with accommodation of activity along with the STDS.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by research grants from the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India (DST-230-ESD and DST-380-ESD), and finalized during the research grants by the MoES [MoES/P.O.(Geo)101(g)/2016, dated 30.1.2020], Honorary Scientist Scheme of the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) to AKJ and CAP-Himalaya (Activity 7) of Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG) to VA. The authors thank Bodo Bookhagen for sharing the precipitation data. Pardeep Guri is thanked for the GIS guidance. The authors thank Kate Huntington, Dave Whipp for comments on the previous version of this manuscript, and two anonymous reviewers for comments on this manuscript, which improved the paper. Support received from the National Facility Lab on Low-Temperature Thermochronology, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, during the preparation of the manuscript, is highly acknowledged. VA thanks the Director, WIHG, Dehradun, for constant encouragement, while SS, JP and RK appreciate the facilities at the Department of Earth Sciences, IIT Roorkee, Roorkee.

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  1. R C Patel

    Present address: Centre of Advanced Studies, Department of Geology, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221 005, India

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, 247 667, India

    James Pebam, S Singh & Rajeev Kumar

  2. Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun, 248 001, India

    Vikas Adlakha & Rahul Devrani

  3. CSIR-Central Building Research Institute, Roorkee, 247 667, India

    A K Jain

  4. Department of Geophysics, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, 136 119, India

    R C Patel & Nand Lal

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  1. James Pebam
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Contributions

AKJ and SS evolved the research study. JP, AKJ, SS and RK collected the data in field. JP generated the fission-track data. JP, VA, AKJ and RCP done the interpretation, drafted the figures and wrote the manuscript. NL contributed in data generation, interpretation and manuscript writing. RD contributed in the topographic analysis.

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Correspondence to Vikas Adlakha.

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Communicated by Rajneesh Bhutani

Supplementary material pertaining to this article is available on the Journal of Earth System Science website (http://www.ias.ac.in/Journals/Journal_of_Earth_System_Science).

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Pebam, J., Adlakha, V., Jain, A.K. et al. Apatite and zircon fission-track thermochronology constraining the interplay between tectonics, topography and exhumation, Arunachal Himalaya. J Earth Syst Sci 130, 178 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-021-01667-2

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