Top

Published in:

2025 | OriginalPaper | Chapter

3. GPS Deformation and Earthquakes in Himalaya

Authors : Sridevi Jade, T. S. Shrungeshwara

Published in: Natural Hazards and Risk Mitigation

Publisher: Springer Nature Singapore

Activate our intelligent search to find suitable subject content or patents.

search-config

AI-assisted search

Off

Abstract

The 2500 km Himalayan arc spanning Kashmir, Ladakh, in the west to Eastern syntaxis in the east is a tectonically complex and seismically active northern subduction boundary of the Indian plate. Three decades of GPS data give well-constrained surface convergence rates ranging from 10 to 26 mm/yr in the various segments of the Himalayas (Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal, Garhwal, Kumaun, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, Arunachal and Eastern syntaxis). Arc parallel rates of 3–10 mm/yr is the manifestation of locked curvature of the central Himalayan arc and the E–W extension rate of Tibet. Inverse modelling of surface convergence rates is used to estimate oblique slip rate of 13–20 mm/yr along Main Himalayan Thrust (MHT) at a depth of 15–20 km and locking width of 100–150 km from the frontal Himalayas suggesting that each segment of the Himalaya is unique in nature. Geodetic strain rates derived from the GPS-derived surface convergence rates suggest that the Himalayan region is predominantly under compression with high strain rate coinciding with the northern boundary of sub surface basal decollement (MHT) along which Indian plate subducts below Tibet. Seismic strain rates for each segment of the Himalaya are computed using the instrumental and historical earthquake catalogue. Seismic potential of each segment of the Himalaya is estimated by a combined analysis of geodetic and seismic strain rates and the corresponding moment rates. Further, strain budget and accumulated slip since the last devastating earthquake was used to estimate the recurrence interval and probable magnitude of impending earthquake in the Himalayan segments.

Dont have a licence yet? Then find out more about our products and how to get one now:

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

über 102.000 Bücher
über 537 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

Automobil + Motoren
Bauwesen + Immobilien
Business IT + Informatik
Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
Finance + Banking
Management + Führung
Marketing + Vertrieb
Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe
Versicherung + Risiko

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

inform now

Springer Professional "Technik"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Technik" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

über 67.000 Bücher
über 390 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

Automobil + Motoren
Bauwesen + Immobilien
Business IT + Informatik
Elektrotechnik + Elektronik
Energie + Nachhaltigkeit
Maschinenbau + Werkstoffe

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

inform now

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

Online-Abonnement

Mit Springer Professional "Wirtschaft" erhalten Sie Zugriff auf:

über 67.000 Bücher
über 340 Zeitschriften

aus folgenden Fachgebieten:

Bauwesen + Immobilien
Business IT + Informatik
Finance + Banking
Management + Führung
Marketing + Vertrieb
Versicherung + Risiko

Jetzt Wissensvorsprung sichern!

inform now

previous chapter Natural Hazards in India: A Review

next chapter Assessing the Influence of Clay Minerals on Landslides in the Lesser Himalayas

Ader T, Avouac J-P, Liu-Zeng J, Lyon-Caen H, Bollinger L, Galetzka J, Genrich J, Thomas M, Chanard K, Sapkota SN, Rajaure S, Shrestha P, Ding L, Flouzat M (2012) Convergence rate across the Nepal Himalaya and inter-seismic coupling on the Main Himalayan Thrust: implications for seismic hazard. J Geophys Res 117:B04403. https://doi.org/10.1029/2011JB009071CrossRef

Altamimi Z, Rebischung P, Métivier L, Collilieux X (2016) ITRF2014: A new release of the International Terrestrial Reference Frame modelling nonlinear station motions. J Geophys Res Solid Earth 121:6109–6131. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JB013098CrossRef

Banerjee P, Bürgmann R (2002) Convergence across the northwest Himalaya from GPS measurements. Geophys Res Lett 29(13). https://doi.org/10.1029/2002GL015184

Banerjee P, Bürgmann R, Nagarajan B, Apel E (2008) Intraplate deformation of the Indian subcontinent. Geophys Res Lett 35(18):1–5. https://doi.org/10.1029/2008GL035468CrossRef

Bendick R, Bilham R (2001) How perfect is the Himalayan arc? Geology 29:791–794CrossRef

Bendick R, Khan SF, Bürgmann R, Jouanne F, Banerjee P, Khan MA, Bilham R (2015) Postseismic relaxation in Kashmir and lateral variations in crustal architecture and materials. Geophys Res Lett 42:4375–4383. https://doi.org/10.1002/2015GL064670CrossRef

Bettinelli P, Avouac JP, Flouzat M et al (2006) Plate motion of India and Interseismic strain in the Nepal Himalaya from GPS and DORIS measurements. J Geodesy 80:567–589. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00190-006-0030-3

Bilham R et al (2001) Himalayan seismic hazard. Science 293(1442–1444):2001. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1062584CrossRef

Bilham R (2019) Himalayan earthquakes: A review of historical seismicity and early 21st century slip potential. Geol Soc Spec Publ 483:423–482. https://doi.org/10.1144/SP483.16CrossRef

Chen Q, Freymueller JT, Yang Z, Xu C, Jiang W, Wang Q, Liu J (2004) Spatially variable extension in southern Tibet based on GPS measurements. J Geophys Res 109:B0940. https://doi.org/10.1029/2002JB002350CrossRef

Cortés-Aranda J et al (2018) Late quaternary out-of-sequence deformation in the innermost Kangra Re-entrant, NW Himalaya of India: Seismic potential appraisal from 10Be dated fluvial terraces. J Asian Earth Sci 158:140–152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2018.01.027CrossRef

Dasgupta S et al (2000) Seismotectonic atlas of India and Its environs. Special Publication Geological Survey of India, Calcutta

DeMets C, Merkouriev S, Jade S (2020) High-resolution reconstructions and GPS estimates of India-Eurasia and India-Somalia plate motions: 20 Ma to the present. Geophys J Int 220(2):1149–1171. https://doi.org/10.1093/gji/ggz508CrossRef

Devachandra M, Kundu B, Catherine J, Kumar A, Gahalaut VK (2014) Global Positioning System (GPS) measurements of crustal deformation across the frontal eastern Himalayan syntaxis and seismic-hazard assesment. Bull Seism Soc Am 104(3):1518–1524. https://doi.org/10.1785/0120130290

Dumka RK, Kotila BS, Kothyari GC et al (2018) Detection of high and moderate crustal strain zones in Uttarakhand Himalaya, India. Acta Geod Geophys 53:503–521CrossRef

Freymueller J et al (1996) Global positioning system measurements of Indian plate motion and convergence across the lesser Himalaya. Geophys Res Lett 23:3107–3110CrossRef

Ghavri S, Jade S (2021) Seismic potential of megathrust in the Kumaun-Garhwal region of NW Himalaya: implications from geodetic and seismic strain rates. Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch) 110:1439–1452. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-021-02023-xCrossRef

Herring TA, King RW, Floyd MA, McClusky SC (2018) Introduction to GAMIT/GLOBK Release 10.7. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge. http://geoweb.mit.edu/gg/Intro_GG.pdf

Jade S (2004) Estimates of plate velocity and crustal deformation in the Indian subcontinent using GPS geodesy. Curr Sci 10:1443–1448

Jade S et al (2011) GPS-derived deformation rates in northwestern Himalaya and Ladakh. Int J Earth Sci 100(6):1293–1301. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-010-0532-3CrossRef

Jade S et al (2014) Contemporary deformation in the Kashmir-Himachal, Garhwal and Kumaon Himalaya: significant insights from 1995–2008 GPS time series. J Geod 88:539–557. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00190-014-0702-3CrossRef

Jade S et al (2017) India Plate angular velocity and contemporary deformation rates from continuous GPS measurements from 1996 to 2015. Nat Sci Rep 7:11439. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-11697-wCrossRef

Jade S et al (2020) Crustal deformations rates in Kashmir valley and adjoining regions from continuous GPS measurements from 2008 to 2019. Sci Rep 10:17927. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-74776-5CrossRef

Jouanne F, Mugnier JL, Gamond JF, Le Fort P, Pandey MR, Bollinger L (2004) Current shortening across the Himalayas of Nepal. Gephys J Int 157:1–14. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246X.2004.02180.xCrossRef

Jouanne F et al (2011) Postseismic deformation in Pakistan after the 8 October 2005 earthquake: Evidence of after slip along a flat north of the Balakot-Bagh thrust. J Geophys Res Solid Earth 116:B07401. https://doi.org/10.1029/2010JB007903CrossRef

Jouanne F et al (2020) Seismic coupling quantified on inferred decollements beneath the western syntaxis of the Himalaya. Tectonics 39:1–20. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020TC006122CrossRef

Kanamori H (1977) The energy release in great earthquakes. J Geophys Res 82(20):2981–2987. https://doi.org/10.1029/JB082i020p02981CrossRef

Kostrov B (1974) Seismic moment and energy of earthquake and seismic flow of rock. Izv Acad Sci USSR, Phys Solid Earth 1:23–40MathSciNet

Kumahara Y, Jayangondaperumal R (2013) Paleoseismic evidence of a surface rupture along the Northwestern Himalayan Frontal Thrust (HFT). Geomorpholgy 180:47–56CrossRef

Kumar S, Wesnousky SG, Rockwell TK, Briggs RW, Thakur VC, Jayagonda Perumal R (2006) Paleoseismic evidence of great surface rupture earthquakes along the Indian Himalaya. J Geophys Res 111:B03304. https://doi.org/10.1029/2004JB003309

Kumar P, Malik JN, Gahalaut VK, Yadav RK, Singh G (2023) Evidence of strain accumulation and coupling variation in the Himachal region of NW Himalaya from short term geodetic measurements. Tectonics, 42:e2022TC007690. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022TC007690

Kundu B, Yadav RK, Bali BS, Chowdhury S, Gahalaut VK (2014) Oblique convergence and slip partitioning in the NW Himalaya: implications from GPS measurements. Tectonics 33(10):2013–2023. https://doi.org/10.1002/2014TC003633CrossRef

Mahesh P, Rai SS, Sivaram K, Paul A, Gupta S, Sarma R, Gaur VK (2013) One dimensional reference velocity model and precise locations of earthquake hypocenters in the Kumaon-Garhwal Himalaya. Bull Seismol Soc Am 103(1):328–339. https://doi.org/10.1785/0120110328CrossRef

Meade BJ (2007) Present day kinematics at the India-Asia collision zone. Geology 35(1):81–84. https://doi.org/10.1130/G22924A.1

Mohadjer S, Alan Ehlers T, Bendick R, Stübner K, Strube TA (2016) Quaternary fault database for central Asia. Nat Hazards Earth Syst Sci 16:529–542. https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-16-529-2016

Mukul M, Jade S, Bhattacharyya AK et al (2010) Crustal shortening in convergent orogens: insights from global positioning system (GPS) measurements in northeast India. J Geol Soc India 75:302–312. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-010-0017-9CrossRef

Mukul M, Jade S, Ansari K, Matin A, Joshi V (2018) Structural insights from geodetic global positioning system measurements in the Darjiling-Sikkim Himalaya. J Struct Geol 114:346–356. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsg.2018.03.007CrossRef

Okada Y (1985) Surface deformation due to shear and tensile faults in a half-space. Bull Seismol Soc Am 75(4):1135–1154CrossRef

Paul J, Bürgmann R, Gaur VK, Bilham R, Larson KM, Ananda MB, Jade S, Mukul M, Anupama TS, Satyal G, Kumar D (2001) Themotion and active deformation of India. Geophys Res Lett 28(4):647–650CrossRef

Savage JC, Simpson RW (1997) Surface strain accumulation and the seismic moment tensor. Bull Seismol Soc Am 87:1345–1353CrossRef

Schiffman C, Bali BS, Szeliga W, Bilham R (2013) Seismic slip deficit in the Kashmir Himalaya from GPS observations. Geophy Res Lett 40:5642–5645CrossRef

Shrungeshwara TS, Narukula B, Jade S et al (2023) Implications of seismic and GNSS strain rates in Himachal, Kashmir and Ladakh. Sci Rep 13:21652. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-48997-3CrossRef

Silver CRP, Murphy MA, Taylor MH, Gosse J, Baltz T (2015) Neotectonics of the Western Nepal fault system: Implications for Himalayan strain partitioning. Tectonics 34:2494–2513. https://doi.org/10.1002/2014TC003730CrossRef

Snay R (1999) Using the HTDP software to transform spatial coordinates across time and between reference frames. Surv Land Inf Sys 59(1):15–25

Sreejith KM, Sunil PS, Agarwal R et al (2018) Audit of stored strain energy and extent of future earthquake rupture in central Himalaya. Sci Rep 8:16697. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-35025-yCrossRef

Teza G, Galgaro A (2008) Grid_strain and grid_strain3: software packages for strain field computation in 2D and 3D environment. Comput Geosci 34(9):1142–1153CrossRef

Vassallo R et al (2015) Distribution of the Late-Quaternary deformation in Northwestern Himalaya. Earth Planet Sci Lett 411:241–252. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2014.11.030CrossRef

Vernant P, Bilham R, Szeliga W, Drupka D, Kalita S, Bhattacharyya AK, Gaur VK, Pelgay P, Cattin R, Berthet T (2014) Clockwise rotation of the Brahmaputra Valley relative to India: Tectonic convergence in the eastern Himalaya, Naga Hills, and Shillong Plateau. J Geophys Res Solid Earth 119:6558–6571. https://doi.org/10.1002/2014JB011196CrossRef

Wells DL, Coppersmith KJ (1994) New empirical relationships among magnitude, rupture length, rupture width, rupture area, and surface displacement. Bull Seismol Soc Am 84(4):974–1002. https://doi.org/10.1785/BSSA0840040974CrossRef

Wessel P, Luis JF, Uieda L, Scharroo R, Wobbe F, Smith WHF, Tian D (2019) The generic mapping tools version 6. Geochem Geophys Geosyst 20:5556–5564. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GC008515

Wiemer S (2001) A software package to analyze seismicity: ZMAP. Seismol Res Lett 72(3):373–382. https://doi.org/10.1785/gssrl.72.3.373CrossRef

Yadav RK, Gahalaut VK, Bansal AK, Sati SP, Catherine J, Gautam P, Kumar K, Rana N (2019) Strong seismic coupling underneath Garhwal-Kumaun region, NW Himalaya, India. Earth Planet Sci Lett 506:8014CrossRef

Zheng G, Wang H, Wright TJ, Lou Y, Zhang R, Zhang W, Wel N (2017) Crustal deformation in the India-Eurasia collision zone from 25 years of GPS measurements. J Geophys Res: Solid Earth 122:9290–9312. https://doi.org/10.1002/2017JB014465CrossRef

Title: GPS Deformation and Earthquakes in Himalaya
Authors: Sridevi Jade
T. S. Shrungeshwara
Publisher: Springer Nature Singapore
Book: Natural Hazards and Risk Mitigation
Print ISBN: 978-981-9776-57-3

Electronic ISBN: 978-981-9776-58-0

Copyright Year: 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-97-7658-0_3

Springer Professional

Abstract

Please log in to get access to your license.

Dont have a licence yet? Then find out more about our products and how to get one now:

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik"

Springer Professional "Technik"

Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"