GEOLOGY OF ALAKNANDA BHGIRATHI AND YAMUNA VALLEY, GARHWAL HIMALAYA, PARTS OF CHAMOLI TEHRI UTTAKASHI & PAURI DISTRICTS, UTTRAKHAND STATE, INDIA
Authors:   Ex. Director Geological Survey of India, Ex. Director Rajeev Gandhi Prodyogiki Mahavidhyalaya Bhoplal M.P. India., Khan A.A. , Sinha K.K. ,   Ex. Director Geological Survey of India., Chaterjee A.C ,   Ex. Head of Department School of Studies in Geology Vikram University Ujjain M.P. India.
Published: August 2024

The Alaknanda is the trunk stream of Ganga system it drains the eastern part of the area of study .The rocks of Alaknanda valley and adjoining area consist of three units viz Central Cryastalline , Garhwal Group and Dudatoli Groups which from north to south are separated by thrust or fault. The Central Crystalline Group in this area consist of /comprises of northerly dipping sequence of Kyanite schist,Garnet mica schist quartzites and para amphibolites of Tugnath formation and it is intruded by granite at Ragsi,the main Central Thrust seprates it from Garhwal Group.The Dudatoli Groupis represented Pauri Phyllite and Kirsu Quartzite which forms the northern limb of Dudatoil syncline .The north Almora Thrust makes it boundary with Garhwal group. The later is divisiable in to Rudraprayga ,Lamri , Chamoli and Gawangarh and Patrali Formation which occurs in normal stratigraphic order. It is intruded by biotite granite by biotite graninte at Nainidevi and Mohankal , with tourmaline granite around Chirpatikhal and also by basic intrusive . The Rudraprayg , Lameri and Chamoli formations are equivalent to Uttarkashi Shyalnan and Nagnithhank Formation respectively in Bhagirathi valley. The Garhwal Group of has been subjected to three phases of tectonic deformation. The south east to southerly plunging folds such as Marithanasa and Pingapani synclines .Karanprayg anticline were developed during the second phase of movements. The Alaknada fault which cuts off set of the formation and earlier structures between Sunala is the strike slip fault in western part, appears to be the youngest elements. Geologically , the Bhagirathi valley and adjoining areas comprises of four distinct units namely from north to south the Central Crystalline Group , the Deoban Group the Simla Group,and Krol belt rock separating from one another by thrust or faults. The main Central Thrust passing through Sainj in northern part brings the northerly dipping crystalline rocks in sharp contact with under lying Deoban Group (Garhwal Group) sedimentries which comprises a lower Deoban Formation of Phyllite, slate meta basics, minor quartzite and lime stone, the middle Deoban formation of lime stone and upper Deoban formation of Quartzite and basics. The southern contact of Deoban Group is faulted one with comprising mainly siltstone, greywacks and slates dipping south .This fault called Sringar Nalupani fault of fundamental nature. In the southern and eastern part of the area this fault marks the contact between Deoban and Chandpur formation. In the western part south heading Ton Thrust separates the underlying Chanpur formation from the underlying Simla slates which shows abundant development of slump balls rod etc. indicating syndepositional disturbances in the basin of sedimentation while in Chanpur formation, is manly argillaceous, becoming arenaceous towards the top The Tons thrust passes through Laluli in Nagun Gad and is probably truncated by Tehri Nalupani fault at Chandpur in Bhagirathi valley. The full sequence of Krol rocks is exposed beautifully in Mussoorie syncline. The tectonic succession in Yamuna valley is Naogaon sheet comprising more metamorphosed rocks overly the Deoban group rocks separated from the latter by what is called the Naugaon thrust sheet which is folded in a North to Northwest plunging synform. The western limb of the folded thrust crosses Yamuna near the confluence with Kamola Gad and runs along the Kamola Gad. The rocks of the Naugaon sheet can be seen overlying the Deoban formation limestone along this section. The thrust hade towards east in this section. It follows a southerly trend till Tiyan when it takes an easterly swing, heading northward. It closes around Gair. The eastern limb of the synformal thrust sheet, heading westward crosses the Yamuna River at Kisna, Basic intrusive are seen along the thrust sheet near Kisna and around. The complexity of structural and tectonic set up in the area and lack of fossils make the task of correlation extremely difficult. However, on the basis of lithological similarities as well as structural disposition an attempt has been made to correlate the various litho units in the present area.