IMPACT OF CLIMATE-TECTONIC INTERACTION ON TERRAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF THE WATERSHEDS IN WESTERN HIMALAYA - Carpathian Journal of Earth And Environmental Sciences

Terrain attributes of watersheds with elevation influenced by tectonics and erosion processes in the Himalaya. It is inference from the present study that glacier processes have influenced the generation of the numbers of the watershed, mean slope, surface curvature, plan curvature, shape complex index, standard deviation and relief in higher altitude. The tectonic variability is reflected by the Hypsometric Integral (HI) and relief of the watersheds at tectonic boundaries. However, mean surface curvature, plan curvature and shape complexity Index of watersheds doesn’t show sensitivity towards tectonic variability. A sharpe increase in Plan curvature, Surface curvature and Shape complexity index values observed at altitude of 4200 m.a.s.l corresponding to glacier environment. High relief produced by glacier erosion near the permanent snow resulted in shadow in mountain valley during day time. Hence, low insolation causes slow de-glaciations processes and resulted in less sensitivity of big mountain valley glaciers towards climate warming. Relative intensity of the monsoon climate and global cooling by the glacial ages resulted in development of more southerly glacier basins in Himalaya.