Crustal electrical conductivity of the Indian continental subduction zone: New data from the profile in the Garhwal Himalaya

Abstract

We present the results of studying the geoelectrical structure of the zone of continental subduction of the Indian lithospheric plate within the Gahrwal Himalaya. In the framework of the Russian–Indian project, the data of the broadband magnetotelluric soundings conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee on the regional profile across the structures of the orogen were expanded, processed, and interpreted by the new program tools adapted for the measurements in the mountain conditions and for the presence of industrial noise. The constructed model of the deep electrical conductivity cross section for Garhwal revealed its two-dimensional (2D) features and more accurately delineated the location of the midcrustal conductor associated with the ramp structure of the detachment plane. The correlations with the regional distribution of the earthquake hypocenters and the seismotomographic images suggest a common, fluid-related nature of the seismic and geoelectrical anomalies in the crust of the Garhwal Tectonic Corridor and enabled the identification of the seismogenerating zones. Among the data of the expanded profile set of magnetotelluric and magnetovariational transfer functions, the response of a poorly explored deep conductive body is revealed. This object is located east of the profile and is probably associated with the activation of the ancient trans-Himalayan cratonic structures which prepares the segmentation of the Himalayan arc.