Slope failure and denudation in the western Himalaya

Abstract

Slope failures, glaciers, and rivers constitute the three main agents of denudation in the Himalaya. Failure of slopes is strongly controlled by bedrock geology, especially at plate terrane boundaries, although climatic and seismic controls of failure also occur. Slope-failure complexes in the western Himalaya studied for this report include the Pakhar, Kaghan, Nanga Parbat, and Atabad Hunza areas, with 23 different slope failures reported within all the complexes. Quantification of denudation by mass movement requires measurement of volumes and determination of timing of sediment emplacement and removal where possible, to obtain better data on recurrence intervals and total geomorphic work performed in formation of the landscape. The relation of mass movement to overall denudation by glaciers and rivers, and its role in catastrophic floods and debris entrainment is assessed.