Advances in Remote Sensing Technology and the Three Poles

12 Some Unresolved Problems in the HimalayaA Synoptic View

Om N. Bhargava^*

Centre of Advanced Studies in Geology, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014 ^* Corresponding authors

12.1 Introduction

The first account of the regional geology of the Himalaya between the rivers “Ravee” and “Ganges” was by Medlicott (1864). Later, he was followed by many illustrious geologists, notable among them McMahon (1882), Oldham (1888, 1918), Hayden (1904), Middlemiss (1910), Pilgrim and West (1928), Wadia (1931), Heim and Gansser (1939); Auden (1934), West (1939), and Gansser (1964). Their contributions mainly pertained to the western Himalaya. During the Second World War, there was lull in geological activities. The mapping was half-heartedly resumed in the early 1950s, gaining fresh impetus after the reorganization of the Geological Survey of India (GSI) in 1961. Several universities also participated in research activities in the Himalaya, which so far have been monopolized by the GSI. Since then, enough water has flown down the Ganga and Ravi.

Acharyya (1978), Valdiya (1996), Bhargava (1995), Kumar (1997, 2005), Srikantia and Bhargava (1998), Bhargava and Bassi (1998), Dhital (2014), and Jain et al. (2020) summarize the latest state-of-art pertaining to the Himalaya. The geology, like any other science due to continuous addition of new data and technological advancement, needs constant revision of old concepts and so no word can be final. Thus, despite extensive contributions, there is enormous ...