Morphotectonic Features and Fault Propagation Folding of Bhuban Hills, NE India Using Satellite Image and DEM

Present topography of Bhuban Hills, lying in the Indo-Burman frontal fold belt of Northeastern part of India, is an aberration from a normal anticlinal morphology and exhibits several transverse and longitudinal fault affected segments resulting into distinct morphotectonic units. Six different morphotectonic units could be delineated along N-S stretch of the hill ridge. The western side of the northern most part of the hill ridge forms steep escarpment as this portion has been affected by the longitudinal faulting representing a case of fault propagation folding. The northernmost segment comprising three morphotectonic units (MU1 to MU3) is unique in the sense that this part exhibits effect of both the longitudinal and transverse faulting, uplifted narrow ridge with downthrown eastern side (MU2). Northern part of the Bhuban Hills has become curved westward due to the right lateral movement along the transverse fault TF1. The fifth morphotectonic unit (MU5) has undergone subsidence whereas, the sixth unit (MU6) exhibit bulging effect as this part experienced differential fault movements. Stream profiles, longitudinal and transverse topographic profiles extracted from contour map and Digital Elevation Model corroborated with the topographical anomalies developed over the Bhuban Hills.