Glacial Morpho-Sedimentology and Processes of Landscape Evolution in Gangotri Glacier Area, Garhwal Himalaya, India

The Gangotri Glacier is one of the most prominent glacier of the Himalayas. Geologically the area comprises the Central Crystalline zone fringing the Tethyan sedimentary sequences, part of which can be seen at the top of Sudarshan peak and the ridge southwest of Gaumukh. Thick veins of coarse-grained biotite granite are intruded across the foliation of banded gneiss south of Jangla. The methodology includes the identification of various geomorphic features/land-forms in the field and marking the identified features on the satellite data. Lateral Moraines (LM) are the most common geomorphic feature which explains the dynamics of the glacier. It has been observed that some catastrophic events modify the landforms. The temperature also plays an important role in the modification process of geomorphic features in Gangotri Glacier. The Glacial sedimentary environment is dominantly active in the area during ice ages and evolves the landforms.