Context: Recently, a group of scientists from the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG), Dehradun have found that the Indus-Tsangpo Suture Zone (ITSZ) of Himalayais tectonically active.

• This could have major implications in terms of earthquake study, prediction, understanding the seismic structure of the mountain chains as well as its evolution.

Key findings

• The suture zone of Himalaya that was conventionally thought to be ‘locked’ is tectonically active.
• Sedimentary beds are tilted and thrust broken.
• Rivers are associated with uplifted terraces.
• Bedrock shows brittle deformation that occurred at much shallower depths.
• Above deformed geological features were dated using a technique called Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL).
• Indus Suture Zone (ISZ) has been neo-tectonically active since the last 78000-58000 years.
• A recent earthquake in 2010 of 4.0 magnitude near Upshi village that occurred due to a thrust rupture.
• Overall deformation in Himalaya is being accommodated only along with the Main Frontal Thrust (MFT).
• Himalayas were known to be made up of north dipping thrusts like the Main Central Thrust (MCT), the Main Boundary Thrust (MBT), and the MFT.

Indus Suture Zone (ISZ)

• Also known as the Indus Tsangpo suture zone in Ladakh.

It lies between

• Zanskar Zone of Tethys Himalaya in the south and
• Karakoram zone in the north
• It is the region where Indian and Asian Plates are joined.
• The north side of the suture zone is the Ladakh Batholith of the Karakoram-Lhasa Block.