Articles | Volume 8, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-769-2020
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-8-769-2020
Research article
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22 Sep 2020
Research article | Highlight paper |  | 22 Sep 2020

Timing of exotic, far-traveled boulder emplacement and paleo-outburst flooding in the central Himalayas

Marius L. Huber, Maarten Lupker, Sean F. Gallen, Marcus Christl, and Ananta P. Gajurel

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Cited articles

Abramowski, U., Glaser, B., Kharki, K., Kubik, P., and Zech, W.: Late Pleistocene and holocene paleoglaciations of the Nepal Himalaya: 10be surface exposure dating, Zeitschrift fur Gletscherkunde und Glazialgeologie, 39, 183–196, 2003. 
Ader, T., Avouac, J. P., Liu-Zeng, J., Lyon-Caen, H., Bollinger, L., Galetzka, J., Genrich, J., Thomas, M., Chanard, K., and Sapkota, S. N.: Convergence rate across the Nepal Himalaya and interseismic coupling on the Main Himalayan Thrust: Implications for seismic hazard, J. Geophys. Res.-Sol. Ea., 117, B04403, https://doi.org/10.1029/2011JB009071, 2012. 
Alexander, J. and Cooker, M. J.: Moving boulders in flash floods and estimating flow conditions using boulders in ancient deposits, Sedimentology, 63, 1582–1595, https://doi.org/10.1111/sed.12274, 2016. 
Amatya, K. M. and Jnawali, B. M.: Geological map of Nepal, scale: 1 : 1,000,000, Department of Mines and Geology, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Carl Duisberg Gesellschaft e. V., and United Nations Environment Programme, Kathmandu, Nepal, 1994. 
Andermann, C., Crave, A., Gloaguen, R., Davy, P., and Bonnet, S.: Connecting source and transport: Suspended sediments in the Nepal Himalayas, Earth Planet. Sc. Lett., 351, 158–170, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2012.06.059, 2012. 
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Short summary
Large boulders found in two Himalayan valleys show signs of long fluvial transport (>10 km). Paleo-discharges required to mobilize these boulders exceed typical monsoon discharges. Exposure dating shows that a cluster of these boulders was emplaced ca. 5 kyr ago. This period is coeval with a weakening of the Indian monsoon and glacier retreat in the area. We, therefore, suggest that glacier lake outburst floods are likely mechanisms that can explain these exceptional transport processes.
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