Strike-Slip Motion in the Himalaya: Lineament and Fault Geodata

This dataset contains GIS data mapping and classifying documented lineaments and strike-slip faults within the Cenozoic Himalayan orogen. The mapped structures are grouped into three primary categories: (1) orogen-parallel or subparallel strike-slip faults; (2) cross-cutting or transverse lineaments oriented northwest-southeast and northeast-southwest; and (3) tear faults that intersect the active, range-bounding Main Frontal Thrust and define salient and recess boundaries. These features may represent reactivated or inherited structures that influence the current stress field, similar to other intraplate strike-slip systems. Included in the dataset are shapefiles and geospatial attributes for each lineament or fault, with reference to original published sources. Preliminary spatial analysis indicates that earthquake epicenters (Mw ≥ 5) often occur at or near intersections of these lineaments with each other or with major Himalayan fault systems. For example, the Mw 7.8 Gorkha earthquake (25 April 2015, 06:11:25 UTC) occurred near the intersection of the Main Central Thrust (MCT) with either two unnamed lineaments (USGS catalog) or the Thaple lineament (NEIC catalog). Notably, its Mw 7.3 (12 May 2015, 07:05:19 UTC) and Mw 6.7 (26 April 2015, 07:09:10 UTC) aftershocks are located near the intersection of the MCT with the Gaurishankar lineament. This dataset is intended to support ongoing efforts to refine structural models of Himalayan tectonics and should be considered in future seismic hazard assessments. All features are georeferenced and suitable for integration into ArcGIS or other GIS platforms. This dataset was developed with support from the UT Libraries Map & Geospatial Collections Explorer (MGCE) Fellowship.