Geomorphological Processes and Landforms in the Indus Valley Between Hemiya to Khalsi in Leh District, Ladakh India

The current study attempts to identify and describe the geomorphological processes and landforms in the Indus Valley, from Hemiya to Khalsi villages in Leh, Ladakh. The study area under investigation was mapped through a field Survey as well as by using Google Earth images, LANDSAT data, and ASTER DEM data. Mass-wasting, fluvial, glacial, and gravitational processes are recognized as playing a significant role in shaping the landscape of the study area. Twenty-one different resultant landforms of glacial, fluvial, and gravitational origin have been identified and mapped. These processes and landforms are well distributed across 163 long stretches along the northern and southern slopes, with distinct geological structures exposed in some places. The geomorphological map prepared based on field survey, field observations, and satellite data serves the purpose of the study as it gives a detailed and synoptic picture of the current and past geological processes, paleo-landforms, and the vulnerable spots of geological risk and geomorphic hazards.