The Syntaxial Bends of the Himalayas

The general east-west trend of the Himalayas terminates suddenly at its western and eastern extremities and the ranges are sharply bent southward in deep knee- bend flextures which are called syntaxial bends. The western syntaxial bend is near Nanga Prabat where the Indus has cut a deep gorge. The geological formations here take sharp hairpin bends as if they were bent round pivotal points obstructing them. There is a similar hair- pin bend in Arunachal Pradesh where the mountains take a sharp bend from the eastern to southern direction after crossing the Brahmaputra river. The tectonic strike also undergoes a deep knee-bend from an easterly to southerly trend (Fig. 2.14).