Loktak Lake, Manipur by Sudiptorana · CC BY-SA 4.0
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Manipur is home to the world's only floating national park: Keibul Lamjao National Park. This national park is located on Loktak Lake situated in Imphal Valley. This lake island surrounding valley are completely surrounded mountains on all sides and this unique geology actually contributed to why the floating national park could grow here.
The Imphal Valley was formed tectonically as a linear depression surrounded by hills on all sides. This was the result of the reactivation of the pre-existing Churachandpur–Mao Thrust and Thoubal Thrust during the oblique subduction of the Indian tectonic plate beneath the Burmese (Myanmar) Plate. This geological setting also resulted in an intermontane basin that developed a centripetal drainage pattern and consequently contributed to the formation of Loktak Lake.
Scientific references:
Singh, R.K. & Soibam, I. (2007). Transtensional Basin in Oblique Subduction Margin: Imphal Valley, An Example.
Loktak Lake: A Potential Site to Become the First UNESCO Global Geopark in Northeast India. Journal of the Geological Society of India (2024).
Graphics: I have used Wikipedia, Google Maps, and official Government of India maps for various graphics.#science #didyouknow #nature #geology #earthscience
Notes & corrections
As always, if you spot any mistakes in my understanding or explanation, please let me know.
* The main scientific paper I based this reel on is Singh, R.K. & Soibam, I. (2007). Transtensional Basin in Oblique Subduction Margin: Imphal Valley, An Example.
* In the reel, I mention that the Indian Plate is colliding with the Burmese (Myanmar) Plate. I simplified it to avoid covering too many topics in one reel. More accurately, the interaction is oblique subduction, where the eastern margin of the Indian Plate is moving beneath the Burmese Plate.
* I also couldn't cover why the floating national park actually floats in a single reel. I plan to make a separate video explaining the formation of the phumdis (the unique floating masses of vegetation, soil, and organic matter) and well as the geology and ecology of Keibul Lamjao National Park.
References
- Singh, R.K. & Soibam, I. (2007). Transtensional Basin in Oblique Subduction Margin: Imphal Valley, An Example.
- Loktak Lake: A Potential Site to Become the First UNESCO Global Geopark in Northeast India. Journal of the Geological Society of India (2024).
- Wikipedia, Google Maps, and official Government of India maps (graphics)
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