Journal of Geological Society of India (Online archive from Vol 1 to Vol 78)

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Fractal Analysis of Major Faults in India on a Regional Scale


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1 Department of Geology and Geophysics, IIT Kharagpur - 721302, India
     

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The seismicity of a region is implicit of the causal faulting mechanisms and geodynamic diversity of the subsurface regime nucleating earthquakes of different magnitudes, several of which may be as devastating as ones historically reported in global perspective of tectonic complexity as in the case of India. Fractal analysis using boxcounting method for the major fault networks across the country estimates fractal dimension, Df, values to be varying between 0.88 and 1.36. The fault segments in parts of northwest Himalayas, northeast India and Indo-Gangetic plains, are observed to be associated with higher Df values implicating high seismicity rates. On the other hand, low Df values in the peninsular India indicate isolated pattern of the underlying faults. The fractal dimension is observed to be indicative of predominant faulting types - higher values conforming to thrust faulting mechanism while lower to strike slip tectonism.

Keywords

Fractal Dimension, Faulting Types, Seismicity.
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  • Fractal Analysis of Major Faults in India on a Regional Scale

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Authors

P. Sengupta
Department of Geology and Geophysics, IIT Kharagpur - 721302, India
S. K. Nath
Department of Geology and Geophysics, IIT Kharagpur - 721302, India
K. K. S. Thingbaijam
Department of Geology and Geophysics, IIT Kharagpur - 721302, India
S. Mistri
Department of Geology and Geophysics, IIT Kharagpur - 721302, India

Abstract


The seismicity of a region is implicit of the causal faulting mechanisms and geodynamic diversity of the subsurface regime nucleating earthquakes of different magnitudes, several of which may be as devastating as ones historically reported in global perspective of tectonic complexity as in the case of India. Fractal analysis using boxcounting method for the major fault networks across the country estimates fractal dimension, Df, values to be varying between 0.88 and 1.36. The fault segments in parts of northwest Himalayas, northeast India and Indo-Gangetic plains, are observed to be associated with higher Df values implicating high seismicity rates. On the other hand, low Df values in the peninsular India indicate isolated pattern of the underlying faults. The fractal dimension is observed to be indicative of predominant faulting types - higher values conforming to thrust faulting mechanism while lower to strike slip tectonism.

Keywords


Fractal Dimension, Faulting Types, Seismicity.

References