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

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Structure, Tectonics and Thermal State of the Lithosphere Beneath Intraplate Seismic Region of Latur, Central India: An Appraisal


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1 National Geophysical Research Institute (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research), Hyderabad - 500 007, India
     

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Recent surge in intraplate seismicity has led to detailed geological and geophysical investigations, covering different continental segments of India including seismogenic region of Latur. A synthesis of such data sets to understand the prevailing tectonic and thermal state of the Lithosphere beneath Latur region, that witnessed a large scale human loss due to 1993 seismic activity, has revealed shallow surfacing of denser deeper crustal segments which may have resulted due to ongoing active subsurface tectonic activity like uplift and erosion since geological past. Below this region, Moho temperature exceeds 500°C, heat flow input from the mantle is quite high (29-35 mW/m2) and the asthenosphere is shallow (∼100 ± 10 km). It is suggested that stress generated by ongoing upliftment and related subcrustal thermal anomaly is concentrating in this denser and stronger mafic crust within which earthquakes tend to nucleate. In all likelihood, the seismic activity witnessed in the region may stem from the deep crustal/lithospheric dynamics rather than the role of fluids at the hypocentral depth.

Keywords

Latur Earthquake, Geoisotherm, Seismotectonics, Upwarp, Crustal Velocity, Intraplate Seismicity, Granulites, Mantle Heat Flow.
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  • Structure, Tectonics and Thermal State of the Lithosphere Beneath Intraplate Seismic Region of Latur, Central India: An Appraisal

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Authors

O. P. Pandey
National Geophysical Research Institute (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research), Hyderabad - 500 007, India
K. Chandrakala
National Geophysical Research Institute (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research), Hyderabad - 500 007, India
P. R. Reddy
National Geophysical Research Institute (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research), Hyderabad - 500 007, India
G. Koti Reddy
National Geophysical Research Institute (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research), Hyderabad - 500 007, India

Abstract


Recent surge in intraplate seismicity has led to detailed geological and geophysical investigations, covering different continental segments of India including seismogenic region of Latur. A synthesis of such data sets to understand the prevailing tectonic and thermal state of the Lithosphere beneath Latur region, that witnessed a large scale human loss due to 1993 seismic activity, has revealed shallow surfacing of denser deeper crustal segments which may have resulted due to ongoing active subsurface tectonic activity like uplift and erosion since geological past. Below this region, Moho temperature exceeds 500°C, heat flow input from the mantle is quite high (29-35 mW/m2) and the asthenosphere is shallow (∼100 ± 10 km). It is suggested that stress generated by ongoing upliftment and related subcrustal thermal anomaly is concentrating in this denser and stronger mafic crust within which earthquakes tend to nucleate. In all likelihood, the seismic activity witnessed in the region may stem from the deep crustal/lithospheric dynamics rather than the role of fluids at the hypocentral depth.

Keywords


Latur Earthquake, Geoisotherm, Seismotectonics, Upwarp, Crustal Velocity, Intraplate Seismicity, Granulites, Mantle Heat Flow.

References