Active Deformation Measurements at Mishmi Complex of Eastern Himalayan Syntaxis

Abstract

We focus the geodynamic status of Eastern Himalayan Syntaxis with reference to Tibetan Plateau,Chinaand Burmese Arc using the crustal deformation constraints with GPS observation. We have used the GPS data, surface geomorphic constraints and compared the existing Pn velocity and Anisotropy [1], determined the crustal velocity of Tibetan Block and North andEast Chinablock as 2 - 8 mm/yr and 6 - 11 mm/yr considering the EHS as stable block. The lack of crustal deformation studies in EHS poses a gap in its geodynamic setup. The present attempt is first time in EHS to estimate crustal deformation by GPS. We presented GPS results from 10 stations along with one permanent station covering the EHS 2 - 3 mm/yr with an azimuth of N460. It reveals that the EHS is moving very slow rates, which accommodates the maximum strain (after Great Earthquake of8.7 M, Arunachal China Border 1950). The neotectonic activities are recorded along the major rivers traversing EHS follow the major thrusts and faults.

Share and Cite:

M. Singh and A. Kumar, "Active Deformation Measurements at Mishmi Complex of Eastern Himalayan Syntaxis," International Journal of Geosciences, Vol. 4 No. 4, 2013, pp. 746-758. doi: 10.4236/ijg.2013.44068.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1] Z. X. Cui and S. P. Pei, “Study on Pn Velocity and Anisotropy in the Uppermost Mantle of the Eastern Himalayan Syntaxis and Surrounding Regions,” Chinese Journal of Geophysics, Vol. 52, No. 9, 2009, pp. 2245-2254.
[2] Q. Wang, et al., “Present-Day Crustal Deformation in China Constrained by Global Positioning System (GPS) Measurements,” Science, Vol. 294, No. 5542, 2001, pp. 574-577. doi:10.1126/science.1063647
[3] B. K. Rastogi, “Earthquake Mechanisms and Plate Tectonics in the Himalayan Region,” Tectonophysics, Vol. 21, No. 1-2, 1974, pp. 47-56. doi:10.1016/0040-1951(74)90061-4
[4] A. N. Tandon and H. N. Srivastava, “Focal Mechanisms of Some Recent Himalayan Earthquakes and Regional Plate Tectonics,” Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, Vol. 65, No. 4, 1975, pp. 963-969.
[5] S. Kumar, “Tectonics and Earthquake Mechanism of the Shallow Earthquake Seismic Belt, the Himalaya,” International Journal of Earth Sciences, Vol. 64, No. 1, 1975, pp. 977-992.
[6] U. Chandra, “Seismicity, Earthquake Mechanisms and Tectonics along the Himalayan Mountain Range and Vicinity,” Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors, Vol. 16, No. 2, 1978, pp. 109-131. doi:10.1016/0031-9201(78)90083-3
[7] P. Molnar and W. P. Chen, “Focal Plane and Fault Plane Solutions of Earthquakes under the Tibetan Plateau,” Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 88, No. B2, 1983, pp. 1180-1196. doi:10.1029/JB088iB02p01180
[8] L. Baranowski, J. Ambuster, L. Seeber and P. Molnar, “Focal Depths and Fault Plane Solutions of Earthquakes and Active Tectonics in Himalaya,” Journal Geophysical Research, Vol. 89, No. B8, 1984, pp. 6918-6928. doi:10.1029/JB089iB08p06918
[9] M. Mukhopadhyay, “Seismotectonics of Transverse Lineaments in the Eastern Himalaya and Its Foredeep,” Tectonophysics, Vol. 109, No. 3-4, 1984, pp. 227-240. doi:10.1016/0040-1951(84)90142-2
[10] S. Biswas and A. Das Gupta, “Some Observations on the Mechanism Earthquakes in the Himalaya and the Burmese Arc,” Tectonophysics, Vol. 122, No. 3-4, 1986, pp. 325-343. doi:10.1016/0040-1951(86)90150-2
[11] Coward, “The Tectonic History of Kohistan and Its Implications for Himalayan Structure,” Journal of the Geological Society, Vol. 144, 1987, pp. 377-391. doi:10.1144/gsjgs.144.3.0377
[12] Dasgupta, “Active Tectonic Feature in the Central Part of Himalaya,” Tectonophysics, Vol. 136, No. 3-4, 1987, pp. 255-264. doi:10.1016/0040-1951(87)90028-X
[13] R. K. Verma and K. A. V. L. Prasad, “Analysis of Gravity Fields in the Northwestern Himalayas and Kohistan Region Using Deep Seismic Sounding Data,” Geophysical Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society, Vol. 91, No. 3, 1987, pp. 869-889. doi:10.1111/j.1365-246X.1987.tb01672.x
[14] H. Maung, “Transcurrent Movements in the Burma-Andaman,” Geology, Vol. 15, 1987, pp. 911-912. doi:10.1130/0091-7613(1987)15<911:TMITBS>2.0.CO;2
[15] Curry, “Tectonics of the Andaman Sea and Burma,” Memoirs—American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Vol. 29, 1979, pp. 189-198.
[16] J. F. Ni, et al., “Accretionary Tectonics of Burma and the Three-Dimensional Geometry of the Burma Subduction Zone,” Geology, Vol. 17, No. 1, 1989, pp. 68-71. doi:10.1130/0091-7613(1989)017<0068:ATOBAT>2.3.CO;2
[17] W. P. Chen and P. Molnar, “Source Parameters of Earthquakes and Intraplate Deformation beneath the Shillong Plateau and Northern Indo-Burma Region,” Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 95, No. B8, 1990, pp. 12527-12552. doi:10.1029/JB095iB08p12527
[18] Holt, “The Active Tectonics of the Eastern Himalaya Syntaxis and Adjoining Regions,” Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 96, 1991, pp. 14595-14632.
[19] D. R. Nandy and S. Dasgupta, “Seismotectonic Domains of Northeast India and Adjoining Areas,” Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, Vol. 18, No. 1-11, 1991, pp. 371-384. doi:10.1016/0079-1946(91)90010-D
[20] G. Pegler and S. Das, “An Enhanced Image of Pamir-Hindu Kusk Seismic Zone from Relocated Earthquake Hypocenters,” Geophysics Journal International, Vol. 134, No. 2, 1998, pp. 573-595. doi:10.1046/j.1365-246x.1998.00582.x
[21] D. D. Singh, “Seismotectonics of the Himalaya and Its Vicinity from Centroid-Moment Tensor (CMT) Solution of Earthquakes,” Journal of Geodynamics, Vol. 30, No. 5, 2000, pp. 507-537. doi:10.1016/S0264-3707(00)00007-7
[22] P. Rao, “Current Deformation of the Himalaya-Tibet-Burma Seismic Belt: Inferences from Seismic Activity and Strain Rate Analysis,” Journal of Geodynamics, Vol. 36, No. 4, 2003, pp. 485-496. doi:10.1016/S0264-3707(02)00153-9
[23] J. R. Kayal, “Microearthquake Seismology and Seismotectonics of South Asia,” Springer, New York, 2008.
[24] Tiwari, “Gravity Anomaly, Lithospheric Structure and Seismicity of Western Himalayan Syntaxis,” Journal of Seismology, Vol. 13, No. 3, 2009, pp. 363-370. doi:10.1007/s10950-008-9102-6
[25] Mukhopadhyay, “Seismotectonics at the Terminal Ends of the Himalayan Arc,” Geological Survey of India, Kolkata, 2011.
[26] Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, “Syntaxis of the N W Himalayas: Its Rocks, Tectonics and Orogeny,” Records of the Geological Survey of India, Vol. 65, No. 2, 1931, pp. 189-220.
[27] Singh, “Geology and Tectonics of Eastern Syntaxial Bend, Arunachal Himalaya,” Geology, Vol. 4, No. 2, 1993, pp. 149-163.
[28] Acharyya, “Thrust Tectonics and Evolution of Domes and the Syntaxis in Eastern Himalaya,” India Journal of Nepal Geological Society, Vol. 18, 1998, pp. 1-17.
[29] Valdiya, “Dynamic Himalaya,” Universities Press (India) Limited, Hyderabad, 1998, pp. 1-178.
[30] Nandy, “Geology and Structural Lineament of the Lohit Himalaya (Arunachal Pradesh) and Adjoining Area, a Tectonicinterpretation,” In: Proceeding of Seminar Geodynamin of the Himalayan region, National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad, 1973
[31] J. Thakur, “Some Observation on Deformation, Metamorphism and Tectonic Significance of Rocks of Some Parts of Mishmi Hills, Lohit District, (Arunachal Pradesh),” Himalayan Geology, 1975
[32] Acharya, “Structural Framework and Tectonic Evolution of the Eastern Himalaya,” Himalayan Geology, Vol. 10, 1980, pp. 412-439.
[33] Misra and T. Singh, “Active Faults along the Lohit and Dibang Valleys of Eastern Arunachal Pradesh,” Himalayan Geology, Vol. 24, No. 1, 2003, pp. 83-90.
[34] N. S. Gururajan and B. K. Choudhuri, “Geology and Tectonic History of the Lohit Valley, Eastern Arunachal,” Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, Vol. 21, No. 7, 2003, pp. 731-741.
[35] Nakata, “Geomorphic History and Crustal Movement of Himalaya,” Institute of Geography, Tohuku University, Sendai, 1972.
[36] R. S. Yeats, et al., “The Himalayan Frontal Fault System,” Annales Tectonicae, Supplement, Vol. 6, 1992, pp. 85-98.
[37] K. S. Valdiya, “Himalayan Transverse Faults and Folds and Their Parallelism with Subsurface Structures of the Northern Indian Plains,” Tectonophysics, Vol. 32, No. 3-4, 1976, pp. 353-386. doi:10.1016/0040-1951(76)90069-X
[38] K. S. Valdiya, “Dynamic Himalaya,” Universities Press (India) Ltd., Hyderabad, 1998, pp. 1-178.
[39] T. Nakata, “Active Faults of the Himalaya of Nepal, Tectonics of Western Himalaya,” Special Paper—Geological Society of America, Vol. 232, 1989, pp. 243-264.
[40] J. P. Burg, et al., “The Namche-Barwasyntaxis: Evidence for Exhumation Related to Compressional Crustal Folding,” Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, Vol. 16, No. 2-3, 1997, pp. 239-252. doi:10.1016/S0743-9547(98)00002-6
[41] S. S. Bhakuni, et al., “Structural and Tectonic Studies of Mountain Front of Northeastern Himalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, India: Implication to Active Tectonics,” Himalayan Geology (Abstract), Vol. 29, No. 3, 2008.
[42] Z. Chen, et al., “Global Positioning System Measurements from Eastern Tibet and Their Implications for India/Eurasia Intercontinental Deformation,” Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 105, No. B7, 2000, pp. 16215-16227.
[43] R. W. King, “Geodetic Measurement of Crustal Motion in Southwest China,” Geology, Vol. 25, No. 2, 1997, pp. 179-182. doi:10.1130/0091-7613(1997)025<0179:GMOCMI>2.3.CO;2
[44] W. E. Holt, et al., “Velocity Field in Asia Inferred from Quaternary Fault Slip Rates and Global Positioning System Observations,” Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 105, No. B8, 2000, pp. 19185-19209. doi:10.1029/2000JB900045
[45] P. England and P. Molnar, “Active Deformation of Asia: From Kinematics to Dynamics,” Science, Vol. 278, No. 5338, 1997, pp. 647-650. doi:10.1126/science.278.5338.647
[46] G. W. Michel, et al., “Crustal Motion in E- and SE-Asia from GPS Measurements,” Earth Planets Space, Vol. 52, No. 10, 2000, pp. 713-720.
[47] J. Freymueller, et al., “Global Positioning System Measurements of Indian Plate Motion and Convergence across the Lesser Himalaya,” Geophysical Research Letters, Vol. 23, No. 22, 1996, pp. 3107-3110. doi:10.1029/96GL02518
[48] K. M. Larson, et al., “Kinematics of the India-Eurasia Collision Zone from GPS Measurements,” Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, Vol. 104, No. B1, 1999, pp. 1077-1093.
[49] S. Sol, et al., “Geodynamics of the Southeastern Tibetan Plateau from Seismic Anisotropy and Geodesy,” The Geological Society of America, Vol. 35, No. 6, 2007, pp. 563-566.
[50] P.-Z. Zhang, “Continous Deformation in the Tibetan Plateau from GPS,” Geology, Vol. 32, No. 9, 2004, p. 809. doi:10.1130/G20554.1
[51] Z. K. Shen, J. N. Lu, M. Wang and R. Bürgmann, “Contemporary Crustal Deformation around the Southeast Borderland of the Tibetan Plateau,” Journal of Geophysical Research, Vol. 110, No. B11, 2005, pp. 1-17. doi:10.1029/2004JB003421
[52] S. Jade, et al., “Estimates of Interseismic Deformation in Northeast India from GPS Measurements,” Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Vol. 263, No. 3-4, 2007, pp. 221-234. doi:10.1016/j.epsl.2007.08.031
[53] J. F. Dewey, R. M. Shackleton, C. F. Chang and Y. Y. Sun, “The Tectonic Evolution of the Tibetan Plateau,” Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society London A, Vol. 327, No. 1594, 1988, pp. 379-413.
[54] A. Socquet and M. Pubellier, “Cenozoic Deformation in Western Yunnan (China-Myanmar Border),” Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, Vol. 24, No. 4, 2005, pp. 495-515. doi:10.1016/j.jseaes.2004.03.006

Copyright © 2024 by authors and Scientific Research Publishing Inc.

Creative Commons License

This work and the related PDF file are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.