Fault tectonics of the Shillong plateau and adjoining regions, north-east India using remote sensing data

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The Shillong plateau in north-east India shows innumerable fracture lineaments on satellite images. In fact the whole plateau is criss-crossed by fractures. The plateau has been subjected to extensive compressional forces mainly in N-S and E-W directions resulting from the collision of the Indian plate with the Tibetan and Burmese plates, respectively. This type of plate tectonism has been responsible for the formation of many significant faults, folds and other tectonic features in the Shillong plateau and adjoining regions. The well known E-W trending Dauki fault, N-S trending faults, NE-SW trending shear zone and other prominent lineaments and their associated structural features could be studied on the basis of remote sensing techniques. Folding in soft sediments along the Dauki fault reveals the compression direction. Directional compressional tectonism has been expressed through lateral movements along the NE-SW trending shear zone and N-S trending faults and folds in the area just south of the Hatlong thrust. It has been observed from the studies that the Dauki fault zone and the areas in Bangladesh show various tectonic features, which are mostly controlled by vertical movements. Seismicity of the Shillong plateau is quite scattered all over the area. The occurrence of several deep earthquakes (> 1OOkm) indicate deep tectonic activities in the upper mantle. Earthquakes have been found to occur near some faults and this is probably an indication of recent activities along these faults.