ABSTRACT
The recent earthquake activities within the stable and scismically inactive Indian shield has raised serious doubts on the rigidity of the Peninsular India. Integrated analysis of various geological/geophysical data clearly reveals the presence of two major ENE-WSW trending transcurrent faults i.e Narmada-Son-Jorhat Transform (NSJT) and Tungabhadra-Balasore-Laisong Transform (TBLT) systems which tectonically divides the Indian plate into three microplates. Each microplate appears to have distinct stress distribution pattern and is moving northeastward with different velocity.
It is envisaged that the along-strike variation of orogenic resistance and the slab pull forces, resulting from oblique collision and tectonic wedging at the NE India, play an important role in initiating the regmatic shear for the development of these continental transform faults (CTF) along preexisting shear/weak zones. The model, besides explaining the midcontinent resurgent tectonic activity, predicts that the microplate bounded by these two continental transform faults, is more susceptible to resurgent activities.
