Mantle deformation patterns beneath the Central India Tectonic Zone: evidence from SK(K)S splitting measurements in the Satpura Gondwana Basin and adjacent areas
- 1Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Bhopal (Bhopal, India)
Abstract
This study presents shear wave splitting (SWS) estimates for core-refracted SK(K)S phases utilizing data from nine seismic stations in the Central Indian Tectonic Zone (CITZ) that were temporarily operational between July 2023 and July 2025. The CITZ was formed during the Mesoproterozoic orogeny in central India, resulting from the collision of the northern Bundelkhand Craton with a jumble of South Indian cratons. We used transverse energy minimization methodology to ascertain the SWS parameters, the fast polarization directions (FPDs) and splitting delay times ( δ t ). A total of 129 high-quality SWS measurements were obtained from 87 earthquakes ( M >5.5) at epicentral distances between 84–145° for SKS phases and 84–180° for SKKS phases. The mean δ t s at each seismic station ranges from 0.7 to 1.4 s, demonstrating the upper mantle heterogeneity in the study region. Most stations show NE-SW FPDs, aligning with the Absolute Plate Motion (APM) of the Indian plate. Ray-piercing-point spatial coherency analysis suggests that 200–250 km is a promising average depth of anisotropy, indicating that the primary source of the observed SWS measurement is mantle flow at asthenospheric depths, rather than frozen lithospheric fabric. The difference between mean FPD and APM direction at some stations suggests the presence of fossilized anisotropic fabrics resulting from prior orogenic events during the Mesoproterozoic Era. Seismic stations near the Deccan Volcanic Province and mantle dyke zones have lower δ t (<1 s) values, indicating significant magmatism during the Cretaceous period. Our findings suggest that the mantle flow beneath the CITZ is affected by both the present APM direction of the Indian plate and lithospheric frozen anisotropy resulting from prior Mesoproterozoic orogeny and Cretaceous mantle plume activity.
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BibTeX
@article{bishoyi2026mantle,
title = {{Mantle deformation patterns beneath the Central India Tectonic Zone: evidence from SK(K)S splitting measurements in the Satpura Gondwana Basin and adjacent areas}},
author = {Nitarani Bishoyi and Arun Kumar Dubey and Ashwani Kant Tiwari},
journal = {Solid Earth},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.5194/se-17-1201-2026},
url = {https://se.copernicus.org/articles/17/1201/2026/},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Mantle deformation patterns beneath the Central India Tectonic Zone: evidence from SK(K)S splitting measurements in the Satpura Gondwana Basin and adjacent areas
AU - Nitarani Bishoyi
AU - Arun Kumar Dubey
AU - Ashwani Kant Tiwari
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/20
JO - Solid Earth
DO - 10.5194/se-17-1201-2026
UR - https://se.copernicus.org/articles/17/1201/2026/
AB - This study presents shear wave splitting (SWS) estimates for core-refracted SK(K)S phases utilizing data from nine seismic stations in the Central Indian Tectonic Zone (CITZ) that were temporarily operational between July 2023 and July 2025. The CITZ was formed during the Mesoproterozoic orogeny in central India, resulting from the collision of the northern Bundelkhand Craton with a jumble of South Indian cratons. We used transverse energy minimization methodology to ascertain the SWS parameters, the fast polarization directions (FPDs) and splitting delay times ( δ t ). A total of 129 high-quality SWS measurements were obtained from 87 earthquakes ( M >5.5) at epicentral distances between 84–145° for SKS phases and 84–180° for SKKS phases. The mean δ t s at each seismic station ranges from 0.7 to 1.4 s, demonstrating the upper mantle heterogeneity in the study region. Most stations show NE-SW FPDs, aligning with the Absolute Plate Motion (APM) of the Indian plate. Ray-piercing-point spatial coherency analysis suggests that 200–250 km is a promising average depth of anisotropy, indicating that the primary source of the observed SWS measurement is mantle flow at asthenospheric depths, rather than frozen lithospheric fabric. The difference between mean FPD and APM direction at some stations suggests the presence of fossilized anisotropic fabrics resulting from prior orogenic events during the Mesoproterozoic Era. Seismic stations near the Deccan Volcanic Province and mantle dyke zones have lower δ t (<1 s) values, indicating significant magmatism during the Cretaceous period. Our findings suggest that the mantle flow beneath the CITZ is affected by both the present APM direction of the Indian plate and lithospheric frozen anisotropy resulting from prior Mesoproterozoic orogeny and Cretaceous mantle plume activity.
SN - 1869-9529
ER -