Seismic signatures of the Pan-African orogeny: implications for southern Indian high-grade terranes

Rai, A. and Gaur, V. K. and Rai, S. S. and Priestley, K. F. (2009) Seismic signatures of the Pan-African orogeny: implications for southern Indian high-grade terranes. Geophysical Journal International, 176 (2). pp. 518-528. DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246X.2008.03965.x

PDF Rai_Priestley_Geophys_J_Int_176_2_2008.pdf Restricted to Registered users only Download (845kB)

Abstract

We present the results of a study designed to investigate and compare the seismic characteristics of the once contiguous terranes of eastern Gondwanaland, now incorporated in five separated continental masses, which, during the Neoproterozoic (223C600�Ma) Pan-African orogeny, suffered a high degree of thermal stress and deformation. Receiver functions and surface wave data from stations located in East Antarctica, Sri Lanka, the southern-Indian high-grade terranes, Madagascar and the Tanzania2013Mozambique belt, were used to determine the shear-wave velocity structure, Moho depth and VP/VS values of the respective crustal segments. This study provides an additional dimension to the otherwise well-documented characteristic petrology of their surface exposures and other geological signatures such as their extensive granulitization and gem formation during the Pan-African event. Analysis of the receiver functions and surface wave data for these seismic stations located on their present day widely distributed continental fragments have been made. It is observed that with the exception of KOD (at Kodaikanal hill), situated on the southern Indian granulites having the thickest crust (223C43.5 km), most of the Pan-African granulitic terranes have a crustal thicknesses of 223C37 � 0.8�km, with a transition to higher velocity at mid-crustal depths, and that their bulk composition is felsic. Average crustal VP/VS values (1.704 � 0.03) and thicknesses (37.8 � 0.8�km), for four stations (SYO, PALK, TRV and ABPO), now located in East Antarctica, Sri Lanka, India and Madagascar, respectively, show remarkable similarity, indicating that the Pan-African orogeny was extensive enough to reorder the crustal structure of a wide region with a broadly similar stamp.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	08AREP; IA57;
Subjects:	02 - Geodynamics, Geophysics and Tectonics
Divisions:	02 - Geodynamics, Geophysics and Tectonics
Journal or Publication Title:	Geophysical Journal International
Volume:	176
Page Range:	pp. 518-528
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-246X.2008.03965.x
Depositing User:	Sarah Humbert
Date Deposited:	22 May 2009 15:59
Last Modified:	23 Jul 2013 09:54
URI:	http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/id/eprint/1006

Actions (login required)

View Item