Integrated interpretation of most positive and most negative curvature of ground gravity data across the Shillong plateau and Mikir hills periphery, north-east India

Abstract

The study area falls in one of the utmost seismically vigorous zones covering latitude 23°–28°N and longitude 88°–96°E in the north-eastern part of India. Various studies suggest that tectonic activities are still active across the Shillong plateau, Mikir hills, Arakan-Yoma fold belt, Naga hills, parts of Bengal basin, lower-upper Brahmaputra valley along with the Mishmi hills of Himalayan foothills. The available information about the thrust-faults in the area is very limited and most of the information are available from the geographic information system map, field geological studies and very limited from seismic and other data sources. In this present study, attempt has been made to carry out details study of most positive and most negative curvature attributes for understanding sub-surface structural features and able to identify structural lineament/thrust-fault in the study area using available ground gravity data in the north-eastern part of India. Further, present studied results are correlated and compared with the past derived results of three-dimensional Euler source depth locations and source edge estimations in this area. The integrated results of the curvature interpretation look promising and can able to delineate the thrust–fault locations. This paper also suggests additional new thrust-fault lineament information. As the gravity data has its own constraint hence integrated study can help to provide for better geoscientific information.