Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Intraplate seismicity along the Gedi Fault in Kachchh rift basin of western India

  • ORIGINAL ARTICLE
  • Published:
Journal of Seismology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The Kachchh rift basin is located on the western continental margin of India and has a history of experiencing large to moderate intraplate earthquakes with M ≥ 5. During the past two centuries, two large earthquakes of Mw 7.8 (1819) and Mw 7.7 (2001) have occurred in the Kachchh region, the latter with an epicenter near Bhuj. The aftershock activity of the 2001 Bhuj earthquake is still ongoing with migration of seismicity. Initially, epicenters migrated towards the east and northeast within the Kachchh region but, since 2007, it has also migrated to the south. The triggered faults are mostly within 100 km and some up to 200 km distance from the epicentral area of the mainshock. Most of these faults are trending in E-W direction, and some are transverse. It was noticed that some faults generate earthquakes down to the Moho depth whereas some faults show earthquake activity within the upper crustal volume. The Gedi Fault, situated about 50 km northeast of the 2001 mainshock epicenter, triggered the largest earthquake of Mw 5.6 in 2006. We have carried out detailed seismological studies to evaluate the seismic potential of the Gedi Fault. We have relocated 331 earthquakes by HypoDD to improve upon location errors. Further, the relocated events are used to estimate the b value, p value, and fractal correlation dimension Dc of the fault zone. The present study indicates that all the events along the Gedi Fault are shallow in nature, with focal depths less than 20 km. The estimated b value shows that the Gedi aftershock sequence could be classified as Mogi’s type 2 sequence, and the p value suggests a relatively slow decay of aftershocks. The fault plane solutions of some selected events of Mw > 3.5 are examined, and activeness of the Gedi Fault is assessed from the results of active fault studies as well as GPS and InSAR results. All these results are critically examined to evaluate the material properties and seismic potential of the Gedi Fault that may be useful for seismic hazard assessment in the region.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aki K (1965) Maximum likelihood estimate of b in the formula log (N) = a-bm and its confidence limits. Bull Earthq Res Inst Tokyo Uni 43:237–239

  • Allen C, Amand P, Richter C, Nordquist J (1965) Relation between seismicity and geological structure in the southern California region. Bull Seismol Soc Am 55:752–797

    Google Scholar 

  • Burgmann R, Dresen G (2008) Rheology of the lower crust and upper mantle: evidence from rock mechanics, geodesy and field observations. Annu Rev Earth Planet Sci 36:531–567. doi:10.1146/annurev.earth.36.031207.124326

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bhatt KM et al (2009) Anomalous b-value in seismogenic layer of Bhuj region. J Ind Geophys Union 13(3):99–106

    Google Scholar 

  • Bhattachrya F et al (2013) Morphomatric evidence of seismicity around Wagad and Gedi faults, eastern Kachchh, Gujarat. J Geol Soc India 81:113–121

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • BIS (2002) IS 1893 (part 1) – (2002): Indian standard criteria for earthquake resistant design of structures, part 1 – general provisions and buildings. Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi

    Google Scholar 

  • Biswas SK (1982) Rift basins in the western margin of India and their hydrocarbon prospects. Bull Am Assoc Pet Geol 66(10):1497–1513

    Google Scholar 

  • Biswas SK (1987) Regional tectonic framework, structure and evolution of the western marginal basins of India. Tectonophysics 135:307–327

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Biswas SK, Khattri KN (2002) A geological study of earthquakes in Kachchh, Gujarat, India. Jour Geol Soc India 60:131–142

    Google Scholar 

  • Biswas SK (2005) A review of structure and tectonics of Kachchh Basin, Western India, with special reference to earthquake. Curr Sci 88:1592–1600

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell DL (1978) Investigation of the stress concentration mechanism for intraplate earthquakes. Geophy Res Lett 5:477–479

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chopra S et al (2012) Estimation of seismic hazard in Gujarat region. India Natural Hazards doi. doi:10.1007/s11069-012-0117-5

  • Chopra S et al (2008) The Gujarat (India) seismic network. Seis Res Lett 79(6):806–815

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Choudhury P et al (2012) Post seismic deformation associated with the 2001 Bhuj earthquake. Natural Hazards doi. doi:10.1007/s11069-012-0191-8

  • Choudhury P et al (2013) Crustal deformation study by GPS measurements. ISR Annual Report:71–76

  • DeRubeis V et al (1993) Recurrent patterns in the spatial behavior of Italian seismicity revealed by the fractal approach. Geophys Res Lett 20(18):1911–1914

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dimitriu PP et al (1993) Global study of the distribution of earthquakes in space and in time by the fractal method. In: Proc 2nd Cong Hellenic; Geophys Union, Florina, May 5–8:164–174

  • Enescu B et al (2009) Value of b and p: their variations and relation to physical processes for earthquakes in Japan and Romania. Rom Journ Phy 56:590–608

    Google Scholar 

  • Freed AM (2005) Earthquake triggering by static, dynamic and postseismic stress transfer. Annu Rev Earth Planet Sci 33:335–367. doi:10.1146/annurevearth.33.092203.122505

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gibowicz SJ (1973) Variation of the frequency-magnitude relation duringearthquake sequences in New Zealand. Bull Seismol Soc Am 63:517–528

    Google Scholar 

  • Grassberger P, Procaccia I (1983) Characterization of strange attractors. Phys Rev Lett 50:346–349

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guo Z, Ogata Y (1995) Correlations between characteristic parameters of aftershock distributions in time space and magnitude. Geophys Res Lett 22:993–996

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gutenberg B, Richter CF (1956) Magnitude and energy of earthquakes. Ann Geofis 9:1–15

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirata T (1989) A correlation between the b value and the fractal dimension of earthquakes. J Geophys Res 94:7507–7514

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnston AC (1994) Seismotectonic interpretations and conclusions from the stable continental regions. In The earthquakes of stable continental regions: assessment of large earthquake potential, Electric Power and Research Institute, Palo Alto

  • Johnston AC, Kanter LR (1990) Stable continental earthquakes. Sci Am 262:68–75

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Joshi V, Chopra S, Mahesh P, Kumar S (2017) Joint modeling of velocity structure and hypocentral locations in the seismically active Kachchh, Saurashtra, and Narmada regions of Western India: an active intraplate region. Seismol Res Lett. doi:10.1785/0220160203

  • Kagan YY, Knopoff L (1978) Statistical study of the occurrence of shallow earthquakes. Geophys J R Astron Soc 55:67–86

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kagan YY, Knopoff L (1980) Spatial distribution of earthquakes: the two point correlation function. Geophys J R Astron Soc 62:303–320

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kanamori H (1981) The nature of seismic patterns before large earthquakes. In Earthquake prediction: an international review (eds. Simpson DW and Richards PG) (Maurice Ewing series, vol. 4, AGU, Washington D.C:1-19

  • Kane MF (1977) Correlation of major eastern earthquake centers with mafic/ultra-mafic basement masses. USGS Prof PAP 1028

  • Kayal JR et al (2002) Aftershocks of the 26 January 2001 Bhuj earthquake in western India and its seismotectonic implications. J Geol Soc India 59:395–417

    Google Scholar 

  • Kisslinger C, Jones LM (1991) Properties of aftershock sequences in Southern California. J Geophys Res 96:947–958. doi:10.1029/91jb01200

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kothiyari CG et al (2016) Landform development in a zone of active Gedi Fault, Eastern Kachchh rift basin, India. Tectonophysics 670:115–126

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kumar A et al (2013) The b-value and fractal dimension of local seismicity around Koyna Dam (India). doi: 10.1007/s11589-013-0008-1

  • Likhar S, Kulkarni MN, Kayal JR (2006) Interpretation of post-geodetic and seismic data of the 2001 Bhuj earthquake. Mw 7.7. Curr Sci 91(2):225–229

    Google Scholar 

  • Mandal P, Pandey OP (2011) Seismogenesis of the lower crustal intraplate earthquakes occurring in Kachchh, Gujarat, India. J Asian Earth Sci 42:479–491

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mandal P, Rastogi BK (2005) Self-organized fractal seismicity and b value of aftershocks of the 2001 Bhuj earthquake in Kutch (India). Pure Appl Geophys 162:53–72

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mandal P, Pujol J (2006) Seismic imaging of the aftershock zone of the 2001 Mw 7.7 Bhuj earthquake, India. Geophy Res Lett 33:L05309. doi:10.1029/2005GL025275

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mandal P, Chadha RK (2008) Three-dimensional velocity imaging of the Kachchh seismic zone, Gujarat, India. Tectonophysics. doi:10.1016/j.tecto.2007.12.001

  • Mandal P et al (2007a) Are the 7 March 2006 Mw 5.6 event and the 3 February 2006 Mw 4.58 event triggered by the five years continued occurrence of aftershocks of the 2001 Mw 7.7 Bhuj event? Curr Sci 92(8):1114–1124

  • Mandal P et al (2007b) Coulomb static stress variations in the Kachchh Gujarat, India; implications for the occurrences of two recent earthquakes (Mw = 5.6) in the 2001 Bhuj earthquake region. Geophys J Int 169:281–285

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mandal P, Rodkin M (2014) Spatiotemporal variation of fractal properties in the source zone of the 2001 M w 7.7 Bhuj earthquake. Bull Seismol Soc Am 104(4):2060–2072

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mathew G, Singhvi AK, Karanth RV (2006) Luminescence chronometry and geomorphic evidence of active fold growth along the Kachchh Mainland Fault (KMF), Kachchh, India: Seismotectonic implications. Tectonophysics 422:71–87

  • Mogi K (1962) Magnitude-frequency relation for elastic shocks accompanying fractures of various materials and some related problems in earthquakes. Bull Earth Res Inst Univ Tokyo 40:831–853

    Google Scholar 

  • Mogi K (1967) Earthquake and fractures. Tectonophysics 5:35–55. doi:10.1016/0040-1951(67)90043-1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mori J, Abercrombie RE (1997) Depth dependence of earthquake frequency magnitude distributions in California: implication for the rupture initiation. J Geophys Res 102:15081–15090

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nanjo KZ et al (2007) Decay of aftershock activity for Japanese earthquakes. J Geophys Res 112:B08309. doi:10.1029/2006jb004754

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Negeshi H et al (2002) Size and orientation of the fault plane for the 2001 Gujarat, India earthquake (Mw7.7) from aftershock observations: a high stress drop event. Geophys Res Lett 29(20). doi:10.1029/2002GL015280

  • Quittmeyer RC, Jacob KH (1979) Historical and modern seismicity of Pakistan, Afghanistan, northwestern India, and south eastern Iran. Bull Seismol Soc Am 69(3):773–823

    Google Scholar 

  • Rastogi BK (2001) Ground deformation study of Mw 7.7 Bhuj earthquake of 2001. Episodes 30(1):160–165

  • Rastogi BK (2004) Damage due to the Mw 7.7 Kutch, India earthquake of 2001. Tectonophysics 390:85–103

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rastogi BK (2010) Causative mechanisms of the intraplate earthquakes occurring in India. Adv Geosci 27:97–114

    Google Scholar 

  • Rastogi BK, Aggrawal SK, Rao N, Choudhury P (2013) Triggered/migrated seismicity due to the 2001 Mw 7.6 Bhuj earthquke, western India. Nat Hazards 65(2):1085–1107

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rastogi BK, Choudhury P, Dumka R, Sreejith KM, Majumdar TJ (2012) Stress pulse migration by viscoelastic process for long-distance delayed triggering of shocks in Gujarat, India, after the 2001 Mw 7.7 Bhuj earthquake. Geophys Monogr Series 196:63–73. doi:10.1029/2011GM001061

    Google Scholar 

  • Rastogi BK, Gupta HK, Mandal P, Satyanarayana HVS, Kousalya M, Raghavan RV, Jain R, Sarma ANS, Kumar N, Satyamurthy C (2001) The deadliest stable continental region earthquake that occurred near Bhuj on 26 January 2001. J Seismol 5:609–615

  • Rastogi BK, Prantik Mandal and Biswas SK (2014) Seismogenesis of earthquakes occurring in the ancient rift basin of Kachchh, Western India, In: Talwani P (Ed.) Intraplate Earthquakes. Cambridge, Cambridge Univ. Press, pp 126–161

  • Savage J, Prescott W (1978) Asthenosphere readjustment and the earthquake cycle. J Geophys Res 83:3369–3376

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scholz CH (1968) The frequency-magnitude relation of micro-fracturing in rock and its relation to earthquakes. Bull Seismol Soc Am 58:399–415

    Google Scholar 

  • Schweig E et al (2003) The M 7.7 Bhuj earthquake: global lessons for earthquake hazard in intra-plate regions. J Geol Soc India 61(3):277–282

    Google Scholar 

  • Shi Y, Bolt BA (1982) The standard error of the magnitude-frequency b-value. Bull Seismol Soc Am 72:1677–1687

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh AP et al (2012) Spatial variation of the aftershock activity across the Kachchh Rift Basin and its seismotectonic implications. J Earth Syst Sci 121(2):439–451

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singh AP et al (2013) Seismic source characteristics in Kachchh and Saurashtra regions of Western India: b-value and fractal dimension mapping of aftershock sequences. Nat Hazards 77:33–49

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singh AP et al (2016) Inversions for earthquake focal mechanisms and regional stress in the Kachchh Rift Basin, western India: tectonic implications. J Asian Earth Sci 117:269–283

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Singh AP et al (2017) Seismicity and subterranean sounds in the northwest Deccan volcanic province of India. Bull Seismol Soc Am. doi:10.1785/0120160143

  • Smalley RF et al (1987) A fractal approach to the clustering of earthquakes: application to the seismicity of the New Hebrides. Bull Seismol Soc Am 77:1368–1381

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith SW, Wyss M (1968) Displacement on the San Andreas Fault subsequent to the 1966 Parkfield earthquake. Bull Seismol Soc Am 58:1955–1973

    Google Scholar 

  • Talwani P (2014) Intraplate earthquakes. Cambradge University Praess, ISBN: 9781107040380

  • Talwani P (2017) On the nature of intraplate earthquakes. J Seismol 21(1):47–68

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Talwani P, Gangopadhyay A (2001) Tectonic framework of the Kachchh earthquake of 26 January 2001. Seismol Res Lett 72:336–345

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Talwani P, Chen L, Gahalaut K (2007) Seismogenic permeability, ks. J Geophys Res 112:B07309. doi:10.1029/2006JB004665

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tinti S, Mulargia F (1987) Confidence intervals of b-values for grouped magnitudes. Bull Seismol Soc Am 77:2125–2134

    Google Scholar 

  • To A, Burgmann R, Pollitz F (2004) Postseismic deformation and stress changes following the 1819 Rann of Kachchh, India earthquake: was the 2001 Bhuj earthquake a triggered event? Geophys Res Lett 31:L13609. doi:10.1029/2004GL020220

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Trivedi PC (2015) Application of Omori’s decay law to the 2001 Bhuj aftershock sequence for Kachchh region of Western India. Open J Earthquake Res 4:94–101

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Urbancic TI, Trifu CI, Long JM, Young RP (1992) Space-time correlations of b-values with stress release. Pure Appl Geophys 139:449–462

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Utsu T (1965) A method for determining the value of b in the formula log n 5 a 2 bM showing the magnitude-frequency relation for earthquakes [in Japanese with English summary]. Geophys Bull Hokkaido Univ 13:99–103

    Google Scholar 

  • Utsu T (1966) A statistical significance test of the difference in b-value between two earthquake group. J Phys Earth 14:34–40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Utsu T, Ogata Y, Matsu’ura RS (1995) The centenary of the Omori formula for a decay law of aftershock activity. J Phys Earth 43:1–33. doi:10.4294/jpe1952.43.1

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Waldhauser F, Ellsworth WL (2000) A double-difference earthquake location algorithm: method and application to the Northern Hayward Fault, California. Bull Seismol Soc Am 90(6):1353–1368

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Warren NW, Latham GV (1970) An experimental study of thermally induced microfracturing and its relation to volcanic seismicity. J Geophys Res 75:4455–4464

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wiemer S, Benoit J (1996) Mapping the b value anomaly at 100 km depth in the Alaska and New Zealand subduction zones. Geophys Res Lett 23:1557–1560

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wiemer S, Wyss M (1997) Mapping the frequency- magnitude distribution in asperities: an improved technique to calculate recurrence times? J Geophys Res 102:15115–15128

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wiemer S, Wyss M (2000) Minimum magnitude of complete re-porting in earthquake catalogs: examples from Alaska, the Western United States, and Japan. Bull Seismol Soc Am 90:859–869

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wiemer S, Wyss M (2002) Mapping spatial variability of the frequency–magnitude distribution of earthquakes. Adv Geophys 45:259–302

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wyss M (1973) Towards a physical understanding of the earthquake frequency distribution. Geophys J R Astron Soc 31:341–359

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wyss M, Shimazaki K, Wiemer S (1997) Mapping active magma chambers by b-value beneath the off-Ito volcano, Japan. J Geophys Res 102:20413–20422

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors are thankful to the Director General, Institute of Seismological Research (ISR), Gandhinagar, for permission to publish the paper. We are also thankful to the associate editor Prof. Thomas Braun and two anonymous reviewers for providing us their very constructive comments to improve the quality of the manuscript. The authors are much thankful to Dr. Sumer Chopra (Director, ISR) for critically going through the manuscript and for kind suggestions to improve the manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Seismological Research, Raisan, Gandhinagar, Gujarat, 382009, India

    Vishwa Joshi, B K Rastogi & Santosh Kumar

Authors
  1. Vishwa Joshi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. B K Rastogi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Santosh Kumar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Vishwa Joshi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Joshi, V., Rastogi, B.K. & Kumar, S. Intraplate seismicity along the Gedi Fault in Kachchh rift basin of western India. J Seismol 21, 1641–1655 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10950-017-9688-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10950-017-9688-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation