Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Seismicity and seismotectonics in and around Sri Lanka: a synoptic review

  • Review Paper
  • Published:
Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Seismicity and seismotectonics in and around Sri Lanka are reviewed, considering the country in both the local and regional contexts. Seismic activity reported within the country indicates a close correlation with the local geotectonic setup that comprises certain active features such as lineaments and faults, bedrock fractures, thrust/shear zones and tectonic movements of individual mini-plates. Seismicity in the regional context is discussed, evaluating identified active zones in the northern Indian Ocean surrounding the country. A large area of diffuse seismicity located south-southeast of Sri Lanka enclosing the northern part of the Ninetyeast Ridge, could be a dominant source of strong shallow intraplate earthquakes, and could render direct threats of striking large-magnitude events in close proximity to the country. The oceanic region west of Sri Lanka and continental region of southern peninsular India are not as active, more like dormant areas with sparse seismicity. However, seismogenic potential of these regions may not be completely ruled out, given evidence of previous isolated strong events.

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
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • 1893, I. 2002. IS 1893, Part 1 (2002) Part 1. Criteria for earthquake resistant design of structures–general provisions and buildings. Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi

    Google Scholar 

  • Abayakoon SBS (1996) Seismic risk analysis of Sri Lanka. Journal of the Geological Society of Sri Lanka 6:65–72

    Google Scholar 

  • Barber AJ (2000) Geological map of central and Western Sri Lanka: provisional series 1997 — scale 1:250,000, and seven 1:100,000 map sheets. Geological survey and mines bureau, Sri Lanka, and the British Geological Survey. US$10.00+postage. J Asian Earth Sci 18:509–512

    Google Scholar 

  • Baur N, Kröner A, Liew TC, Todt W, Williams IS, Hofmann AW (1991) U-Pb isotopic systematics of zircons from prograde and retrograde transition zones in high-grade orthogneisses, Sri Lanka. J Geol 99:527–545

    Google Scholar 

  • Bergman EA, Solomon SC (1985) Earthquake source mechanisms from body-waveform inversion and intraplate tectonics in the northern Indian Ocean. Phys Earth Planet Inter 40:1–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Bilham R (2004) Earthquakes in India and the Himalaya: tectonics, geodesy and history. Ann Geophys 47:839–858

  • Büchel G (1994) Gravity, magnetic and structural patterns at the deep-crustal plate boundary zone between West- and East-Gondwana in Sri Lanka. Precambrian Res 66:77–91

    Google Scholar 

  • Chandra U (1977) Earthquakes of peninsular India - a seismotectonic study. Bull Seismol Soc Am 67(5):1387–1413

  • Choy GL, McGarr A (2002) Strike-slip earthquakes in the oceanic lithosphere: observations of exceptionally high apparent stress. Geophys J Int 150:506–523

    Google Scholar 

  • Cloetingh S, Wortel R (1986) Stress in the Indo-Australian plate. Tectonophysics 132:49–67

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooray PG (1994) The Precambrian of Sri Lanka: a historical review. Precambrian Res 66:3–20

    Google Scholar 

  • CRUST2.0 (2001) Global crustal model CRUST2.0. http://mahi.ucsd.edu/Gabi/rem.dir/crust/crust2.html. Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics. The University of California, San Diego

  • Curray JR, Munasinghe T (1989) Timing of intraplate deformation, northeastern Indian Ocean. Earth Planet Sci Lett 94:71–77

    Google Scholar 

  • Demets C, Gordon RG, Vogt P (1994) Location of the Africa-Australia-India triple junction and motion between the Australian and Indian plates: results from an aeromagnetic investigation of the Central Indian and Carlsberg ridges. Geophys J Int 119:893–930

    Google Scholar 

  • Demets C, Gordon RG, Royer J-Y (2005) Motion between the Indian, Capricorn and Somalian plates since 20 ma: implications for the timing and magnitude of distributed lithospheric deformation in the equatorial Indian ocean. Geophys J Int 161:445–468

    Google Scholar 

  • Desa M, Ramana MV, Ramprasad T (2006) Seafloor spreading magnetic anomalies south off Sri Lanka. Mar Geol 229:227–240

    Google Scholar 

  • Dissanayake CB (2005) A new plate boundary near Sri Lanka: implications for future geohazards. Journal of National Science Foundation Sri Lanka 33:5–8

    Google Scholar 

  • Dissanayake CB, Munasinghe T (1984) Reconstruction of the Precambrian sedimentary basin in the granulite belt of Sri Lanka. Chem Geol 47:221–247

    Google Scholar 

  • Fernando MJ, Kulasinghe ANS (1986) Seismicity of Sri Lanka. Phys Earth Planet Inter 44:99–106

    Google Scholar 

  • Gamage P, Venkatesan S (2012) Seismic risk analysis based on historical events reported in Sri Lanka. In: Samali B, Attard MM, Song C (eds) 22nd Australasian conference on the mechanics of structures and materials, ACMSM22, Sydney, Australia, pp 437–442

    Google Scholar 

  • Gamage P, Venkatesan S (2015) Attenuation and apparent source characteristics in the northern Indian oceanic crust surrounding Sri Lanka. Bull Seismol Soc Am 105:2041–2057

    Google Scholar 

  • Gamage P, Venkatesan S (2019) Evaluation of seismic hazard in low to moderate seismic regions, Sri Lanka—a case study. J Seismol 23:579–611

    Google Scholar 

  • Gamage P, Venkatesan S, Dissanayake R (2011) Seismic drift demand on multi-storey buildings in Sri Lanka due to long-distant earthquakes. In: Ranjith D, Jayasinghe MTR, Mendis PA, Fernando S (eds) International Conference on Structural Engineering, Construction and Management, ICSECM 2011, Kandy, Sri Lanka

  • Gangrade BK, Arora SK (2000) Seismicity of the Indian peninsular shield from regional earthquake data. Pure Appl Geophys 157:1683–1705

    Google Scholar 

  • Gordon RG, Demets C, Argus DF (1990) Kinematic constraints on distributed lithospheric deformation in the equatorial Indian Ocean from present motion between the Australian and Indian plates. Tectonics 9:409–422

    Google Scholar 

  • Gowd TN, Rao SVS, Gaur VK (1992) Tectonic stress field in the subcontinent. J Geophys Res 97:11879–11888

  • Guha, SK and Basu, PC, (1993), Catalogue of earthquakes M>/> 3.0) in peninsular India, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, Tech Document No TD/CSE-1. 1–70

  • Gutenberg B, Richter CF (1944) Frequency of earthquakes in California. Bull Seismol Soc Am 34:185–188

    Google Scholar 

  • Gutenberg B, Richter CF (1954) Seismicity of the earth and associated phenomena, first edn. Princeton University Press, Princeton

    Google Scholar 

  • Hatherton T, Pattiaratchi DB, Ranasinghe VVC (1975) Gravity map of Sri Lanka 1 : 1,000,000. Professional paper no. 3, Geological Survey Dept. and Govt. New Zealand

  • Jaiswal K, Sinha R (2007) Probabilistic seismic-hazard estimation for peninsular India. Bull Seismol Soc Am 97(1B):318–330

    Google Scholar 

  • Kehelpannala KVW (1987) The structure, tectonics and hydrogeology of lineaments of Sri Lanka with special reference to the Central Highland. MPhil thesis, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya

  • Kehelpannala KVW (1991) Structural evolution of high-grade terrain in Sri Lanka with special reference to the Arenas around Dodangaslanda and Kandy. In: Kröner A (ed) The crystalline crust of Sri Lanka, Part I, summary of research of the German-Sri Lankan consortium. Geological Survey Dept. Sri Lanka, pp 69–88

  • Kehelpannala K (2004) Arc accretion around Sri Lanka during the assembly of Gondwana. Gondwana Res 7:41–46

    Google Scholar 

  • Kehelpannala KVW (2007) Seismicity and earthquakes (of Sri Lanka). National Atlas of Sri Lanka. Survey Department of Sri Lanka

  • Kehelpannala KVW, Ranaweera L (2007) Structural and kinematic evolution of a possible Pan-African suture zone in Sri Lanka. In: Osanai N, Miyamoto T, Santosh M (eds) 4th International Symposium on Gondwana to Asia and IAGR Annual Convention. International Association for Gondwana Research Conference Series

  • Kehelpannala KVW, Wada H, Hamana N, Ranaweera L (2006) Cataclastic rocks from the granulite terrain of Sri Lanka: evidence for younger brittle deformation of the exhumed lower crust. Geoscience reports of Shizuoka University 33:9–19

    Google Scholar 

  • Kleinschrodt R (1994) Large-scale thrusting in the lower crustal basement of Sri Lanka. Precambrian Res 66:39–57

    Google Scholar 

  • Kröner A (1986) Composition, structure, and evolution of the early Precambrian lower continental crust: constraints from geological observations and age relationships. American Geophysical Union, Geodynamics Series 14:107–119

    Google Scholar 

  • Kroner A, Brown L (2005) Structure, composition and evolution of the south Indian and Sri Lankan granulite terrains from deep seismic profiling and other geophysical and geological investigations: a LEGENDS initiative. Gondwana Res 8:317–335

    Google Scholar 

  • Kröner A, Williams IS (1993) Age of metamorphism in the high-grade rocks of Sri Lanka. J Geol 101:513–521

    Google Scholar 

  • Kröner A, Rojas-Agramonte Y, Kehelpannala KVW, Zack T, Hegner E, Geng HY, Wong J, Barth M (2013) Age, Nd–Hf isotopes, and geochemistry of the Vijayan complex of eastern and southern Sri Lanka: a Grenville-age magmatic arc of unknown derivation. Precambrian Res 234:288–321

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu C-S, Sandwell DT, Curray JR (1982) The negative gravity field over the 85°E ridge. Journal of Geophysical Research B Solid Earth Planets 87:7673–7686

    Google Scholar 

  • Mandal P, Rastogi B, Gupta H (2000) Recent Indian earthquakes. Curr Sci 79:1334–1346

  • Martin S, Szeliga W (2010) A catalog of felt intensity data for 570 earthquakes in India from 1636 to 2009. Bull Seismol Soc Am 100:562–569

    Google Scholar 

  • Mathavan V, Prame WKBN, Cooray PG (1999) Geology of the high grade Proterozoic terrains of Sri Lanka, and the assembly of Gondwana: an update on recent developments. Gondwana Res 2:237–250

    Google Scholar 

  • McGuire R, Arabasz W (1990) An introduction to probabilistic seismic hazard analysis. Geotechnical and Environmental Geophysics 1:333–353

    Google Scholar 

  • Milisenda C (1991) Compositional characteristics of the Vijayan Complex. In: Kröner A (ed) The crystalline crust of Sri Lanka. Part. I. Summary of research of the German–Sri Lanka consortium. Geological Survey Dept. Sri Lanka, pp 135–140

  • Minster JB, Jordan TH (1978) Present-day plate motions. Journal of Geophysical Research B Solid Earth Planets 83:5331–5354

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore D, Curray J, Raitt R, Emmel F (1974) Stratigraphic-seismic section correlations and implications to Bengal fan history. Initial Rep Deep Sea Drill Proj 22:403–412

    Google Scholar 

  • Munasinghe T, Curray JR (2013) Possible cause of recent earthquakes around Ampara, Sri Lanka: constrains from the earthquake distribution in the Northeast Indian Ocean. In: Proceedings to 29th technical sessions of Geological Society of Sri Lanka, pp 1–3

  • Pathirana HDNC (1980) Geology of Sri Lanka in relation to plate tectonics. Journal of National Science Council Sri Lanka 8:75–85

    Google Scholar 

  • Peiris N (2007) “Seismic hazard assessment of Sri Lanka and seismic risk in Colombo” 8th Pacific conference on earthquake engineering, Singapore

  • Pieris PE (1920) Ceylon and the Portuguese, 1505–1658. Asian Educational Services, New Delhi

    Google Scholar 

  • Rana MS, Chakraborty C, Sharma R, Giridhar M (2008) Mannar volcanics - implications for Madagascar breakup. In: 7th international conference and exposition on petroleum geophysics. Hyderabad, India

  • Ranaweera L (2008) The Wanni-Highland boundary shear zone of Sri Lanka: field and structural evidence. MPhil thesis, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka

  • Rao BR, Rao PS (1984) Historical seismicity of peninsular India. Bull Seismol Soc Am 74(6):2519–2533

  • Royer JY, Gordon RG (1997) The motion and boundary between the Capricorn and Australian plates. Science 277:1268–1274

    Google Scholar 

  • Royer J-Y, Gordon RG, Demets C, Vogt PR (1997) New limits on the motion between India and Australia since chron 5 (11 ma) and implications for lithospheric deformation in the equatorial Indian Ocean. Geophys J Int 129:41–74

    Google Scholar 

  • Stein S, Okal EA (1978) Seismicity and tectonics of the Ninetyeast Ridge area: evidence for internal deformation of the Indian plate. J Geophys Res 83:2233–2245

    Google Scholar 

  • Sykes LR (1970) Seismicity of the Indian Ocean and a possible nascent island arc between Ceylon and Australia. J Geophys Res 75:5041–5055

    Google Scholar 

  • Tani Y (1997) A preliminary study of the deformational structures and evolution of the high-grade gneisses around Kegalla in Central Sri Lanka. Int J Geosci 40:51–67

    Google Scholar 

  • Uduweriya, SB, Wijesundara, KK, & Dissanayake, PB R (2013). Seismic risk in Colombo–probabilistic approach. In SAITM research symposium on engineering advancements 2013. 124–128

  • Venkatesan S, Gamage P (2013) Spectral analysis of seismic waves in the northern Indian Ocean region. Bull Seismol Soc Am 103:3305–3320

    Google Scholar 

  • Vestal W, Lowrie A (1982) Large-scale slumps off southern India and Sri Lanka. Geo Mar Lett 2:171–177

    Google Scholar 

  • Vitanage PW (1983) A regional study of lineaments in Sri Lanka and possible movements of the Sri Lankan Mini-Plate. Symposium on the geology of Sri Lanka. Dept. Geol. Univ. Peradeniya, Sri Lanka

  • Vitanage PW (1985) Tectonics and mineralisation in Sri Lanka. Bull Geol Soc Finl 57:157–168

    Google Scholar 

  • Vitanage PW (1994) Seismicity-neglected aspects of Sri Lankan Landslide studies. National Symposium on Landslides in Sri Lanka. NBRO, Colombo

    Google Scholar 

  • Vitanage PW (1995) Seismicity in lineaments – impact on engineering structures. In: Dahanayake K (ed) Handbook on geology and mineral resources of Sri Lanka, Second South Asia Geological Congress, GEOSAS – II, Colombo, Sri Lanka, pp 59–62

  • Weichert DH (1980) Estimation of the earthquake recurrence parameters for unequal observation periods for different magnitudes. Bull Seismol Soc Am 70(4):1337–1346

  • Weissel JK, Anderson RN, Geller CA (1980) Deformation of the indo–Australian plate. Nature 287:284–291

    Google Scholar 

  • Wiens DA (1986) Historical seismicity near Chagos: a complex deformation zone in the equatorial Indian Ocean. Earth Planet Sci Lett 76:350–360

    Google Scholar 

  • Wiens DA, Demets C, Gordon RG, Stein S, Argus D, Engeln JF, Lundgren P, Quible D, Stein C, Weinstein S (1985) A diffuse plate boundary model for Indian Ocean tectonics. Geophys Res Lett 12:429–432

    Google Scholar 

  • Wiens DA, Stein S, Demets C, Gordon RG, Stein C (1986) Plate tectonic models for Indian Ocean “intraplate” deformation. Tectonophysics 132:37–48

    Google Scholar 

  • Wimalaratne KD (1993) The first earthquake recorded in Sri Lanka. Daily News

Download references

Acknowledgements

We wish to thank the Editor-in-Chief, Louis NY Wong and Editorial Board Member, Jeffrey Keaton, for help and guidance in the manuscript preparation, and the anonymous reviewers for critical review that helped improve the manuscript. The study was funded by the Victoria University Postgraduate Research Scholarship program.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Engineering and Science, Victoria University, PO Box 14428, Melbourne, Victoria, 8001, Australia

    P. Gamage

  2. Civil, Environmental & Chemical Engineering, RMIT University, GPO Box 2476, Melbourne, Victoria, 3001, Australia

    S. Venkatesan

Authors
  1. P. Gamage
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. S. Venkatesan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to P. Gamage.

Appendix

Appendix

Table 1 Large-magnitude events occurring in the diffuse plate boundary since 1900 (Source-ISC)
Full size table

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Gamage, P., Venkatesan, S. Seismicity and seismotectonics in and around Sri Lanka: a synoptic review. Bull Eng Geol Environ 79, 571–586 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-019-01576-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-019-01576-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation