The Suruli shear zone and regional scale folding pattern in Madurai block of Southern Granulite Terrain, south India

Abstract

Through the application of remote sensing techniques followed by field checks, the exact extension and nature of Suruli shear zone in Madurai block of southern granulite terrain (SGT) in south India is brought out for the first time in this work. The dominant rock type exposed in this area is charnockite intruded by granites. The Suruli ductile shear zone extends from just west of Kadaiyanallur in the south to Ganguvarpatti in the north over a length of 150 km. Between Kadaiyanallur and Kambam, the shear zone extends roughly in N-S direction. From Kambam, it swerves towards NE and then towards ENE near Ganguvarpatti. The strongly developed transposed foliation and mylonite foliation within the shear zone dip towards east only and so the eastern block (Varushanad hills) is the hanging wall and the western block (Cardamom hills) is the footwall of the shear zone. In the eastern block, three distinct phases of regional scale folding (F1, F2 and F3) are recognized. In complete contrast, the western block recorded only the last phase (F3) regional scale folding. As the more deformed eastern block (older terrain) moved over the relatively less deformed western block (younger terrain) along the Suruli shear zone, it is proposed that this shear zone is a thrust or reverse fault, probably of Proterozoic age. As there are evidences for decreasing displacement from north to south (i.e., from Ganguvarpatti to Kadaiyanallur), the Suruli shear zone could be a rotational thrust or reverse fault with the pivot located close to Kadaiyanallur. As the pivot is located near Achankovil shear zone which trends WNW-ESE (dip towards SSW), the Suruli shear zone could be splaying (branching) out from Achankovil shear zone. In a nutshell, the Suruli shear zone could be a splay, rotational thrust or reverse fault.