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Delineation of Subtrappean Mesozoic Sediments in Deccan Syneclise, India, Using Travel-Time Inversion of Seismic Refraction and Wide-Angle Reflection Data

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Abstract

2-D shallow velocity structure is derived by travel-time inversion of the first arrival seismic refraction and wide-angle reflection data along the E–W trending Narayanpur–Nandurbar and N–S Kothar–Sakri profiles, located in the Narmada–Tapti region of the Deccan syneclise. Deccan volcanic (Trap) rocks are exposed along the two profiles. Inversion of seismic data reveals two layered velocity structures above the basement along the two profiles. The first layer with a P-wave velocity of 5.15–5.25 km s−1 and thickness varying from 0.7–1.5 km represents the Deccan Trap formation along the Narayanpur–Nandurbar profile. The Trap layer velocity ranges from 4.5 to 5.20 km s−1 and the thickness varies from 0.95 to 1.5 km along the Kothar–Sakri profile. The second layer represents the low velocity Mesozoic sediments with a P-wave velocity of 3.5 km s−1 and thickness ranging from about 0.70 to 1.6 km and 0.55 to 1.1 km along the E–W and N–S profiles, respectively. Presence of a low-velocity zone (LVZ) below the volcanic rocks in the study area is inferred from the travel-time ‘skip’ and amplitude decay of the first arrival refraction data together with the prominent wide-angle reflection phase immediately after the first arrivals from the Deccan Trap formation. The basement with a P-wave velocity of 5.8–6.05 km s−1 lies at a depth ranging from 1.5 to 2.45 km along the profiles. The velocity models of the profiles are similar to each other at the intersection point. The results indicate the existence of a Mesozoic basin in the Narmada–Tapti region of the Deccan syneclise.

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Acknowledgements

We are thankful to the Director, National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) Hyderabad, Dr. V.P. Dimri, for his constant encouragement and kind permission to publish this paper. We also thank the Oil Industry Development Board (OIDB), Govt. of India for supporting the project in the Deccan syneclise. We great fully acknowledge and thank the CSS crew of NGRI for successfully completing the fieldwork along the profiles in the Deccan syneclise. We sincerely thank Dr. Ivan Psencik and the two anonymous reviewers for their valuable suggestions to improve the quality of the figures and manuscript. We thank S/Shri. V. Rajasekhar, M.Sankaraiah, B.P.S. Rana for preparing the figures.

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  1. National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), Uppal Road, Hyderabad, 500606, India

    A. S. N. Murty, B. Rajendra Prasad, P. Koteswara Rao, S. Raju & T. Sateesh

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  1. A. S. N. Murty
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  2. B. Rajendra Prasad
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  3. P. Koteswara Rao
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  4. S. Raju
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Correspondence to A. S. N. Murty.

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Murty, A.S.N., Rajendra Prasad, B., Koteswara Rao, P. et al. Delineation of Subtrappean Mesozoic Sediments in Deccan Syneclise, India, Using Travel-Time Inversion of Seismic Refraction and Wide-Angle Reflection Data. Pure Appl. Geophys. 167, 233–251 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00024-010-0050-z

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