DEFORMATION TECTONICS OF THE DIFFUSE INDO-AUSTRALIAN PLATE BOUNDARY USING CENTROID-MOMENT TENSOR DATA

The deformation tectonics of the Indo-Australian plate boundary has be en fairly well explained by the Euler pole models. The Harvard centroi d moment tensor (CMT) data concur with all the essential features desc ribed by these models, Additionally, it indicates the presence of wide spread left lateral strike-slip faulting in the northern portion of th e deformation zone from the Central Indian ridge up to the northern Ni nety-east ridge, which incidentally is found to agree with the model o f 'Wrench Fault Tectonics', This is evidenced by the presence of focal mechanisms in this region with a consistent left lateral strike-slip faulting along NE-SW fault planes which are also continuous with the t rend of the transform faults at the Central Indian ridge. However, it appears that this shearing phenomenon only complements the overall def ormation process, but cannot explain it independently.