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Surface traces of seismogenic faults from airborne LiDAR in Koyna–Warna region of Deccan Volcanic Province

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Abstract

Significant literature is available on the nature of the subsurface configuration in the Koyna–Warna seismic zone; while details vary, the persistent picture is that of N–S to NNE–SSW fault south of Koyna reservoir, which host strike-slip earthquakes and NW–SW faults around the Warna reservoir, which host normal earthquakes. On a larger scale, literature is available on the formation of the Western Ghat Escarpment and the faults associated with the tectonic events, which formed it. The near horizontal step-like plateau topography led to a common understanding that this area is tectonically undisturbed and is devoid of major fault structures. A high-resolution digital elevation model (DEM) was derived from an airborne LiDAR survey. The detailed surface features visualized in this DEM highlighted the differences in surface morphology in the Koyna and Warna regions. Lineaments representing fault zones were traced, which correspond to subsurface structures inferred from aeromagnetic data as well as faults inferred from seismology. The LiDAR DEM has allowed the Donachiwada Fault, which is suggested to be the main causative fault for the Koyna earthquakes, to be traced, cutting through the surface topography, significantly extended both to the north and south, denoted as the Koyna–Warna Fault. On the surface, it is a N–S trending slightly arcuate-shaped feature, which extends to south of the Warna reservoir. When superposed on the aeromagnetic anomalies from data captured at two different heights, the Donachiwada Fault coincides with NNE–SSW anomalies south of Koyna and NNW–SSE anomalies through the Warna valley and farther south, up to approximate depths of 4 km. Deeper in the subsurface (up to ~8 km), these trends give way to NW–SE anomalies in the south, which become nearly E–W in the north, south of the Koyna reservoir. The largest number of M ≥ 5.0 earthquakes have epicentres around the intersection of the southern end of the Koyna–Warna Fault and the South Warna Fault.

Research highlights

  1. 1.

    Results from the first high-resolution airborne LiDAR data in the Koyna–Warna region, Deccan Volcanic Province, India reveal details of surface morphology at metre scale.

  2. 2.

    The trace of the Koyna–Warna Fault, which coincide with the Donachiwada Fault has been traced on the DEM.

  3. 3.

    Most earthquake occurrence have been confined to the region of intersection of the Koyna–Warna and the North and South Warna Faults.

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Acknowledgements

The airborne LiDAR data was acquired through financial support from the MoES. This is NGRI contribution number NGRI/Lib/2021/Pub-75. The comments from anonymous reviewers have extensively helped in improving the organization and quality of the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CSIR: National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad, 500 007, Telangana, India

    Kusumita Arora & Yadavally Srinu

  2. Department of Water Resources, Central Ground Water Board, Nagpur, 440 001, Maharashtra, India

    Yadavally Srinu

Authors
  1. Kusumita Arora
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  2. Yadavally Srinu
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YS has processed the data and made all the figures, and KA has visualized the idea and prepared the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kusumita Arora.

Additional information

Communicated by Jyotisankar Ray

Corresponding editor: Jyotisankar Ray

This article is part of the Topical Collection: Deccan Traps and other Flood Basalt Provinces – Recent Research Trends.

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Arora, K., Srinu, Y. Surface traces of seismogenic faults from airborne LiDAR in Koyna–Warna region of Deccan Volcanic Province. J Earth Syst Sci 131, 148 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-022-01893-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12040-022-01893-2

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