Interactions and Seismicity of Indian Tectonic Plate with its Neighboring Plates: An Overview

Abstract

Understanding earthquakes and its prediction is most challenging tasks. Even though the earthquakes have been understood clearly, the prediction of earthquakes would take more time to come into reality. For this, collection of earthquake data and its interpretation plays a vital role. Its importance continues for few more decades in understanding the various aspects of earth structure and tectonic plate interactions. India, the second largest populous country of the world has experienced and is continuing to experience both inter and intra plate earthquakes, claiming life loss as well as damage to built environment. Apart from earthquakes, India has also experienced Tsunamis in both the directions; eastern tsunamis from Sumatra and western tsunamis from Makran. In this paper using past earthquake data, Indian plate interactions with its neighboring major (Eurasia, Africa & Australia) and minor plates (Arabia, Burmese & Sunda plate) have been understood. Upon clearly observing seven interactions, it is clear that interaction types, their lengths and thickness of plate play a great role in the occurrence of major to great earthquakes.