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Use of SRTM data for a quick recognition of the active tectonic signatures
Biju John, K.S. Divyalakshmi
Dept of Engineering Seismology National Institute of Rock Mechanics Kolar Gold Fields Karnataka India
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Yogendra Singh and C. Srinivasan

Dept of Engineering Seismology National Institute of Rock Mechanics Kolar Gold Fields Karnataka India

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Abstract Peninsular India is considered tectonically stable

even though a few damaging earthquakes occurred here. 17 However, region around Wadakkancheri has been a site of 18 microseismic activity since 1989. Studies, subsequent to 1994 19 M= 4.3 earthquake, had identified a prominent NWSE 20 structure overprinting on the EW trending lineaments 21 associated with PalghatCauvery shear zone. The right 22 angled turn of Bharathapuzha River at Desamangalam and 23 a waterfall near this structure shows the influence of the 24 structure to the drainage system which is identified as a 25 south dipping reverse fault. The hanging wall side of the 26 fault is characterized by abandoned river courses due to the 27 river shift. The network of Paleochannels was identified 28 through SRTM data. Distance elevation profiles were also 29 drawn from SRTM data to observe the influence of fault on 30 the drainage system of the area. Near the coast both 31 paleochannels and the river is flowing approximately at the 32 same elevation. The data generated in the present study 33 indicate that a marked correlation between channel 34 morphology and the proximity of the fault in the 35 Bharathapuzha river basin.
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identified from careful geomorphological studies using topographic maps, aerial photographs, and satellite images and 51 by field investigation and repeat leveling (Quennel, 1958; 52 Nakata, 1989; Vita-Finzi, 1986).
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For several decades, the morphometric analysis of relief is being widely applied for the problem solving in various areas of 56 geology and geomorphology (Strahler, 1957, Filosofov, 1960, 57 Beasom et al., 1983, Riley et al., 1999). Since SRTM data 58 became widely available, many studies utilized them for 59 applications in topography, geomorphology, vegetation cover 60 studies, tsunami assessment, and urban studies (Gorokhovich 61 and Voustianiouk, 2006). Using SRTM data and GIS techniques 62 is a speed, precision, fast and inexpensive way for calculating 63 morphometric analysis (Farr and Kobrick, 2000; Smith and 64 Sandwell, 2003; Grohmann, 2004; Grohmann et al. 2007). The 65 present study is an attempt to find out whether SRTM data can 66 be used to detect active faults from the slow deforming plate 67 interiors.
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STUDY AREA

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INTRODUCTION

Cratonic areas in continental interiors in general are characterized by low rates of stress accumulation and smaller 40 slip rates. Recognizing active structures from such plate interiors 41 is not easy. However, various studies in the cratonic hinterland 42 show that the damaging earthquakes occur on pre-existing faults 43 with a recurrence period of tens of thousands of year (e.g. Crone 44 et al. 1997). Such faults generally do not develop any dramatic 45 fault scarps. In addition to this, weathering and erosion would 46 neutralize any remnant of physiographic evidence of faulting. 47 Even after these difficulties, various studies however established 48 that the deformation related with active tectonism can be 1

The region around Wadakkancheri is a part of intraplate region of peninsular India. It lies in the vicinity of Palghat Gap, a major 72 physiographic break in western Ghats. The E-W trending 73 Palghat Gap is also coincides with this Gap. Even though no 74 major earthquakes occurred in this area in the historic past, a 75 few earthquakes are reported in the vicinity of Palghat Gap. 76 Since 1989 this area is also experiencing repeated slight 77 earthquake events. Among them the 1994 Wadakkancheri 78 earthquake of M=4.3 was the biggest one recorded in this area 79 which is followed by a number of aftershocks.
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The E-W trending Bharathapuzha and its tributaries constitute the drainage network of the Palghat Gap. The lineaments within

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the gap are generally trends in E-W direction where as in the southwestern end NW-SE trending lineaments dominate. The 85 studies subsequent to the 1994 earthquake identified the abrupt 86 change in Bharathapuzha river course near Desamangalam and a 87 NW-SE trending structure that influence the course of the river 88 down stream from that point John and Rajendran 2008). Further 89 studies identified the NW-SE trending structure as a reverse 90 south dipping fault which moved episodically in the present 91 stress regime (John and Rajendran, 2009). Through ESR dating 92 techniques on fault gouge the last movement along this fault is 93 determined as occurs around 430 ka bp (Rao et al 2002).
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Geomorphic studies based on the topographic maps and satellite images identified anomalies related with the fault movements. 97 South of Bharathapuzha signatures of drainage adjustments were 98 picked up by these studies. The width of the present valley of 99 bharathapuzha ranges from 400-700 m. The occurrence of 100 paleochannels south of Bharathpuzha is another anomalous 101 observation in this area. They are interlinked and abut against 102 the cost parallel sand bars. Presently small drainages occupy 103 these wide paleochannel valleys. Trench studies reveal that the 104 deposits in the paleochannels are of fluvio- laccustrain origin. 105 The studies further reveal that these channels were formed when 106 sufficient water was flowing through it to make the valley wide. 107 Due to lack of running water in the channels at present, which 108 might have supplied by Bharathapuzha earlier, it is unable to cut 109 the cost parallel sandbars across it.
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were extracted across the river with an interval of 2km. These are numbered from left to right. Two more profiles were drawn 133 parallel to the coast and one profile has been drawn along the 134 river. The profile i has been taken nearly 11 km from the coast. 135 Profile i, the lowest elevation reached up to Zero where ever it 136 goes over the paleochannels in the southern side of the river. 137 This situation is continued up to the profile no vii (marked as 138 profile 1 in fig. 1) where the paleochannels are located at an 139 elevation close to the present active channels. From profiles viii 140 to xiv the river is controlled by the fault. Profile xiii (marked as 141 profile no 2 in fig. 1) shows the maximum separation between 142 fault and the river within the influenced zone. The paleochannel 143 immediately south of the fault in the hanging wall occupied at a 144 higher elevation than the ones further south. Profile xiv (marked 145 as profile no 3 in fig. 1) runs close to the N-S turn of the river. 146 The profile xvii (marked as profile no 4 in fig. 1) is passing 147 through the river where fault do not have any influence on it. 148 The profiles further show that the valley through which 149 Bharathapuzha is flowing in the vicinity of Desamangalam fault 150 is very wide. Once it crosses the area of influence of the fault the 151 river flows through a narrow zone or the river cuts down further, 152 compared to the upstream side. The profiles across the fault 153 indicate a sudden increase in elevation in the southern side 154 compared to a relatively flat valley in the northern side. 155 The analysis shows an interlinking nature of paleochannels with 156 valleys is N-S, NE-SW and NW-SE directions. where remote 157 sensing studies shows that NE-SW trending channels are wide in 158 comparison to other directions.
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METHODOLOGY

CONCLUSION

In order to check whether these signatures can be picked from 114 topography, Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data is 115 used, which have a spatial resolution of 90/90 m. The data has 116 been cropped for the study area using ERDAS. From this data 117 contour had been generated for an interval of 20m using ARC 118 GIS. Triangular Irregular Network (TIN) has been created from 119 the contour using the 3D analyst tool of Arc GIS. The mapped 120 faults are projected in the DEM and distance-elevation profiles 121 are drawn across it. For the identification of paleochannels as 122 well as present channel hydrogeological modeling (Hydrology 123 Tool) of ARC GIS software has been used.
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SRTM data can be used for a quick evaluation of active faults. Bharathapuzha river is controlled by the faults in the study area. 163 Paleochannels of the drainage network in the area located 164 relatively same elevation as the present active channels. Along 165 the vicinity of the fault the drainage flows through a wider valley 166 compared to the region where the faults do not have any 167 influence. The data generated in the present study indicate a 168 marked correlation between channel morphology and the 169 proximity of the fault in the Bharathapuzha river basin and it can 170 be useful in active fault studies if properly employed .
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Analysis 125 Paleochannels are demarcated in the southern side of the river. 126 They are occupied at an elevation close to the present active 127 channels. From the colour coded map (Fig.1) it can be observed 128 that the central segment of the fault does not have appreciable 129 elevation changes. However, for evaluating the subtle 130 topographic features of the study area 21 N-S trending profiles
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ACKNOWLEDGMENT The SRTM data is down loaded from http://srtm.csi.cgiar.org/ 174 The authors are thankful to the Director, National Institute of 175 Rock Mechanics for his encouragement and support. BJ and YS 176 thank DST for funding for the present study (No SR/S4/ES177 434/2009).
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Fig. 1 Colour coded DEM generated from the SRTM data. The faults identified in the area are marked and profiles are drawn across it. The green arrow indicate the location of the fault where as the black arrow indicate the location of the river.
[6] Gorokhovich , Y. and Voustianiouk A. 2006 Accuracy assessment of the processed SRTM-based elevation data by CGIAR using field data from USA and Thailand and its relation to the terrain characteristics Remote Sensing of Environment 104 p.409415 [7] John, B., Rajendran, C.P., 2008. Geomorphic indicators of Neotectonism from the Precambrian terrain of Peninsular India: a study from the Bharathapuzha Basin, Kerala. J. Geol. Soc. India 71, 827840. [8] John, B., Rajendran, C.P., 2008. Evidence of episodic brittle faulting in the cratonic part of the Peninsular India and its implications for seismic hazard in slow deforming regions, Tectonophysics. [9] Nakata, T. (1989) Active faults of Himalaya of India and Nepal. Geol. Soc. Am. Sp. Pap. No.232, pp.243-264. [10] Quennel, A.M. (1958) The structural and geomorphic evolution of Dead sea Rift: Q. F.Geol. Soc., v.114, pp.1-24. [11] Rao, T.K.G., Rajendran, C.P., Mathew, G. and John, B. (2002) Electron spin resonance dating of fault gouge from Desamangalam, Kerala: Evidence for Quaternary movement in Palghat gap shear zone, Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. (Earth and Planet. Sci.), v.111, pp.103113.

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