Skip to main content
Log in

Swarms in Andaman Sea, India — a seismotectonic analysis

  • Published:
Acta Geophysica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The seismotectonic characteristics of 1983–1984, 1993 and 2005 swarms in Andaman Sea are analysed. These swarms are characterised by their typical pulsating nature, oval shaped geometry and higher b values. The migration path of the swarms from north to south along the Andaman Spreading Ridge is documented. While the first two swarms are located along existing mapped rift segments, the 2005 swarm appears to have generated a new rift basin along 8°N. The analysis and supporting evidences suggest that these swarms were generated by intruding magmatic dyke along the weak zones in the crust, followed by rifting, spreading and collapse of rift walls. CMT solutions for 2005 swarm activity indicate that intrusion of magmatic dyke in the crustal weak zone is documented by earthquakes showing strike slip solution. Subsequent events with normal fault mechanism corroborate the rift formation, collapse and its spreading.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Bergmann, E.A., and S.C. Solomon (1990), Earthquake swarms on the Mid Atlantic Ridge: products of magmatic or extensional tectonics? J. Geophys. Res. 95, 4943–4965.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brocher, T.M. (1983), T-phases from an earthquake swarm on the Mid Atlantic Ridge at 31.5°N., Marine Geophys. Res. 6, 39–49.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chouet, A.B. (1996), Long period volcano seismicity: its source and use in eruption forecasting, Nature 380, 309–316, DOI: 10.1038/380309a0.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Curray, J.R. (1989), The Sunda Arc: a mode for oblique plate convergences, Neth. J. Sea Res. 24, 131–140.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Curray, J.R. (2005), Tectonics and history of the Andaman Sea region, J. Asian Earth Sc. 25, 187–232.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Curray, J.R., F.J. Emmel, D.G. Moore, and R.W. Raitt (1982), Structure, tectonics and geological history of the northeast Andaman Ocean. In: A.E.M. Nairn, F.G. Stehli, and S. Udeya (eds.), The Ocean Basins and Margins 6, The Indian Ocean, Plenum, New York, 399–450.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dasgupta, S., and M. Mukhopadhyay (1993), Seismicity and plate deformation below the Andaman Arc, Northeast Indian Ocean, Tectonophysics 225, 529–542.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dasgupta, S., and M. Mukhopadhyay (1997), Aseismicity of the Andaman subduction zone and recent volcanism, J. Geol. Soc. Ind. 49, 513–521.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dieterich, J., V. Cayol, and P. Okubo (2000), The use of earthquake rate changes as a stress parameter at Kilauea volcano, Nature 408, 457–460.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frohlich, C., and K.D. Apperson (1992), Earthquake focal mechanisms, moment tensors, and the consistency of seismic activity near plate boundaries, Tectonics 11, 279–296.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Halder, D., T. Laskar, P.C. Bandopadhyay, N.K. Sarkar, and J.K. Biswas (1992), Volcanic eruption of Barren Island volcano, Andaman Sea, J. Geol. Soc. Ind. 39, 411–419.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hayashi, Y., and Y. Morita (2003), An image of a magma intrusion process inferred from precise hypocentral migrations of earthquake swarm east of Izu Peninsula, Geophys. J. Int. 153, 159–174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hill, D.P. (1977), A model of earthquake swarms, J. Geophys. Res. 82, 1347–1352.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang, P.Y., S.C. Solomon, E.A. Bergman, and J.L. Nabelek (1986), Focal depths and mechanisms of Mid Atlantic Ridge earthquakes from body waveform inversion, J. Geophys. Res. 91, 579–598.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Julian, B.R., and S.A. Sipkin (1985), Earthquake process in the Long Valley Caldera area, California, J. Geophys. Res. 90, 11155–11169.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khan, P.K., and P.P. Chakraborty (2005), Two phase of opening of Andaman Sea: a new seismotectonic insight, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 229, 259–271.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lay, T., H. Kanamori, C.J. Ammon, M. Nettles, S.N. Ward, R.C. Aster, S.L. Beck, S.L. Bilek, R. Bredzinski, R. Butler, H.R. Deshon, G. Ekstrom, K. Satake, and S. Sipkin (2005), The great Sumatra-Andaman earthquake of 26 December 2004, Science 308, 1127–1132.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mogi, K. (1963), Some discussions on aftershocks, foreshocks and earthquake swarms — the fracture of semi-infinite body caused by inner stress origin and its relation to earthquake phenomena, Bull. Earthq. Res. Inst. Univ. Tokyo 41, 615–658.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mukhopadhyay, M. (1984), Seismotectonics of subduction and backarc rifting under the Andaman Sea, Tectonophysics 108, 229–239.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mukhopadhyay, M. (1988), Gravity anomalies and deep structure of Andaman arc, Marine Geophys. Res. 9, 197–210.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mukhopadhyay, M., and M.R. Krishna (1991), Gravity field and deep structure of the Bengal fan and its surrounding continental margins, northeast Indian Ocean, Tectonophysics 186, 365–386.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nettles, M., A.M. Ekstrom, A.M Dziewonski, N.N. Maternovskaya, and V.C. Tsai (2005), Source characteristics of the great Sumatra earthquake and its aftershocks, EOS Trans. AGU 86, Jt. Assem. Suppl., Abstract U43A-01.

  • Paul, J., R. Burgmann, V.K. Gaur, R. Bilham, K.M. Larson, M.B. Ananda, S. Jade, M. Mukul, T.S. Anupama, G. Satyal, and D. Kumar (2001), The motion and active deformation of India, Geophys. Res. Lett. 28, 647–651.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raju, K.A.K, T. Ramprasad, P.S. Rao, and Juby Varghese (2004), New insights into the tectonic evolution of the Andaman basin, northeast Indian Ocean, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 221, 145–162.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roy, S.K. (1992), Accretionary prism in Andaman forearc, Geol. Surv. India Special Publication 29, 273–278.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rubin, A.M., and D.D. Pollard (1988), Dike induced faulting in rift zones of Iceland and Afar, Geology 16, 413–417.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Scholz, C.H. (2002), The Mechanics of Earthquakes and Faulting, 2nd edition, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 471 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shapiro, N.M., M.H. Ritzwoller, and E.R. Engdahl (2007), Structural context of the great Sumatra-Andaman Island Earthquake, Submitted to Geophys. Res. Lett., July 4, 2007 (in press).

  • Sykes, L.R. (1970), Earthquake swarms and sea floor spreading, J. Geophs. Res. 75, 6598–6611.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Toda, S., R.S. Stein, and T. Sagiya (2002), Evidence from the AD 2000 Izu Islands earthquake swarm that stressing rate govern seismicity, Nature 419, 58–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ukawa, M., and H. Tsukahara (1996), Earthquake swarm and dyke intrusion off the east coast of IZU Peninsula, Central Japan, Tectonophysics 253, 285–303.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weis, D., and F.A. Frey (1996), Role of the Kerguelen plume in generating the eastern Indian seafloor, J. Geophys. Res. 101, 13831–13849.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wiemer, S., and S. McNutt (1997), Variation in the frequency magnitude distribution in two volcanic regions: Mt. St. Helens (Washington) and Mt. Spurr (Alaska), Geophys. Res. Lett. 24, 189–192.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wood, A.W. (1995), The dynamics of explosive volcanic eruptions, Rev. Geophys. 33, 495–530.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yoshida, S., G. Seta, S. Okubo, and S. Kobayashi (1999), Absolute gravity change associated with the March 1997 swarm in Izu Peninsula, Japan, Earth Planets Space 51, 3–12.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhao, D., O.P. Mishra, and R. Sanda (2002), Influence of fluids and magma on earthquakes: seismological evidence, Phys. Earth Planet. Inter. 132, 249–267.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Basab Mukhopadhyay.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mukhopadhyay, B., Dasgupta, S. Swarms in Andaman Sea, India — a seismotectonic analysis. Acta Geophys. 56, 1000–1014 (2008). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11600-008-0039-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s11600-008-0039-5

Key words

Navigation