Abstract
The evolution of east coast of India sis discussed within the ambit of clearly identifiable four major tectonic stages which had a profound effect in shaping the tectonic grain of the east coast basins. The evolutionary process began with rift related crustal extension between India and Sri Lanka as a consequence of Africa-Antarctica rifting and development of Natal Basin. An arm of this rift led to initial extension in the Cauvery Basin and failed. Later, the India-West Australia rift propagated further in southwesterly direction initiating Mahanadi and Krishna-Godavari Basins. This extension was an oblique one with Nayudupeta high acting as pivot. The oblique extension followed by asymmetric seafloor spreading developed transpression along India-Sri Lanka and Antarctica junction, resulting in a NNW-SSE trending transcurrent fault along which Antarctica moved southward. Subsequently, entire east coast evolved through a more or less uniform post rift stage.
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Lal, N.K., Siawal, A. & Kaul, A.K. Evolution of east coast of India — A plate tectonic reconstruction. J Geol Soc India 73, 249–260 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-009-0081-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12594-009-0081-1