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https://www.ias.ac.in/article/fulltext/jess/128/05/0139

The Mandla region; geological studies; lineaments; satellite images; the Eastern Deccan Volcanic Province.

Detailed geological studies were carried out on the basaltic sequences along the Jabalpur–Niwas, Jabalpur–Chutka and Jabalpur–Mandla traverses covering an area of about 12 km $\times$ 15 km to characterise various basaltic lava flows and their behaviour on seismotectonics and geodynamic setting of their formation in the Mandla region of the Eastern Deccan Volcanic Province (EDVP). The studies involve an analysis of the satellite images for the identification of lineaments/faults and field geological studies consisting of geological controls such as ground check, thickness of fractures and orientation along the acknowledged lineaments/faults. The results of the present research comprising 65 lineaments/faults mainly belonging to two geometric groups, minor and major dominantly in the NW–SE and the NE–SW and altered strata varying lithology (weathered to compact basalts) are recognised in the study area. Based on their extent, 57 lineaments have been classified as minor (<100 km) trends in three different orientations, i.e., NNE–SSW, ESE–WNW and ENE–WSW, whereas 8 lineaments were classified as intermediate (300–100 km) trends in NNE–SSW. No major (>300 km) lineaments are noticed in the study region. The field geological investigations have facilitated the recognition of 10 flows with different characteristic features and a variety of volcanic structures such as columnar, vesicular, amygdaloidal, inflated pahoehoe lava flows and red bole interflow horizons have been documented. Basement rocks of these Deccan basalt lavas are represented by Tirodi Biotite gneisses, quartzite, quartz–mica schists and crystalline limestone in the SE part of the study area of the Mandla region. The present study will help evaluate the localised site characterisation for urban planning and setting up major civil structures.

Srinivas K N S S S¹ Pavan Kishore P¹ Subba Rao D V¹

1. CSIR – National Geophysical Research Institute, Uppal Road, Hyderabad 500 007, India.

Published

1 July 2019

Manuscript received

19 April 2018

Manuscript revised

18 July 2018

Accepted

19 October 2018

Final version published online

15 May 2019