Correlation between crustal anisotropy and seismogenic stress field beneath Shillong–Mikir Plateau and its vicinity in North East India

Abstract

A systematic study towards understanding the correlation between polarization direction of crustal anisotropy with seismogenic stress field at different locations of the Shillong-Mikir Plateau and its vicinity in North East India is attempted. We used data from a 17-station broadband seismic network. In our earlier work, crustal anisotropic parameters were determined using ANISOMAT + for the 17 seismic stations. In this study, we have estimated stress field around the stations using focal mechanism solutions (FMS). Some 215 FMS are obtained by waveform inversion. These solutions are used for stress tensor inversion to estimate stress field around each location. It is observed that polarization direction of crustal anisotropy is consistent with that of the maximum horizontal stress (Ơmax) as well as the minimum horizontal stress (Ơmin). In addition to this, two orthogonal fast polarizations in some locations are also noted. The bivariate nature of correlations helps us to understand that the major mechanisms of seismic crustal anisotropy are not only due to the regional stress, but active faults and other geological conditions play a significant role in contemporary orientation of seismic crustal anisotropy and seismogenic stress field.