Intracontinental Thrusts and Inclined Transpression along Eastern Margin of the East Dharwar Craton, India

Abstract Recent works suggest Proterozoic plate convergence along the southeastern margin of India which led to amalgamation of the high grade Eastern Ghats belt (EGB) and adjoining fold-and-thrust belts to the East Dhrawar craton. Two major thrusts namely the Vellikonda thrust at the western margin of the Nellore Schist belt (NSB) and the Maidukuru thrust at the western margin of the Nallamalai fold belt (NFB) accommodate significant upper crustal shortening, which is indicated by juxtaposition of geological terranes with distinct tectonostratigraphy, varying deformation intensity, structural styles and metamorphic grade. Kinematic analysis of structures and fabric of the fault zone rocks in these intracontinental thrust zones and the hanging wall and footwall rocks suggest spatially heterogeneous partitioning of strain into various combinations of E-W shortening, top-to-west shear on stratum parallel subhorizontal detachments or on easterly dipping thrusts, and a strike slip component. Although relatively less prominent than the other two components of the strain triangle, non-orthogonal slickenfibres associated with flexural slip folds and mylonitic foliation-stretching lineation orientation geometry within the arcuate NSB and NFB indicate left lateral strike slip subparallel to the overall N-S trend. On the whole an inclined transpression is inferred to have controlled the spatially heterogeneous development of thrust related fabric in the terrane between the Eastern Ghats belt south of the Godavari graben and the East Dharwar craton.