Search for a command to run...
The Sagaing Fault is amongst the longest and most active strike-slip faults in the world (e.g. Molnar & Dayem 2010; Robinson et al. 2010; Searle & Morley 2011). It accommodates more than half of the right-lateral motion between Sundaland and India within the diffuse plate boundary along the eastern margin of India, which occupies much of Myanmar (e.g. Vigny et al. 2003; Nielsen et al. 2004; Socquet et al. 2006) (Fig. 19.1). Acting as a ridge-subduction transform (Le Dain et al. 1984; Guzman-Speziale & Ni 1996; Yeats et al. 1997), the 1500 km long Sagaing Fault links major thrust systems in the north such as the Naga, Lohit and Main Central thrust zones near the eastern Himalayan syntaxis to the Andaman Sea spreading centre in the south (e.g. Win Swe 1970; Le Dain et al. 1984; Guzman-Speziale & Ni 1993; Curray 2005). Acting as a sliver-bounding lithospheric strike-slip partition inboard of a 3700 km long section of oblique subduction at the Sunda Trench, it links to the dextral West Andaman and Sumatran faults in the south (e.g. Curray et al. 1979; Nielsen et al. 2004; Curray 2005; Searle & Morley 2011). Fig. 19.1. Tectonic setting of the Sagaing Fault. Modified after Morley et al. (2011), Soe Thura Tun & Maung Thein (2012), Wang et al. (2014) and Morley & Alvey (2015). Topographic scarps, lineaments, earthquake clusters and gravity anomalies along the trace of the Sagaing Fault have long been recognized as indicating the presence of an important north–south-trending structure west of the Shan Plateau (e.g. La Touche 1913; Coggin Brown & Leicester 1933; Chhibber 1934; Dey 1968; Aung Khin et al. 1970) (Fig. 19.2a). Large parts of the fault were first …