Continental margins of India

Abstract

The results of the latest geophysical investigations on the continental margins of India carried out by various organizations are summarized and reviewed. A close examination of the findings to date suggests a possibility that the Chagos–Maldive Islands may continue northwards under the sea bottom up to Karachi along the western coast of India and form an arcuate volcanic ridge feature. From the present study it is revealed that the continental crust, which has a thickness of about 37 km over the Indian Peninsular shield, thins to about 15 km over Maldive Islands, finally changing westwards to oceanic crust of 6 km thickness. The Laccadive–Maldive Island region on the continental margins of India represents a transition zone from continental to oceanic crust. A volcanic ridge in the Andaman Sea is also indicated parallel to and east of the Andaman Nicobar sedimentary island arc joining the inner volcanic trend of Sumatra and the igneous belt of Burma.