Seismotectonics in Northeast India: a stress analysis of focal mechanism solutions of earthquakes and its kinematic implications

Abstract

In Northeast India, three major plates interact along two convergent boundaries: the Himalayas and the Indo-Burma Ranges, which meet at the Assam Syntaxis. To clarify this tectonic interaction and the underlying dynamics, we determine the regional seismotectonic stress from the stress inversion of 285 double couple focal mechanism solutions of earthquakes with an average magnitude of 5. We then compare the reconstructed stress regimes with the available information about geodetically determined relative displacements.