Tectonic Processes and Earthquake Dynamics in the Indo-Burmese Region

The Indo-Burmese region is defined by the oblique collision of the Indian Plate beneath the Burma-Sunda block, giving rise to a complex mosaic of subduction, strike-slip faults and accretionary wedges. The shallow, gently dipping megathrust along the Rakhine coast accommodates much of the northeasterly convergence, while internal strain partitioning is taken up by major dextral faults such as the Sagaing Fault and subsidiary structures within the Indo-Burman Ranges. Seismicity spans from shallow crustal thrust events in uplifted fold belts to intermediate-depth intra-slab earthquakes within the subducting Indian lithosphere. Strain accumulates both by locked portions of the plate interface and by distributed deformation across thrust sheets and back-arc basins. Detailed mapping of fold-thrust geometries, combined with geodetic constraints, reveals episodic uplift, lateral extrusion and flexural bending of the Indian crust. Earthquake dynamics in this region reflect a spectrum of rupture styles: megathrust shocks capable of generating great earthquakes, strike-slip events on major transform faults, and intra-slab tremors driven by stress concentrations within the downgoing slab. The interplay between plate geometry, fault coupling and sedimentary inputs governs seismic hazard patterns, while geomorphic indicators of active uplift provide independent evidence of ongoing tectonic loading. Understanding these processes is critical for assessing future seismic risk in one of the world’s most densely populated and tectonically active corridors.

Research from Nature Portfolio

High-resolution sedimentological analysis of the Changotaung anticline in the Chittagong Tripura fold belt has provided new insights into the syn-tectonic depositional environments and folding styles within the outer Indo-Burmese Ranges. Detailed facies mapping and statistical modelling of lithofacies transitions reveal three distinct depositional sequences, shedding light on the timing and mechanics of fold development in response to oblique convergence. Structural imaging using receiver-function tomography beneath central Myanmar has delivered direct evidence of continental Indian crust subducting at a low angle (~19°) to depths exceeding 100 km. This underthrust slab maintains an average thickness of around 30 km, confirming persistent continental subduction and its role in driving crustal deformation and magmatism. Advanced tectono-mechanical modelling of the Indo-Burman detachment suggests that the megathrust is predominantly locked, capable of generating M > 8 events at millennial intervals. Simulations that integrate slow tectonic motions with earthquake cycles reproduce observed GPS velocities and seismic size distributions, indicating that strain on the plate interface is largely accumulated elastically until rapid release in great earthquakes.

Tectonic Processes and Earthquake Dynamics in the Indo-Burmese Region publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in tectonic processes and earthquake dynamics in the indo-burmese region across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Oblique convergence: The non-orthogonal collision between two tectonic plates, resulting in a combination of thrust and strike-slip motion.

Megathrust: A major plate-boundary fault where one plate subducts beneath another, capable of producing the world’s largest earthquakes.

Subducting slab: The portion of oceanic or continental lithosphere that descends into the mantle along a subduction zone.

Strain partitioning: The division of overall plate motion into distinct components accommodated by different faults or structures.

Thrust fault: A compressional fault with a low dip angle along which the hanging wall moves up relative to the footwall.

Intra-slab earthquake: A seismic event that occurs within the subducting plate rather than on the plate interface.

References

1. New Insights Into Active Faults Revealed by a Deep‐Learning‐Based Earthquake Catalog in Central Myanmar. Geophysical Research Letters (2024).
2. High-resolution lithostratigraphy and reconnaissance sedimentology of Changotaung structure, Chittagong Tripura fold belt, Bengal Basin, Bangladesh. Scientific Reports (2023).
3. Direct structural evidence of Indian continental subduction beneath Myanmar. Nature Communications (2020).
4. Modelling the seismic potential of the Indo-Burman megathrust. Scientific Reports (2021).
5. Active tectonic evolution of two adjoining thrust sheets in the Indo-Myanmar fold-thrust belt, Northeast India. Frontiers in Earth Science (2024).