Geomorphic indicators of neotectonics from the Deccan basaltic province: A study from the upper Godavari river basin, Maharashtra, India

The paper presents the signatures of neotectonics within the Quaternary deposits in the Deccan Basaltic Province (DBP) of India. The study area Godavari basin in Parbhani and Nanded district is the part of the mighty Godavari river basin in the northern half of the Indian peninsula. A WNW-ESE regional structure starting form Nasik in the west to Parbhani in east and E-W structure from Parbhani to Nanded in the east, which has influenced the drainage network of the area and the tributaries of the Godavari river marked by right angled turn as the main river approaches. The drainage basins along the NW-SE lineament occurring along the Asna-Godavari river coincide with the micro-seismic activity occurred during 2006-08 in Nanded city. Five geomorphic indices of active tectonics such as the basin elongation ratio, the basin asymmetry factor, the stream gradient-length ratio, the hypsometric integral and the valley floor width-height ratio were used to determine the neotectonic activity in the area. These indices were estimated on Topographical maps of the study area. The data generated on the basin asymmetry factor do not suggest any definite tectonic tilt of the area; however, the anomalous values of AF along Godavari river may be due to the neotectonic activity or the adjustment of the probable WNW-ESE, E-W and NWSE structures. It is further observed that the ratio of valley floor width to valley height is very low in the river segment flowing along the WNW-ESE and the NW-SE trend where the river might have been influenced by the activity of the structures. These factors indicate some neotectonic activity in the area. However, the spatial variation of the neotectonic activity along the the Godavari river point out that the general trend of the activity is increasing from west to east following the WNW-ESE, E-W and NW-SE structure. © 2011 CAFET-INNOVA technical society. All right reserved.