Research Projects

Psuedotachylites, indicators of paleoseismic earthquakes, are produced by frictional melting during seismic slip along subduction zones. They provide information on the physical properties of the fault and the thermodynamics of the slip process. Pseudotachylites are often found in shear zones, often spatially associated with ductile fabrics. A case study in the mylonitic granitoid in the Ambaji, south Delhi terrane, Aravalli Delhi Mobile belt (NW India) will explore the localization and thermodynamics of brittle deformation along brittle-ductile shear zones. The geochemical signature of major minerals in both ductile and brittle deformation products will track the duration and temperature of pseudotachylite and deformed pseudotachylite development. This research will improve our understanding of seismic faulting mechanisms and fault behavior in seismogenic fault zones. The formation of microlites is a slow process driven by glass interaction with external forces. Further study is needed to infer the exact nature of the shear zone and its duration.