Tectonic evolution of early precambrian south indian shield (rocks) using remotely sensed data

The interpretation of satellite imagery of part of South India falling South of 15 degree North latitude shows that the regional anticlines, synclines, domes and basins of the Precambrian group of metamorphites are aligned in three major hill ranges/domains such as Chitra-durga domain in the north, the Mangalore-Ootacamund-Bangalore domain in the centre and the Cochin-Cape Comorin-Madurai-Chittoor domain in the south. These hills are crescent shaped with their axes of elongation oriented in NNW-SSE direction. The lineaments with ENE-WSW, NE-SW/WNW-ESE and NNW-SSE azimuthal frequencies respectively exhibit extensional, shear and release geometries. Such deformational fabric shows that the tectonic evolution of South India was controlled by two major compressive forces, the first one aligned in N-S direction and the second in ENE-WSW direction.