Western Indian Ocean - A glimpse of the tectonic scenario

Abstract

The Western Indian Ocean is a veritable storehouse of diverse and complex tectonic features. Most of the knowledge about the major tectonic features of this area has emanated from the studies carried out with the geophysical data acquired in the early 1960s during the International Indian Ocean Expedition. The results of marine geophysical studies carried out till late 1970s have been synthesised in review articles published earlier. The subsequent geophysical studies have unravelled the complexities of the tectonic scenario in increasing details. The present article is an attempt to synthesise the updated knowledge of the tectonic scenario of this area based on the results of the subsequent studies. It presents the salient geophysical information and inferences, elucidating the nature, tectonic setting and evolutionary history of the Western Indian Ocean.