Intraplate deformation of Indian Plate: Insights from new cGPS derived Euler Pole

Summary The rigidity and intraplate deformation of the Indian plate has long been a subject of debate. To understand the present-day intraplate deformation, we utilized data from 34 well-distributed continuous Global Positioning System (cGPS) stations across the stable part of the Indian subcontinent to derive refined Euler pole parameters (51.834° ± 0.0495° N,3.9708° ± 0.9351° E, Ω = 0.52067° ± 0.002684°/Myr) and establish an updated Indian Reference Frame (IRF). The intraplate velocity field suggests a westward motion of the Northern Tectonic Block (NTB) (up to 2.5 mm/yr) relative to the stable Southern Tectonic Block (STB) (≤1 mm/yr) along the Narmada-Son Lineament (NSL) in the Central Indian Tectonic Zone (CITZ). The rotation pattern inferred from strain analysis also exhibits a progressive increase in the anticlockwise rotation from the STB (~2 nrad/yr) to NTB (~6 nrad/yr). Thus, the subtle, yet systematic variation in the intraplate deformation pattern from STB to NTB across the NSL strengthen the non-rigid behaviour of the Indian sub-continent and reflects its accommodation of far-field plate boundary forces generated by the Indo-Eurasian collision in the Himalayan region. To further substantiate these findings, we propose to conduct advanced investigations using a denser network of cGPS stations over the Indian subcontinent.