Fig 4.

1: Location map of Sylhet Trough/Surma Basin and surrounding tectonic

element (After Johnson &Alam, 1990)

55
 CHAPTER-FOUR
Tectonics and Structure

4.1 Regional Tectonic Setting:

Tectonic elements play an important role in the geological development of an area.

The investigated area is a part of Sylhet Trough which is a tectonically complex
province of the Bengal Basin.

The Bengal geosyncline is the result of convergence of three lithospheric plates

namely Indian plate, European plate and Burmese subplate (Khan, A. A. 1989).

Basin in development began in the Late Cretaceous (about 127 Ma)when the Indian
plate was rifted away from Antarctica along an inferred northwest-southeast trending
ridge system. After a plate reorganization at about 90 Ma the Indian plate began
migrating rapidly northward, leading to its collision to Asia, initiated during the
Eocene between about 55 and 40 Ma (Curry and others, 1983; Molnar, 1984 in
Johnson and Alam, 1990).

The first contact of the northwards moving Indian Plate with the Eurasian Plate took
place in Paleocene/Lower Eocene. Subsequent subduction led to the formation of an
ophiolite and melange belt (Roy, 1986 in Reimann, 1993) and latter to the rising
Indo-Burman Orogeny. The latter finally separated the Burmese basins in the east
from the Bengal Basin in the west (Reimann, 1993).

The eastern margin of the Bengal Basin coincides with the frontal Fold Belt of the
Indo-Burman Ranges. Miocene-Pliocene deposits were folded into a series of
elongated, generally N-S striking anticline and synclinal structures. The Fold Belt
stretches from the Chittagong Hill Tracts in the south-east to the southern edge of the
Shilliong Massif in the north (Reimann , 1993).

The Sylhet Trough (also known as the "Surma Basin"), a sub-basin of the Bengal
Basin is located in the north eastern corner of Bangladesh. The Trough covers an area

56
Fig 4.2: Geological map of Trough , North-Eastern Bangladesh ( After Lietz &
Kabir, 1982 and Hiller & Elahi, 1984)

57
of about 10,000 sq. km, and is bounded on the north by the Shillong Massif, on the
east and south-east by the Chittagong- Tripura Folded Belt of the Indo-Burman
Ranges; and on the west by the Indian Shield Platform, Towards the south and
south-west the trough is open to the Bengal Foredeep, which is a major tectonic
element in the Central par of the Bengal Basin (Alam M. 1993).

The dominant structural element responsible for the development of the folds is
believed to be the west directed compressional forces from the nearly north-south
trending Indo& Burman Fold Belt ( Wadia, 1975; Krishnan, 1982 in Alam, M. 1993).

It is believed that the structural development of the trough is related to

contemporaneous interference of two major tectonic events: i) emergence of the
Shillong Massif in the north that was accompanied by creation of the Dauki Fault
system; and ii) westward progradation of the Indo-Burman Fold Belt (Hiller and
Elabi, 1988 in Alam, M. 1993). These events have been the consequence of collision
between the Indian and Eurasian plates, providing north to south stress on the
Shillong Massif that produces a reversal in direction of movement along the Dauki
Fault, resulting in upliftment of the Shillong Massif in north and consequent
donwarping of the Sylhet Trough in south (Alam, M. 1993).

The Sylhet Trough in has minimal topographic relief and is actively subsiding.
Subsidence may have increased during Oligocene time, when the trough formed distal
part of a foreland basin paired to the Indo-Burman Ranges. In the Miocene Epoch,
subsidence rate increased markedly in response to westward encroachment of the
Indo-Burman Ranges. From about the beginning of the Pliocene onwards, rate of
subsidence increased dramatically (3-8 times), mainly due to southward direction
overturning of the Shillong Massif on the Dauki fault system (Alam, M. 1993).

The poorly exposed Dauki fault forms the contact between the Shillong Plateau and
the sylhet Trough (Johnson and Alam, 1990).

The field investigation was conducted at the northern border of the Surma basin that is
marked by Dauki Fault, described “Dauki tear-fault” by Evans (1964), is the result of

58
vertical tensions caused by subduction complexes along the southern and northern
edges of this part known as Shillong Foreland Shield (Islam, 1975)(Reimann-1993)

4.2 Tectonic Setting of the studied area:

The investigated Jaintiapur and adjoining areas fall in the Surma Basin of the Bengal
Foredeep and more precisely in part of Goyain trough and Kushiara trough (two sub
trough of Sylhet Trough). From its inception the Sylhet trough has been actively
subside. Johnson and Alam (1991) postulated that rate of subsidence may have
increased during Oligocene time, when the trough formed. In the Miocene Epoch,
subsidence rate increased dramatically in response to westward encroachment of the
Indo Burma Ranges. From about the begining of the Pliocene onwards, rate of
subsidence increased dramatically (3-8 times), mainly due to southward directed
overthrusting of the Shillong Massif on the Dauki Fault System. In the deepest part of
the Sylhet Trough (eg. the Goyain and Kushiara subtroughs). The rate of subsidence
and fill of approximately 1.4 mm/year as estimated by Hiller and Elahi (1988).

59
Fig 4.3: Plate tectonic evaluation of the Bengal Basin (After Curray & Moore,
1974).

60
4.3Structural features of the studied area:
The area of investigation forms a narrow east-west elongated strip and lie in the
northern part of the Surma Basin which is the northern part of Bangladesh. The area
has a predominantly flat surface topography with numerous hillocks and haors.

Jaintiapur and adjoining area is tectonically complex area. Due to the irregularities of
the exposures the whole structure of the area is not clearly understood. The general
trend of regional strike is between N65°-75°W trending to be more meridinal near
Jaintiapur.

The dip of the area varies from 10°-50°. In Dauki river sections the dip comparatively
low (10°-30°). From In Hari river section, the dips in the younger formation become
(30°-40°) whereas in the older formation, the dips become high. This is a indicative
of monoclinal nature of folding. The general structure of the area can be discussed
under the following headings.
4.4Major structure and minor structure

Folds
According to Khan, M. (1978) the area consists of a homoclinal fold which extends
from Jaintiapur to Dona. The regional strike is N65-75W and the beds dip towards
SW. In Hari river section the dips are high in older formation . The dip increases from
BokaBil to Tipam. from 45-65. But after that to the younger formation the dip
decreases gradually. Due to the lack of suitable exposures, the measurement could not
be from eye assumption, the dip is approximately 30 in the DupiTila formation. It
means the dip is decrease towards downstream in the Hari river, which suggests that
the area forms a part of monocline.

Faults
The investigated area is controlled by the Dauki Fault System, one of the major
tectonic elements demarcating the Shillong Plateau in the north with the Surma Basin
in the south. Evans (1964) has considered the Dauki fault as a tear fault along which
the Shillong Plateau has moved eastward 250 kin relative to the Surma valley. Dauki
fault comprises of a system of east-west trending faults each of which individually

61
changes along its trace from low to high angle reverse to a vertical fault, and to a
monocline (Murthy, et. al, 1969). Sharp escarpment in the north-east and monotonous
topography in the south-east to south-west also support the presence of a major fault.
The main fault trace runs east-west and exposed within a kin inside Indian territory
north of Hari river (Ahmed ).

A prominent fault of localized nature is recognized in Dauki river section evidenced

by sharp escarpment of limestone block, presence of splintery fissile shale, disruption
of bedding, variation in dip, linear structures . The fault is more or less perpendicular
to the major fault (Dauki fault), that is, the orientation of the localization fault is
nearly N-S.Direct evidence is the presence of structurally controlled consequent
river-Dauki river. It is a fault controlled perennial type of river which is following
east-west, that is the trend of the fault is also east -west.
Another fault is present in the Dupi Tila which extends from Dupi Tila to the
south-west of Sharighat. The evidence of this fault can be established in this way that
the ridge hills (DupiTila) is shifted from its normal alinment

The straight pattern of the upstream of the Hari river suggest that the upstream of the
river is fault controlled.
Unconformity
There are two prominent unconformities in the investigated area. One in between the
Surma and the Barail group and the other in between the BokaBil and the Tipam
sandstone.
In Kamlabari & Gowishanker road-cut section , thick beds of lateritic, conglomerate
is present in between sandstone(Barail) and silty shale (Bhuban formation) unit which
is the sure indication of unconformity. The Trace of this unconformity has also been
observed in Nayagang section. After the deposition of the lower part of Barail group
the area was come into a position where erosion or nondeposition of sediments occur.
As a result lateric conglomerate bed formed between the Barail and the Surma group.
The sharp contact between Bokabil formation and Tipam sandstone exposed in the
Hari river section indicates an angular unconformity present between them. Maroof
Khan (1978) defined it as a local unconformity. (Plate-4.1)

62
Joints
In the investigated area distinct joints were observed in the rocks of pinkish sandstone
unit, silty shale unit, and yellowish to yellowish brown (loosely compacted)
sandstone unit . We found numerous vertical joints, block joints in limestone unit at
Dauki river section, Hari river section, Sripur tea garden section, Tamabil- Sonatila
road-cut section. Closely spaced joints were found in sandy shale in Hari river
section. Most of these joints were filled with foreign ferruginous material.
Micro fold
There are small scale undulation and wavy features termed as micro fold found in
Haririver section(Plate-4.2)
Block joint
Found in Sripur tea garden road cut section and Dauki river section. (Plate-4.3)
Parallel joint
Found in Tamabil road cut section(Plate-4.4)

63
Plate 4.1: Maybe local unconformity between silty shale and gravel bed unit.

Plate 4.2: Micro fold in Hari River Section.

64
 Plate 4.3: Block joint in Dauki River section.

Plate 4.4: Parallel joint in Tamabil Road Cut Section.

65
66