Characteristics of magnetic anomalies and subsurface structure constraints of Balapur fault in Kashmir basin, NW Himalaya

The study used total magnetic intensity (TMI) data to evaluate the incidence and characteristics of the Balapur fault in the Kashmir basin, NW Himalaya. The ground magnetic surveys were carried out at ~25 m station spacing in various linear profiles and grids across the fault. The magnetic measurements external to the Earth were recorded after every minute to remove the diurnal variations. The convenient filtering and derivative techniques were applied to the TMI database to assess the strike and subsurface constraints of the Balapur Fault. The study shows a clear relationship between the magnetic minima's and the inferred Balapur fault. The strike of the fault is found ~100 km from SE-NW of the Kashmir basin and is associated with several fractures throughout its course. The analysis also recorded TMI susceptibilities at the northwest Balapur fault in the Baramulla region where fault branching has also taken place. The study suggests that the fault is tectonically active and may host a significant magnitude earthquake in the region. The study also indicates that the fault may have further extensions and needs more subsurface geophysical studies. Further, our study signifies the role of ground magnetic surveys in subsurface fault evaluations. •There is clear relationship between the magnetic minima’s and faults.•The strike of the Balapur fault was found ~ 100km from southeast to the northwest of Kashmir valley with associated fractures throughout its course.•The nature of the TMI anomalies at Balapur fault in the northwest of the region depict that it may have further extensions.•The magnetic susceptibilities and the inferred structural setup of the Balapur fault indicate that considering the fault to host a greater magnitude earthquake may not be wrong.•The Integration of subsurface magnetic susceptibility and material density analysis can be thought convenient in modeling the crustal behavior along active faults