C. P. RAJENDRAN
(Scientist G on Sabbatical)
Senior Associate, Geodynamics
Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced
Scientific Research,
Bangalore -560064
[email protected]
Profile
C. P. Rajendran obtained his M.Sc. in Geology in 1978 and Ph.D.
in Geological Sciences in 1988 from the Cochin University of
Science and Technology, Kochi, India. During 1978-1988 he
worked as a scientist at the Centre for Earth Science Studies
(CESS), Thiruvananthapuram. After his post-doctoral work at
the University of South Carolina, USA (1989-1993), Rajendran
returned to CESS to continue as a research scientist. Currently
Scientist G on sabbatical, he availed Ramanujan Fellowship from
2008 to 2013, which was hosted at the Centre for Earth Sciences,
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India. On completing the
tenure of the fellowship, he has now joined the Jawaharlal Nehru
Centre for Advanced Scientific Research as a Senior Associate.
His honors include the 2009 National Geoscience Award of the
Department of Mines, Government of India.
Research Description
C. P. Rajendran is an Earth scientist with special interests
in geodynamics, earthquake geology and tectonics. He
contributes to the understanding of the earthquake source
zones and fault zones of India, thereby assisting the seismic
hazard evaluation. His studies are mostly focused in the areas
of active tectonics, earthquake geology, paleoseismology and
tectonic geomorphology. To address the key questions in
seismology like the seismic gap hypothesis, and characteristic
earthquakes (slip-predictable or time predictable models) or
spatial and temporal clustering of earthquakes (explained as
due to stress triggering and fault interaction) it is important
to understand how seismic sources behave in the longer
term. Extensive database on spatial and temporal earthquake
recurrence patterns for various fault systems helps to draw
realistic statistical conclusions. Rajendran’s work is mainly
focused on developing insights into earthquake sources,
leading to their long-term behavior.
Rajendran contributed to the understanding of the
recurrence patterns of major earthquakes/tsunamis and
nature of fault zone deformation in various tectonic regimes
of India. His research targets to further the knowledge
on the earthquake generation along the plate boundary
systems like the Himalaya and Andaman-Nicobar tectonic
zones as well as the intraplate regions like the failed rift
zones like Kachchh, in the northwest India – major potential
source of damaging earthquakes. He conducts rigorous field
investigations of various geological and geomorphological
features along with direct observations of fault offsets
preserved in the local geology or the indirect indications like
soil liquefaction to develop tectonic models of earthquake
kinematics. He employs various dating and laboratory
analyses to constrain the ages of the tectonic features. He
has also contributed to the understanding of geodynamical
aspects of the Andaman subduction zone- the source
zone of the 2004 mega-earthquake and the consequent
devastating tsunami through the application of global
positioning system (GPS) based strain measurements and
earthquake seismology. He has also taken a lead role in the
collaborative work and international cooperation on tsunami
hazard and capacity building as part of initiatives sponsored
by Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, and has
established linkages among various researchers from many
Indian Ocean countries from Australia to Iran to understand
the transoceanic tsunami hazards.
Complete List of Publications as a
Ramanujan Fellow
1.“Ages and relative sizes of pre-2004 tsunamis in the
Bay of Bengal inferred from geologic evidence in
the Andaman and Nicobar Islands”, Rajendran, C.P.,
Rajendran, K., Andrade, V. & Srinivasalu, S. 2013, Jour.
Geophys. Res., Volume 118, Doi:10.1002/jgrb.50122
RAMANUJAN FELLOWS 19
2.
“Constraining large earthquakes along the Andaman
trench using deepwater turbidites: Prospects and
challenges”, Rajendran, C.P., Andrade, V., Sanwal, Kurian,
J. & Jena, B. 2013. Curr. Sci., Volume 104, 1300-1307.
12.
“Revisiting
some
significant
earthquake
sources in the Himalaya: Perspectives on past
seismicity”, Rajendran, K. & Rajendran, C.P. 2011.
Tectonophysics, Volume 504, 75-88.
3.
“Climatic variability in Central Indian Himalaya for
the last ~1,800 years: Evidence from high-resolution
speleothem record”, Sanwal, J., Kotlia, B.S., Rajendran,
C.P., Masood, S.A., Rajendran, K. & Sandiford, M. 2013,
Quat. Internat.,, Volume 304, 183-192.
13.
“The June 2010 Nicobar earthquake: Fault
reactivation on the subducting oceanic plate”,
Rajendran, K., Andrade, A. & Rajendran, C.P. 2011,
Bull. Seism. Soc. America, Volume 101, 2568-2577.
4.“Was the 1941 Andaman earthquake tsunamigenic?
Comments on ‘‘Inundation studies for Nagapattinam
region on the east coast of India due to tsunamigenic
earthquakes from the Andaman region’’ by Srivastava
et al. 2012”, Rajendran, C.P. 2013, Nat Hazards,
Volume 65, 219-239 DOI 10.1007/s11069-012-0403-2.
5.
“Archeological and historical database on the
medieval earthquakes of the central Himalaya:
Ambiguities and Inferences”, Rajendran, C.P.,
Rajendran, K., Sanwal, J. & Sandiford, M., 2013,
Seism. Res. Lett., Volume 84, 1098-1108.
6.“The Holocene Events: Database on the Konkan-Kerala
Coast”, Rajendran, C. P., 2012, Chapter 4, In: The
Holocene, Nova Publishers Inc., New York. P. 33-44.
7.
“Andaman post-seismic deformation observations:
still slipping after all these years?”, Paul, J.,
Rajendran, C.P., Lowry, A.R., Andrade, V., &
Rajendran, K., 2012, Bull. Seism. Soc. America,
Volume 102, 343–351, doi: 10.1785/0120110074
8.“The hazard potential of the western segment of the
Makran subduction zone, Northern Arabian Sea”,
Rajendran, C.P., Rajendran, K., Shah-hosseini, M.,
Naderi Beni, A., Nautiyal, C.M. & Andrews, R. 2012,
Nat Hazards DOI 10.1007/s11069-012-0355-6
9.“Recent microtremors near the Idukki Reservoir,
Kerala, south India”, Rajendran, K., Rajendran,
C.P., Sreekumari, K. & Naveen, R.2012. Curr. Sci.,
Volume 102, 1446-1451.
10.“Geoarcheological evidence of a Chola period tsunami
from an ancient port at Kaveripattinam on the southeastern of India”, Rajendran, C. P., Rajendran, K.,
Srinivasalu, S., Andrade, V., Aravali, P. & Sanwal, J.,
2011, Geoarchaeology, Volume 26, 867-887.
11.
“The 18 September North Sikkim earthquake”,
Rajendran, K., Rajendran, C.P., Thulsiraman, R.,
Andrews, R. & Sherpa, N., 2011. Curr. Sci., Volume
101, 1475-1479.
20 RAMANUJAN FELLOWS
14.“Challenges in Earth sciences: The 21st century. In:
Perspectives in Earth Sciences-2010”, Rajendran,
C.P., 2010, Curr. Sci., Volume 99, 1690-1698.
15.“Evidence of episodic brittle faulting in the cratonic
part of the Peninsular India and its implications for
seismic hazard in the slow deforming regions”, John,
B. & Rajendran, C.P., 2009, Tectonophysics, Volume
471, 240-252.
16.“Reassessing the earthquake hazard in Kerala based
on the historical and current seismicity”, Rajendran,
C.P., John, B., Sreekumari, K. & Rajendran, K., 2009.
Jour. Geol. Soc. India, 73, 785-802.
17.
“The earthquake geology of the Kachchh region,
northwest India”, Rajendran, C.P. & Rajendran, K., 2009,
In: Recent progress on earthquake geology, P. Guarnieri
(ed.), Nova Publishers Inc., New York, p. 19-48.
18.“The hazard implications of the late arrival of the 1945
Makran tsunami”,Rajendran, C.P., Ramanamurthy,
M.V., Reddy, N.T. & Rajendran, K., 2009. Curr. Sci.,
Volume 95, 1739-1743.
19.“Assessing the previous activity at the source zone
of the 2001 Bhuj earthquake based on the nearsource and distant paleoseismological indicators”,
Rajendran, C.P. Kusala Rajendran, M. Thakkar,
& Goyal, B., 2008. J. Geophys. Res., Volume 113,
B05311, doi:10.1029/2006JB004845.
20.“Age estimates of coastal terraces in the Andaman
and Nicobar Islands and their tectonic implications”,
Rajendran, K., Rajendran, C.P., Earnest, A., Ravi
Prasad, G.V., Dutta, K., Ray, D.K. & Anu, R., 2008.
Tectonophysics, Volume 455, 53-60.
21.“Geomorphic indicators of neotectonism from the
Precambrian terrain of peninsular India- A study
from the Bharathapuzha basin, Kerala”, John, B. &
Rajendran, C.P. 2008. Jour. Geol. Soc. India, Volume
71, 827-840.