Geomorphometric evidence of an active pop-up structure along the sabzpushan fault zone, Zagros mountains, SW Iran

Ali Faghih; Iman Nezamzadeh; Timothy M. Kusky

doi:10.1007/s12583-016-0663-y

Volume 27 Issue 6

Nov 2016

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Journal of Earth Science > 2016 > 27(6): 945-954.

Ali Faghih, Iman Nezamzadeh, Timothy M. Kusky. Geomorphometric evidence of an active pop-up structure along the sabzpushan fault zone, Zagros mountains, SW Iran. Journal of Earth Science, 2016, 27(6): 945-954. doi: 10.1007/s12583-016-0663-y

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Ali Faghih, Iman Nezamzadeh, Timothy M. Kusky. Geomorphometric evidence of an active pop-up structure along the sabzpushan fault zone, Zagros mountains, SW Iran. Journal of Earth Science, 2016, 27(6): 945-954. doi: 10.1007/s12583-016-0663-y

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Geomorphometric evidence of an active pop-up structure along the sabzpushan fault zone, Zagros mountains, SW Iran

doi: 10.1007/s12583-016-0663-y

1.
Department of Earth Sciences, College of Sciences, Shiraz University, Shiraz, 71454, Iran
2.
State Key Laboratory for Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, Three Gorges Research Center for Geohazards, Ministry of Education, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China
3.
Center for Global Tectonics, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China

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Corresponding author: Iman Nezamzadeh, i_nezamzadeh@shirazu.ac.ir
Received Date: 17 Mar 2016
Accepted Date: 23 Sep 2016
Publish Date: 01 Dec 2016

Abstract

Abstract

Evaluation of active tectonism by means of geomorphic indices has provided crucial semi-quantitative data for evaluating seismic hazards in a fault zone in a semiarid area of the Zagros Mountains of Iran where tectonic rates are low-to-moderate and there are few Quaternary dates. Quaternary activity along the seismically active but poorly understood Sabzpushan fault zone (SFZ) has been investigated. The SFZ consists of two dextral strike-slip faults, the Zafarabad and Kafari faults. Geomorphic indices including mountain front sinuosity, valley asymmetry factor, hypsometric integral, valley floor width to valley height ratio and stream length gradient index were used to assess the effects of active reverse faults which control the topographic relief and Quaternary activity. Geomorphometric and field evidence reveal that the Quaternary activity and topographic relief of the study area are controlled by two reverse faults, the North and South Sabzpushan reverse faults, which have formed a pop-up structure in the contractional step-over area between the Zafarabad and Kafari dextral strikeslip faults as a consequence of oblique convergence between the Afro-Arabian and Iranian plates accommodated by the North and South Sabzpushan thrust faults.
- active tectonics,
- geomorphic indices,
- Sabzpushan fault zone,
- pop-up structure,
- Zagros,
- Iran

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References(58)

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Geomorphometric evidence of an active pop-up structure along the sabzpushan fault zone, Zagros mountains, SW Iran

doi: 10.1007/s12583-016-0663-y

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Geomorphometric evidence of an active pop-up structure along the sabzpushan fault zone, Zagros mountains, SW Iran

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