Evaluation of active tectonic using morphometric indices for the Tabriz area, NW of Iran

• Published in: Arabian journal of geosciences 2022-04, Vol.15 (8), Article 693
• Main Authors: Alizadeh, Ali, Bouzari, Soheila, Sattarzadeh-Ghadim, Yousef, Pourkermani, Mohsen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Area; Deformation; Drainage basins; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth science; Earth Sciences; Earthquakes; Morphometry; Mountains; Original Paper; Satellite imagery; Seismic activity; Sinuosity; Spaceborne remote sensing; Stresses; Tectonics; Topographic mapping; Topographic maps
• ISSN: 1866-7511; 1866-7538
• DOI: 10.1007/s12517-022-10000-0

Tabriz Metropolis is situated in the northwest of Iran. Tabriz surrounding areas, like the other parts of Iran, have always been tectonically active due to their position within the Alpine-Himalayan deformation belt. The main cause of the present activity is the effects of compressional stresses, which are generated due to the continent to continent collision of Arabian and Central Iranian plates. But, the rate of present tectonic activities is non-identical everywhere in Iran due to the differences in the amount of affecting stresses. Therefore, the rate and type of the present tectonic activity at any part of Iran should be evaluated separately. Accordingly, the present study was performed to the evaluation of active tectonic using morphometric indices for the Tabriz area. In these studies, four morphometric indices including mountain-front sinuosity (Smf) index, drainage basin shape index (Bs), hypsometric integral (Hi), and valley floor width-to-height ratio (Vf) were calculated by using the topographic map of Tabriz scale 1:50,000 and satellite images of the region. The results of these investigations revealed that the rate of the active tectonic ranged from moderate to high in the areas around Tabriz. Also, based on the evaluation of tectonic activity in the region and geological features, it can be stated that the tectonic activities in the basins of the north and east are affected by the North Tabriz Fault (NTF). However, except for the occurrence of major destructive earthquakes, the other kinds of future tectonic movements will not cause significant damage to Tabriz city district and especially engineering projects.