Survey of Sangbast-Shandiz Fault Zone Growth and Geomorphological Results

جغرافیاوتوسعه ناحیه ای

Article 9, Volume 10, Issue 2 - Serial Number 19, March 2013   

Document Type: scientific-research article

DOI: 10.22067/geography.v0i0.23246

Authors

Ali Keivan Zeraatkar^* ; Behnam Rahimi

Abstract

The Sangbast-Shandiz fault zone, with a length of about 57 km, a width of moderately 2 km, and a NW-SE direction, is located about 15 km in the west of Mashhad city. That is one of the major faults in the Binalud Mountains. Geomorphic evidences illustrate that the Sangbast-Shandiz fault zone has dextral strike- slip offsets with thrust activity. In this article, we investigated geomorphic features of faulting, by using remote sensing analysis of satellite images, digital elevation maps, and field work studies. These geomorphic attributes consist of a topographical distortion along the fault line on the surface and offsets or cutting in liner features as drainage systems like stream channels and liner eroding crests. In the results, we found out that increasing of fault slip quantity, increased elongation, widened the fault segments, and so joined pre-existing faults and segments and decreased fault steps. In addition, the southeast mid of Sangbast-Shandiz fault zone is releasing energy and seems to be in a growing state while the northwest mid is in a compressing stress state.

Keywords

Strike-slip fault growth; Geomorphology of fault zone; Binalud Mountains