International Journal of Environmental Science and Research

International Journal of Environmental Science and Research

Investigating the effect of active tectonics in the evolution of the alluvial fan, case study: Behbahan-Qaland, Iran

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Masoumeh Mousavi
Mehdi Mumipour
Khorramshahr University of Marine Science and Technology
10.22113/ijesr.2024.426641.1009
Abstract
Alluvial fans are geomorphological forms in river systems that are often formed in dry areas and mountain fronts, where rivers meet the plains. They are an erosional and sedimentary system and some factors such as the shape and lithology of the catchment, tectonic activities and climate affect their formation and evolution. In this research, 7 fans were identified in Behbahan-Qaland area. Next, using the Digital Elevation Model (DEM), the map of the drainages network extracted and seven geomorphic indices including the sinusoidal index of the mountain front (Smf), the width of the valley to the height (VF), the asymmetry of the drainage basin (Af), and hypsometric integral (Hi) were calculated for each of the alluvial fans and their upstream basins. The obtained results showed that the smf index values have a minimum value of 1.08, which indicates active tectonic activity and a maximum value of 1.33 which indicates semi-active tectonic activity. For the VF index, in the north part have high tectonic activity. AF index in watershed number 3 and 4 with a small amount of 15 and 16.5 indicates active tectonic activity and erosion on the right bank. The HC index shows that these basins are in a young stage. The HI index indicates a tectonic active and semi-active state. The values of the Iat index in the region for basins No. 3 and 4 are 1.16 and 1.33, a state of intense tectonic activity, in basins No. 1, 5, and 6 with values of 1.83 activity. High tectonics and basins number 2 and 7 with values of 2.33 and 2.16 show moderate tectonic activity.
Keywords
Active Tectonics
Alluvial Fan
Geomorphic Indices
Behbahan-Qaland
Bahrami, S., & Bahrami, K. (2013). Evaluation of geomorphological techniques to identify old and new alluvial fans in order to determine flood-prone areas in the framework of alluvial fans in folded Zagros. Journal of Geography and Development,. 22, 45-60
 
Bull, W. B. (1977). The alluvial-fan environment. Progress in Physical Geography, 1(2), 222-270. https://doi.org/10.1177/030913337700100202
 
El Hamdouni, R., Irigaray, C., Fernández, T., Chacón, J., & Keller, E. (2008). Assessment of relative active tectonics, southwest border of the Sierra Nevada (southern Spain). Geomorphology, 96(1-2), 150-173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2007.08.004
 
García-Tortosa, F. J., Alfaro, P., Galindo-Zaldívar, J., Gibert, L., López-Garrido, A., de Galdeano, C. S., & Ureña, M. (2008). Geomorphologic evidence of the active Baza fault (Betic Cordillera, south Spain). Geomorphology, 97(3-4), 374-391. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2007.08.007
 
Karami, F. (2018). Relative evaluation of tectonic activities using morphometric analysis (case study: Ojan Chai basin). Geography and Environmental Planning Journal, 35, 135-154.
 
Keller, E., & Pinter, N. (2002). Active tectonics: Earthquakes, uplift, and landscape. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
 
Madadi, A., Mokhtari, D., Shirzadi, H., & Mehrourz, A. (2015). Neotectonic investigation on alluvial fan with an emphasis on the seismicity of faults (the studied area, the northern slopes of Sahand). Geography and Environmental Hazards, 18, 23,40
 
Maghsoudi, M. (2013). Investigation of the effective factors in the evolution of alluvial fans, a case study, Jajroud alluvial fan. Journal of Geographic Research, 65, 73-92.
 
Nosrati, K., Ehtashemi-Moinabadi, M., Shamakheth, A., & Nazari-Samani, A. A. (2017). Tectonic influence in the formation of alluvial deposits and their pedogeomorphic analysis (Case study: Hashtgerd-Kordan, Alborz Province). Earth Science Research, 33, 66-82.
 
Salehpour-Jam, A., Mosfaei, J., & Tabatabai, M. (2017). Investigating the effect of soil science criteria on the desertification potential of alluvial fans, a case study: the southern part of the Shur River watershed. Journal of Spatial Analysis of Environmental Hazards, 6 (3), 89 -106.
 
Silva, P. G., Goy, J., Zazo, C., & Bardajı, T. (2003). Fault-generated mountain fronts in southeast Spain: geomorphologic assessment of tectonic and seismic activity. Geomorphology, 50(1-3), 203-225. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-555X(02)00215-5
 
Sorriso-Valvo, M., Antronico, L., & Le Pera, E. (1998). Controls on modern fan morphology in Calabria, Southern Italy. Geomorphology, 24(2-3), 169-187. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-555X(97)00079-2
International Journal of Environmental Science and Research
Volume 1, Issue 2
Winter 2023
Pages 1-10