Document Type : Original Research Paper
Authors
1 P.h.D. Student, Department of Geology, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran
2 Associate Professor, Department of Geology, Islamic Azad University, North Tehran Branch, Tehran, Iran
3 Associate Professor, Research Institute for Earth Sciences, Tehran, Iran
4 Associate Professor, Department of Geology, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
Geomorphic characteristics of alluvial fans on the sides of the ShotoriMountains in east of Tabas represent two different groups . The first group is older and is more dominant with their heads near the ShotoriMountains' hillside and their toe spreading to the central parts of the plain. These alluvial fans on which no main recent channel sedimentation is occurring, are often consisted of old alluvial sediments with a thin cover of newer ones. The second group includes younger and active alluvial fans consisted of more recent sediments of stream bed, which are located at the termination of the first group or at the southern foothills of the ShotoriMountains. It can be said that in the first group, recent active sedimentation process by the main channel has been transferred to the lower parts and toe of the alluvial fan, but in the latter group sedimentation has been done on top of the alluvial fan and on older sediments. In other words, the first group consists of two obvious old and active (recent) parts, while the second group only includes recent and active alluvial fans. Our investigations indictaes that geomorphic pattern of these two alluvial fan groups has a clear relation with location and mechanism of active faults and geomorphic surfaces in the plain of Tabas and eastern slopes of the Shotori Mountains; in other words, it is related to the mechanism of structural evolution of this mountain. According to this pattern, wherever there is the active fault of the catastrophic 1978 earthquake at the front of mountain along which the ShotoriMountains are being uplifted, the second type of alluvial fans is formed. Where the fault is located in central parts of the plain as a result of deformational front propagation, and the old part of the alluvial fan and mountain are being uplifted along it, the first type of alluvial fans (with two separate parts) is formed. This uplift is accommodated by active faulting and folding associated with bedding plane faulting. Migration of deformational front during geologic evolution of the ShotoriMountains has caused four different geomorphic levels along with three generations of alluvial fans. It is concluded that investigating on geomorphic pattern of alluvial fans will provide valuable data about the location of active Quaternary faults in alluvial plains. This pattern shows an active fault near Boshruyeh (east of the ShotoriMountains). Although no major earthquake has been reported from the fault, all morphotectonic evidences show its activity and thus the occurrence of large earthquakes in the future is expected.
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