Abstract
ABSTRACT We present the geomorphological map of the northwestern part of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, where the landscape expresses the tectonic activity associated with the Arabia-Eurasia convergence and Neogene climate change. These processes influenced the evolution of landforms and fluvial pathways, where major rivers Tigris, Khabur, and Great Zab incise the landscape of Northeastern Mesopotamia Anticlinal ridges and syncline trough compose the Zagros orogen. The development of water and wind gaps, slope, and karsts processes in the highlands and the tilting of fluvial terraces in the flat areas are the main evidence of the relationship between tectonics, climate variations and geomorphological processes. During the Quaternary, especially after the Last Glacial Maximum, fluctuating arid and wet periods also influenced local landforms and fluvial patterns of the area. Finally, the intensified Holocene human occupation and agricultural activities during the passage to more complex societies over time impacted the evolution of the landscape in this part of Mesopotamia.
Highlights
The interplay between endogenous and exogenous processes produces various landscapes on Earth (Burbank & Anderson, 2011; Burbank & Pinter, 1999)
In tectonically dynamic regions like the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), the evolution of surface processes is often controlled by the interplay between climate changes and tectonic influence, namely uplift, faulting and folding (Hüneburg et al, 2019; Zerboni et al, 2020)
An AW3D30 Digital Surface Model (DSM) with 1° horizontal resolution (∼30 m at the equator) available on the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA, 2020) platform was reprojected to UTM Zone 38 with 30-metre spatial resolution
Summary
The interplay between endogenous and exogenous processes produces various landscapes on Earth (Burbank & Anderson, 2011; Burbank & Pinter, 1999). In arid and semi-arid regions, where climatic factors appear to be dominant, local water availability affects the intensity of surface and sub-surface processes This is related to present-day climatic settings and Quaternary rainfall variations (Goudie, 2013). In tectonically dynamic regions like the KRI, the evolution of surface processes is often controlled by the interplay between climate changes and tectonic influence, namely uplift, faulting and folding (Hüneburg et al, 2019; Zerboni et al, 2020). Understanding the timing and steps of landscape evolution of the KRI is vital for explaining the adaptive strategies of its ancient human dwellers (Pomeroy et al, 2017) The interpretation of such a palimpsest landscape where geologic processes and climatic fluctuations have interacted for a long time requires a detailed geomorphological investigation. Since the Bronze Age, the study region was intensively occupied, with a dense network of permanent settlements that developed into large tells that remained active through the Islamic era, and a landscape that was intensely modified
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