GIS-Based analysis of relative tectonic activity along the kazerun fault zone, zagros mountains, iran: insights from data mining of Geomorphic Data

Abstract

This paper tests a data mining method for evaluation of the “IRTA” (Index of Relative Tectonic Activity) to investigate the impact of active tectonics on geomorphic processes and landscape development. Based upon K-means clustering of six basin-related geomorphic indices (the hypsometric integral, basin asymmetric factor, drainage density, basin shape ratio, mean axial slope of the channel and topographic roughness) that represent the relative strength of active tectonic deformation on topography and morphology, the relative tectonic activity along the Kazerun Fault Zone in the Zagros Mountains of Iran may be classified into low, moderate and high relative tectonic activity zones. The results allow the identification of the clusters of similarly deformed areas related to relative tectonic activity. The utilization of geomorphic parameters as well as IRTA with comparison to the field observations exhibit change in relative tectonic activities mostly corresponding to the change in mechanism of the prominent fault zones in the study area.