Investigation of Geomorphology and Seismicity of North and Southeast of Central Iran

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

• Najimeh Eskandari ¹
• Majid Nemati ²
• Shahram Shafieibafti ³

¹ MSc Student in Tectonics, Department of Geology and Earthquake Research Department, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran

² Department of Geology, Faculty of Science and Earthquake Research Center of Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman

³ Department of Geology. Faculty of Sciences. Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman, Iran

10.22067/geoeh.2022.78334.1271

Abstract

In the following study, the tectonics and seismicity of a part of central Iran have been investigated. The study area includes Lakarkuh, Ravar, Kuhbanan, Nayband, Tabas, Posht Badam, Cheshme Rostam, Bardsir and Rafsanjan faults. In this research, firstly, tectonics and active faults of the studied area have been studied. History of seimicity in this region from Institute of Geophysics, University of Tehran was investigated, as well as monitoring the records of contemporary earthquakes in the country's seismic databases. It shows a clear sign of the activity of the Lakarkuh, Kuhbanan, Ravar, Tabas, and Nayband faults. The presence of layers displaced by faults in the northern part of the studied area in Google Earth pictures, confirms that the area is tectonically active. Small earthquakes mostly occurred around the Tabas, Nayband, Lakarkuh, Bardsir, Davaran, Kuhbanan, and Rafsanjan faults. Larger earthquakes are located in the Shahdad-Golbaf-Lekarkoh-Kohbanan-Nayband multiple fault junction. Due to mechanism of earthquakes, achieved by first P motion method and using waveform of earthquakes in Seisan software, it reveals that some segments of the Kuhbanan fault have reverse and strike slip right lateral movements. Based on the possible future earthquakes, the cities such as Tabas, Kuhbanan, Zarand, and Kerman, as well as many villages, are exposed to financial and human losses due to the sever earthquakes. After collecting all the seismic data, it was found that the surveyed area is at risk of devastating earthquakes with high intensity. Therefore, the investigations of seismology in the east of central Iran and the surface geomorphology in the north of central Iran are very important due to the seismicity of the fault movements and their aseismic movements, respectively.

Keywords

• Seismicity
• Kuhbanan
• Fault
• Tectonics
• Earthquake

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©2025 The author(s). This is an open access article distributed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0)

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