evidence of active faulting in the azarshahr-tabriz fault zone of northwestern iran

The 1641 dehkhwargan-tabriz earthquake (ms 6.8) is the only destructive earthquake to have occurred in azarshahr-khosrowshahr-osku region of northwestern iran. ambiguities regarding the causative fault of this earthquake were a motivation to someway declare its mechanism. in this study, by conducting a field survey in an area between tabriz and azarshahr, and use of satellite imagery and aerial photographs, we provide geologic and geomorphic indications to identify the poorly known azarshahr-tabriz fault zone (atf), which passes through the meizoseismal region of the 1641 earthquake. our observations highlight the presence of a sinistral active fault zone that extends ~40 km in length from south of tabriz to the northeast and north of azarshahr to the southwest. the atf is a structural assemblage of several fault strands with a variety of extensional and compressional mesoscale structures. we estimated slip rates ranging from ~0.01 mm yr−1 to <1 mm yr−1, based on drainage offset measurements, which demonstrate a relatively stable tectonic environment located immediately south of the well-known seismically active dextral north tabriz fault.

evidence of active faulting in the azarshahr-tabriz fault zone of northwestern iran

the 1641 dehkhwargan-tabriz earthquake (ms 6.8) is the only destructive earthquake to have occurred in azarshahr-khosrowshahr-osku region of northwestern iran. ambiguities regarding the causative fault of this earthquake were a motivation to someway declare its mechanism. in this study, by conducting a field survey in an area between tabriz and azarshahr, and use of satellite imagery and aerial photographs, we provide geologic and geomorphic indications to identify the poorly known azarshahr-tabriz fault zone (atf), which passes through the meizoseismal region of the 1641 earthquake. our observations highlight the presence of a sinistral active fault zone that extends ~40 km in length from south of tabriz to the northeast and north of azarshahr to the southwest. the atf is a structural assemblage of several fault strands with a variety of extensional and compressional mesoscale structures. we estimated slip rates ranging from ~0.01 mm yr−1 to <1 mm yr−1, based on drainage offset measurements, which demonstrate a relatively stable tectonic environment located immediately south of the well-known seismically active dextral north tabriz fault.