Remote Sensing and GIS Study of Tectonics and Net Erosion Rates in the Zagros Structural Belt, Southwestern Iran

Abstract

The authors present the results of a study of the geomorphology of the tectonically active Zagros Structural Belt (ZSB) of southwestern Iran. More specifically the tectonic structure of the ZSB is examined using a digital elevation model (DEM) constructed from Landsat-5 Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM) bands 7-4-1 and ground truth. The emphasis was on detecting net erosion rates and constructing a graded profile of the Dez River that indicates that the area has been tectonically disturbed. Three topographic profiles were plotted on the DEM that are approximately perpendicular to the NW-SE direction of the Zagros main trend. Based on the initial landform shape, topography, and initial folding, net erosion rates of the study were calculated.