The Darbendi Bazian Abandoned Alluvial Fan. An Indication for the Lateral Growth of Qara Dagh Anticline, SW Sulaimani, Kurdistan Region, NE Iraq.

Abstract

Qara Dagh anticline is one of the main anticlines in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region with NW – SE trend. It is a double plunging anticline almost symmetrical and consists of six minor anticlines some of them exhibit en-echelon plunges. The anticline shows many indications of lateral growth which indicate Neotectonic activities. Among those indications is the Darbendi Bazian abandoned alluvial fan. In this study, the details of the fan are presented and discussed as interpreted from satellite images. The interpreted data is checked in the field and it is found that the alluvial fan is a large fan showing typical symmetrical fan. It is a single stage fan covered by fine materials. The thickness of the fan ranges from (2.5 – 6) m, whereas its length and width are 4.18 km and 1.35 km, respectively. The fan was originated from Tinal stream which was draining the area behind the apex towards south and south west and nowadays flows in an opposite direction. The alluvial fan’s geometry, constituents, genesis and mode of deposition are given and discussed.