Indicating the Role of Geological Conditions in Shaping the Hareer Anticline, Iraqi Kurdistan Region

Abstract

The Hareer anticline is within the High Folded Zone, facing southwards towards the Low Folded Zone. Both zones are part of the Outer Platform of the Arabian Plate. Moreover, both zones are part of the Zagros Fold-Thrust Belt located within the Zagros Foreland Basin. Although the Hareer anticline is a double plunging anticline oriented in a NW-SE trend, both plunges are abnormal. The northwestern plunge is gradually passing to the southwestern limb of the Pirat anticline; although there is a very shallow syncline in between them, giving a right-hand en-echelon form to the plunge. Whereas, the southeastern plunge disappears between the Kamosk anticline located southeast wards and the Shakrook anticline is located southwards. Both the Hareer and the Kamosk anticlines are thrusted over the Shakrook anticline by means of two long thrust faults that run almost parallel to the Hareer anticline. It is clearly observed that the anticline is growing northwest wards; according to the recognized geomorphological and structural features. High-Quality satellite images were interpreted to elucidate the abnormal form of the Hareer anticline. The interpreted data and different types of geomorphological features including the estimation of the rate of stream incision were checked in the field.