Investigation of active tectonic evidence and characteristics of the Kushk fault zone and vulnerability of rural settlements, Qazvin province

This paper investigates the activity of Kushk fault through field observations of landslides related to the activity of the Kushk fault and other evidence of its activity, and the location of rural settlements in the study area of the Kushk fault has been analyzed. The study area is located in Qazvin province and the Alborz structural zone along the Kushk fault between the coordinates of longitude 50.25 to 50.50. In the selected sections to study the fault activity, evidence of crushing rocks, numerous springs and many old and new landslides were observed, which describe the fault activity. According to field studies and observations, the fault zone of Kushk in the studied sections was measured at 260 m on both sides of the fault. There are a number of villages in the area of the Kushk fault, among which the whole physical fabric of Aliabad village is located on the fault zone and part of Kushk, Zarabad, Garmarud Bala, Simiardasht and Hassanabad villages are located on the fault rupture zone. To save human lives and prevent death due to surface rupture during an earthquake or landslide as a result of fault activity, it is necessary to move the villages to another point or modify the future development of the villages outside the rupture of the Kushk fault. For this purpose, in preparing or reviewing the guide plans of these villages, the shear zone designated for the Kushk fault can be considered as a criterion for the future development of villages and in determining their future development. New construction should be prohibited in the Kushk fault shear zone and it must be included in the rural guide plan.