Investigating the Mining Risks in Active Tectonic Regions using the Radar Interferometry Method (Case Study: Azarshahr Dashkasan)

Dashkasan is one of the historical villages of East Azarbaijan province, located in Shiramin village, part of the suburbs of Azarshahr, located south of Tabriz, the west of Sahand volcano. In this paper, to investigate the increase in instability in the Azarshahr Dashkasan mineral region, tectonic studies were conducted. Based on field observations, the normal Dashkasan fault has led to a displacement of 10 cm folding units at a height of 1373 meters above sea level. Therefore, the activation of tectonics is quite evident in terms of field observations. Adaptating the results with the remote sensing map of the studied area, it was determined that the most displacement, and by which stone was fractured, occurred along the normal sub-faults in the northwest-southeast part. Considering that shear joints are also developed in the northwest, mines should also have abundant fractures in the central and southern parts of the Dashkasan region, so extracting and exploring this range is not correct. In addition to the railroad, the tunnel and part of the main road are at risk of the normal active fault zone and slope instability. The density of mineral activities in Dashkasan region is very high and necessary where the slope of the range is very steep, especially in mineral areas and abundant fractures that are adjacent to engineering projects such as tunnels and railway lines. There must be necessary measures for slope stabilization. Therefore, the activity of mining and exploration in the environment should not put people at risk.