Iranian Journal of Earth Sciences
Volume:12 Issue: 4, Oct 2020

This paper study the recent seismicity in Earthquake hazard zones in India. A large historical earthquake event catalog to cover the period of 1900-2018, the parameters date, time, latitude, longitude, depth and magnitude has been used to calculating frequency-magnitude distribution (b-value) of seismic hazard zones in India. To convert different magnitude scales into a single moment magnitude scale, the general orthogonal regression relation is used. Gamma distribution used for variable corrections also de-clustering method has used for removal of any non-Poisson distribution. The Indian seismic hazard zones are divided into five major seismic sources zones. The seismicity is characterized by Gutenberg-Richter relation.  The parameter ‘b’ of FMD and relationship have been determined for these five seismic zones having different vulnerability environment. The ‘b’ values ranges between 0.43 to 1.16. The difference between the b parameters and seismic hazard level from seismic zones II to V considered for the study of high seismo-tectonic complexity and crustal heterogeneity, the parameter ‘a’ value changes accordingly the seismicity of the regions. The lowest b-values found in seismic zone II. The highest FMD b-value has been found in the seismic zone IV. Such high seismicity b-values may be associated with high heterogeneity. In this high b-value predict the low strength in the crust as well as seismic instabilities of that zone. These observations recommend not suggesting the location of important projects like atomic power stations, hydroelectric power stations, neutrino observatory projects, satellite town projects.

Floral diversity is a measure of number of type flora in an area, and reflects how vegetation develops in response to the environmental condition during a certain time interval. The present study aims to examine changes in the diversity of vegetation (pollen, spores and algae), evenness, and similarity in the Bandung Basin through a core of 240 cm depth using a ground drill, as well as  the radiocarbon dating (940 ± 120 BP) of a clayey peat level, located at the bottom (172.5 - 52.5 cm depth) of study section. Twenty four samples were taken at 5 cm intervals down the surface of the sediment core. Changes were obtained by comparing the quantity of pollen, spores, algae, and the lithology of the deposits. Palynomorph data show that Shannon diversity index ranged from 2.14 to 2.80 for pollen and spores, and 0 to 1.64 for algae; Shannon evenness index ranged from 0.64 to 0.81 for pollen and spores, and 0 to 1.74 for algae; and Jaccard similarity index results ranged from 30% - 68%. Faunal diversity is moderate with a good level of balance, and an overall trend in the increase of diversity in the clayey peat level. These changes are influenced by the presence of the Lembang Fault.

Two stratigraphic sections (Kuh-e-Rahmat and Kuh-e-Sabz) of Upper Cretaceous strata in the Interior Fars region (SW of Iran) were selected. Lower Cretaceous succession of Kuh-e-Rahmat was consisted of Dariyan, Kazhdumi Sarvak and Ilam Formations. The lower contact of the Sarvak Formation with Kazhdumi Formation is described as a transitional type whereas the upper contact of Sarvak Formation was not clear. Stratigraphic distribution of microfossils reveals three biozones in this section: 1: Palorbitolina lenticularis (Aptian), 2: Orbitolina concava and Hemicyclamina sigali (late Albian-early Cenomanian), 3: Stomiosphaera conoidea (Late Cenomanian-Early Turonian). Kuh-e-Sabz lithologic aspect consists of two rock units such as: Sarvak Formation and thin-bedded limestone of lower part of Ilam Formation. The lower contact of the Sarvak Formation was not clear whereas the upper contact with Ilam Fm. was exposed as an erosional disconformity including oxidized zone. Vertical distribution of investigated taxa supports three biozones: 1: Taberina bingistani zone (middle Cenomanian), 2: Praelveolina cretacea zone (late Cenomanian), 3: Dicyclina schlumbergeri zone (Santonian-Campanian). The Sarvak Formation of Kuh-e-Rahmat was deposited in an inner shelf paleoenvironment (as open marine facies) because of well distributed of pelagic fauna, while Kuh-e-Sabz section mostly shows reef facies (back reef-fore) along the platform including agglutinated and porcelaneous foraminifera which reflects an inner shallow platform (0-50m).

The 2012 Ahar-Varzegan earthquake and its aftershocks have not only caused huge damage with a severe loss of life and property but also induced many geo-hazards with the major type of collapse, creep, slip, debris flow, and fallings that are generally considered as landslide in this study which can cause continuous threats to the affected region. in this study, a semi-automated geo-hazard detection method has been presented to determine the Landslides due to 2012 Ahar-Varzaghan earthquake in area from Ahar to Varzaghan by the use of bi- temporal Landsat images from before and after the earthquake. The accuracy of the results was checked out using field observations, Google Earth images and the error matrix. The results of the visual validation with the Google Earth images showed that the used method can detect landslids with relatively high accuracy.The images of landsat5 and 8 Because of their multispectral advantages can be used as a suitable data source for research on Instabilities. Finally, the validating results obtained by using the error matrix showed the total accuracy of 92.1% and kappa coefficient was 0.99. So based on the results obtained from the above method, the landslides were distributed mainly in slopes between 15 and 40 degrees and the height distribution of instabilities of 1420 to 2000 meters. Also based on vegetation indices, density of landslides have been increased after the earthquake. Generally unstabel slopes are located along river valleys and roads in mountain regions with deep valleys and steep slopes. According to the nature of present study, the obtained result can be useful for environmental planners and project developers.

The development of agriculture and industry and the increase of population in countries with arid to semi-arid climates have led to more harvesting of groundwater resources and as a result land subsidence in different parts of the worlds. Decades of groundwater overexploitation in the Kashmar-Bardaskan plain in the north-east of Iran has resulted substantial land subsidence in this plain. The plain is considered as an arid to semi-arid zone and facing a negative water balance. The average annual precipitation in the plain is around 191 mm and the evaporation rate is 3956 mm. According to the unit hydrograph of the plain, the annual decline of water level is 1.12 m. In this study, the velocity of subsidence has been determined using Interferometric SAR technique (In-SAR) and radar images of Envisat ASAR and Sentinel-1 for a time period from 2003 to 2017. The results of an InSAR time series analysis indicated that an area of 1200 km2 with different speeds of 5 to 26 cm/year in the satellite line of sight (LOS) is subsiding. The results showed that in addition to the decline of groundwater level, subsurface conditions such as sediments types (fine-grained layers) and their thickness also affect the occurrence and amount of land subsidence.

Detection of fault segments is an essential step for tracking main transverse faults. General observations from field studies as well as attitude measurements can give an overall understanding of the lengths of the segments, but these are not always sufficient to accurately identify and characterize them. In this study, we analyze P–T dihedra variations based on their eigenvalues to detect fault segments. The anomalies of local paleostress distribution aid us to detect the segment boundaries. This study focuses on the Northwestern, Central, and Southeastern sectors of the North Tabriz Fault (NTF). Fault azimuth distribution and eigenvalue anomalies as well as the fault attitudes for each interval distance have been used to distinct segment boundaries. The results are verified by checking the presence of the transverse faults at the proposed sites during fieldwork. Results show a new structural arrangement integrated by the already documented NTF segments, combined with 6 related transverse faults. In this way, we confirm the earlier reported segments, and we improve the NFT characterization by introducing new segments bounded by transverse faults.