New strike‐slip faults and litho‐units mapped in Chitral (N. Pakistan) using field and ASTER data yield regionally significant results

Abstract

Several image-processing techniques were used to map the Chitral area, northern Pakistan. In this area, the world's three greatest mountain ranges, the Himalayas, the Karakoram, and the Hindukush blocks, merge together. The area is extremely rugged; local relief is more than 2500 m. Many peaks are higher than 5000 m and Tirch Mir, 12 km north of the mapped area, is 7702 m. ASTER imagery and a digital elevation model developed from the ASTER data are used for decorrelation stretches, principal components analyses, and spectral angle mapper (SAM) classifications. These image-processing techniques were used to characterize the lithology and structure of the area. This study produced the most current geologic map for fully understanding the interaction between the Kohistan, western Karakoram, and eastern Hindukush blocks along the Shyok Suture and the Tirch Mir Fault. We utilized previously published geologic maps and fieldwork of the area to validate the image classifications. We have discovered two new strike-slip faults, and recent earthquake activity along the faults indicates that the faults are active. Recognition of these faults has potential tectonic significance, as they may be associated with the Chaman Fault -a major transcurrent fault linking the Indian plate with Pamir. Furthermore, we have discovered an anomalous mineralized zone and further work may uncover new mineral deposits.

InSAR observation of the strike-slip faults in the northwest Himalayan frontal thrust system

“…In the northwest Himalayas, thrusting and folding dominate the deformation. Strikeslip motion (McDougall and Khan, 1990;Khan and Glenn, 2006) makes the structures in this area complicated. Along the northwest Himalayan frontal thrust system, the Salt Range, the Surghar Range, and the Trans-Indus Range were uplifted abruptly over the Punjab foreland basin by progressive deformation associated with the continent-continent collision (Fig.…”

Tertiary and quaternary marine terraces and planation surfaces of northern Oman: Interaction of flexural bulge migration associated with the Arabian-Eurasian collision and eustatic sea level changes

“…9 for discussion in the following section. The discrimination of rock types was further confirmed by mapping minerals of the region using a supervised classification method called spectral angle mapper (SAM) Nasir, 2015, 2014;Hecker et al, 2008;Khan et al, 2007;Khan and Glenn, 2006;. This method encompasses hyperspectral tools such as minimum noise fraction (MNF) transformation, pixel purity index (PPI) and n-dimensional visualization, and classifies minerals based on collection of end-member spectral information Nasir, 2015, 2014;Gabr et al, 2010;Kruse et al, 2003).…”

Lateral structural variation along the Kalabagh Fault Zone, NW Himalayan foreland fold-and-thrust belt, Pakistan

“…Rowan and Mars, 2003;Gomez et al, 2005;Ninomiya et al, 2005;Khan and Glenn, 2006;Khan and Mahmood, 2008;Massironi et al, 2008). Whereas, Aftabi et al (2010) used remote sensing on salt domes in contractional belt, Velaj et al (1999) discussed field relations of evaporites in fold and thrust belts.…”

“…The ASTER data used for this study contain 14 bands that include three visible and near-infrared (VNIR, 15 m/pixel), six shortwave infrared (SWIR, 30 m/pixel) and five thermal infrared (TIR, 90 m/ pixel). Details about ASTER data used in this work are documented in Yamaguchi et al (1998) Abrams (2000) and Khan and Glenn (2006). VNIR and SWIR bands were resampled to the same size pixels (15 m/pixel) for further processing, because of their different spatial resolutions.…”