Seismic Behavior of Active Faults Through Multisource Optical Imagery: From Satellite to Drone Resolution (case study: The North Zanjan fault)

Detecting and characterizing active faults is crucial for seismic hazard assessment, especially in regions with long earthquake recurrence intervals, such as Iran. Traditional methods, including seismology and geodesy, often fail to identify active faults and assess their seismic potential. This stu...

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Main Authors: F. Abedi, Z. Masoumi, E. Shabanian, S. Salvi, S. Pucci
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2025-07-01
Series:The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences
Online Access:https://isprs-archives.copernicus.org/articles/XLVIII-G-2025/9/2025/isprs-archives-XLVIII-G-2025-9-2025.pdf
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author F. Abedi
Z. Masoumi
Z. Masoumi
E. Shabanian
S. Salvi
S. Pucci
author_facet F. Abedi
Z. Masoumi
Z. Masoumi
E. Shabanian
S. Salvi
S. Pucci
author_sort F. Abedi
collection DOAJ
description Detecting and characterizing active faults is crucial for seismic hazard assessment, especially in regions with long earthquake recurrence intervals, such as Iran. Traditional methods, including seismology and geodesy, often fail to identify active faults and assess their seismic potential. This study overcomes these limitations by integrating multi-source datasets with different temporal and spatial resolutions to investigate the North Zanjan Fault (NZF) in the western Alborz Mountains. The NZF is a reverse-dextral fault capable of generating Mw 6.5–7.0 earthquakes. The research employs high-spatial-resolution (HSR) Pleiades Tri-stereo imagery, archival aerial photographs, and RGB overlapping drone-derived imagery to analyze Quaternary geomorphic markers. Photogrammetric techniques are utilized to detect fault traces, map deformed landforms, and reconstruct displacements at multiple scales. By integrating satellite- and archive aerial-derived digital elevation models (DEMs), a detailed 1:5000 scale morpho-structural map is developed, identifying three fault segments connected by thrust fault arrays. Horizontal displacements range from 1.5 to 670 m, while vertical offsets span 1.5 to 77 m. Drone surveys at five locations provide high-resolution data (1:500 scale), revealing an average single-event oblique displacement of 1.10 m. The Sohrein site analysis indicates four Quaternary seismic events, each with an average vertical displacement of 1.30 m. These findings highlight the seismogenic potential of the NZF and demonstrate a scalable methodology for identifying previously unrecognized fault strands, ultimately contributing to improved seismic hazard assessments in the Iranian plateau and similar tectonic environments.
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spelling doaj-art-90bf258508604f558448b3cbfbfcebc32025-08-20T03:09:13ZengCopernicus PublicationsThe International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences1682-17502194-90342025-07-01XLVIII-G-202591610.5194/isprs-archives-XLVIII-G-2025-9-2025Seismic Behavior of Active Faults Through Multisource Optical Imagery: From Satellite to Drone Resolution (case study: The North Zanjan fault)F. Abedi0Z. Masoumi1Z. Masoumi2E. Shabanian3S. Salvi4S. Pucci5Department of Earth Sciences, Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS), Zanjan, IranDepartment of Earth Sciences, Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS), Zanjan, IranCenter for Research in Climate Change and Global Warming (CRCC), Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS), Zanjan, IranDepartment of Earth Sciences, Institute for Advanced Studies in Basic Sciences (IASBS), Zanjan, IranIstituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Roma, ItalyIstituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia, Roma, ItalyDetecting and characterizing active faults is crucial for seismic hazard assessment, especially in regions with long earthquake recurrence intervals, such as Iran. Traditional methods, including seismology and geodesy, often fail to identify active faults and assess their seismic potential. This study overcomes these limitations by integrating multi-source datasets with different temporal and spatial resolutions to investigate the North Zanjan Fault (NZF) in the western Alborz Mountains. The NZF is a reverse-dextral fault capable of generating Mw 6.5–7.0 earthquakes. The research employs high-spatial-resolution (HSR) Pleiades Tri-stereo imagery, archival aerial photographs, and RGB overlapping drone-derived imagery to analyze Quaternary geomorphic markers. Photogrammetric techniques are utilized to detect fault traces, map deformed landforms, and reconstruct displacements at multiple scales. By integrating satellite- and archive aerial-derived digital elevation models (DEMs), a detailed 1:5000 scale morpho-structural map is developed, identifying three fault segments connected by thrust fault arrays. Horizontal displacements range from 1.5 to 670 m, while vertical offsets span 1.5 to 77 m. Drone surveys at five locations provide high-resolution data (1:500 scale), revealing an average single-event oblique displacement of 1.10 m. The Sohrein site analysis indicates four Quaternary seismic events, each with an average vertical displacement of 1.30 m. These findings highlight the seismogenic potential of the NZF and demonstrate a scalable methodology for identifying previously unrecognized fault strands, ultimately contributing to improved seismic hazard assessments in the Iranian plateau and similar tectonic environments.https://isprs-archives.copernicus.org/articles/XLVIII-G-2025/9/2025/isprs-archives-XLVIII-G-2025-9-2025.pdf
spellingShingle F. Abedi
Z. Masoumi
Z. Masoumi
E. Shabanian
S. Salvi
S. Pucci
Seismic Behavior of Active Faults Through Multisource Optical Imagery: From Satellite to Drone Resolution (case study: The North Zanjan fault)
The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences
title Seismic Behavior of Active Faults Through Multisource Optical Imagery: From Satellite to Drone Resolution (case study: The North Zanjan fault)
title_full Seismic Behavior of Active Faults Through Multisource Optical Imagery: From Satellite to Drone Resolution (case study: The North Zanjan fault)
title_fullStr Seismic Behavior of Active Faults Through Multisource Optical Imagery: From Satellite to Drone Resolution (case study: The North Zanjan fault)
title_full_unstemmed Seismic Behavior of Active Faults Through Multisource Optical Imagery: From Satellite to Drone Resolution (case study: The North Zanjan fault)
title_short Seismic Behavior of Active Faults Through Multisource Optical Imagery: From Satellite to Drone Resolution (case study: The North Zanjan fault)
title_sort seismic behavior of active faults through multisource optical imagery from satellite to drone resolution case study the north zanjan fault
url https://isprs-archives.copernicus.org/articles/XLVIII-G-2025/9/2025/isprs-archives-XLVIII-G-2025-9-2025.pdf
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