Evaluation of neotectonic activity using watershed geomorphic analysis: A case study in the west of Dokan Lake, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

The Iraqi Kurdistan Region's landscapes are the product of a complex merging of the effects of the collision between the Arabian and Eurasian plates and various geomorphic processes. A study of the Khrmallan drainage basin in the west of Dokan Lake, based on a morphotectonic study is a significant contribution to our understanding of the Neotectonic activity in the High Folded Zone. This study investigated an integrated method of detail morphotectonic mapping and geomorphic indices' analysis for determining the signal of Neotectonic activity, using the digital elevation model (DEM) and satellite images. The detailed morphotectonic map, along with extensive field data, revealed considerable variation in the relief and morphology of the study area, and eight morphotectonic zones were recognized. The presence of a high anomalous value in stream length gradient (SL) ranges from 19 to 769, increasing the channel sinuosity index (SI) reaching 1.5, and the tendency of basin shifting through the transverse topographic index (T) ranging from 0.02 to 0.5, conclude that the study area is tectonically active. The strong relationship between the growth of the Khalakan anticline and the activation of faulting is concurrent with the collision of the Arabian and Eurasian plates. A hypothesis of an antecedent can be applied to the Khrmallan valley.