Analysis of the relationship between dominant lithological features in the sub-basins of Zagros tectonic unit and their fractal dimension

Abstract

Fractal geometry is a suitable instrument for studying and understanding the complex behavior of a river. The most important feature of the fractal is its dimension. The purpose of this essay is to evaluate the fractal dimension on a large scale in the morphotectonic unit of Zagros and its analysis using fractal geometry theory and Horton-Strahler ranking.For this purpose the waterways were ranked by Horton and Strahler method. It seems that the fractal dimension less than 1 and more than 2 is due to the tectonics and lithology of the sub-basin, which has caused the sub-basins not to reach balance in terms of fractal dimension at the surface or line.Of course, this does not mean that the fractal dimension follows the basin lithology in an abstract way, but it indicates that the spatial distribution of lithology in a basin along with morphotectonic evidence such as faults can get the fractal dimension of the basin out of balance. An exact connection cannot be estimated between the fractal dimension and the physiographic characteristics of the sub-basins of the Zagros morphotectonic unit.

Keywords

• fractal dimension
• morphotectonic unit
• zagros
• horton-strahler
• bifurcation ratio