Influence of structural lineaments on drainage morphometry in Qorveh-Dehgolan basin, Kurdistan, Iran

In the current study, a combination of automated lineament extraction from Landsat 8 satellite imagery and 3D interactive visual interpretation (using DEM) alongside image processing techniques (Gram-Schmidt pan-sharpening, convolution directional filter) was carried out to investigate expression and influence of tectonic activity on drainage morphometry within Qorveh-Dehgolan basin. The watersheds, derived from burned DEM using SWAT, were categorized into high and low-altitude watersheds depending on the associated relief. Analysis of spatial relationship of lineament density with drainage density and basin slope revealed that structural lineaments have a decisive control over drainage density distribution particularly at higher basin slopes of certain watersheds. These high-altitude watersheds, associated with more-resistant lithology, were also found to cover higher percentage of total lineaments compared to the lower-altitude watersheds associated with less-resistant lithology. The analysis presented significant insights into the influence of tectonic activity on drainage network in a relatively unexplored area and provided vital baseline information for future investigations.