ASSESSMENT OF THE ROLE OF ACTIVE TECTONICS ON AQUIFER CREATION AND EMERGENCE BY USING REMOTE SENSING AND FIELD DATA: A CASE STUDY IN TABAS REGION, ISFAHAK DISTRICT, EASTERN IRAN

Isfahak is located south of the city of Tabas, eastern Iran, and is a region of rapid active tectonics, with abundant strike-slip and thrust-related earthquakes. Isfahak is an arid desert region with an average annual rainfall of 110 mm. We analyzed the active tectonics of the region through assessment of geomorphic features and location of earthquake epicenters using the ArcGIS 9 Software package .We also used the interactions between fault characteristics and surface geomorphology to assess the groundwater potential zones in the arid desert climate, to promote development of ground water management in a seismic area. Hence, satellite imagery and digital elevation models (DEM), with field observation data were used to identify indications of active faulting and to delineate active faults and neotectonic features. A groundwater prospects map has been generated by integration of the geomorphology, lineaments, active faults, slope, landuse / land- cover and drainage maps using GIS techniques, then the results have been checked by field work. There are three components of the study; (a) demarcation of groundwater potential zones (b) identification of recharge sites and, (c) suitability analysis for future artificial recharge sites. The results show that, the location of ground water potential zones and aquifers artificial aquifer recharge areas have a closed relationship with seismic, fractured zones and the earthquake epicenters, in the study area.