10.6084/m9.figshare.3454766.v1
Shahram Baikpour
Shahram
Baikpour
Gernold Zulauf
Gernold
Zulauf
Maryam Dehghani
Maryam
Dehghani
Abbas Bahroudi
Abbas
Bahroudi
InSAR maps and time series observations of surface displacements of rock salt extruded near Garmsar, northern Iran
Geological Society of London
2016
surface deformation
Aperture Radar images
Eocene rock salt
Eyvanekey plateau west
time series observations
Great Kavir basin
European Space Agency
NE
salt sheet
surface displacements
ENVISAT
surface displacement rate
Geology
2016-06-21 12:20:07
Journal contribution
https://geolsoc.figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/InSAR_maps_and_time_series_observations_of_surface_displacements_of_rock_salt_extruded_near_Garmsar_northern_Iran/3454766
<p>A large allochthonous sheet of Eocene rock salt is forming the Eyvanekey plateau west of Garmsar along the northern periphery
of the Great Kavir basin. This salt extruded over the central plains of Iran, where the southward advancing front of the Alborz
Mountains is offset by the NE–SW-trending Zirab–Garmsar strike-slip fault. Based on nine descending Advanced Synthetic Aperture
Radar images, produced by the European Space Agency's ENVISAT satellite from 2003 to 2006, we used interferograms to map the
displacement over 22 increments ranging in time from 2 to 18 months. To study the surface deformation at high temporal and
spatial resolution, a small subset of interferograms was used to map the mean velocity of surface deformation. The results
suggest that the top of the salt is subsiding continuously at rates that depend on the season. The surface displacement rate
throughout the region ranges from subsidence of −40 to −50 mm a<sup>−1</sup> to uplift of 20 mm a<sup>−1</sup>. The agricultural lowlands, where groundwater extraction for irrigation exceeds recharge, are subsiding faster than the salt
sheet. Correlation of surface displacements with active folds and seismic faults around the salt sheet also suggests that
the study area is undergoing active deformation.
</p>