DEM AND GIS BASED HYPSOMETRIC ANALYSIS TO INVESTIGATE NEOTECTONIC INFLUENCE ON HAZARA KASHMIR SYNTAXIS

Abstract

North-South oriented neotectonic activity, abrupt slope and stream length gradients in Hazara Kashmir Syntaxis (HKS) make it an ideal natural laboratory and provide an important opportunity to investigate neotectonic and lithological influence on its landscape evolution. In this research, geomorphometric characteristics of HKS in northern Pakistan are evaluated through DEM based hypsometric analysis of different Strahler order subbasins. Twenty eight Strahler order six subbasins and 134 five order subbasins were extracted from SRTM 90 m using D8 algorithm. Hypsometric integrals (HIs) and hypsometric curves (HCs) for each individual subbasin were calculated to evaluate the degree of erosional stages and the factors controlling it. HIs and HCs were computed using zonal statistics by exploiting the maximum, minimum and mean elevations. The convex up curve shows less eroded subbasins and they are located along and the NE of the Muzaffarbad anticline which is an indication that HKS is tectonically active, while the S-shaped curves represent the intermediate erosion stage and they are located north of the HKS. The concave down curves indicate maximum erosional stage and they are located east and west of HKS. Higher values of HIs and shape of the HCs correspond to neotectonic control of the landscape of HKS.