The Chaman Fault is a major, active geological fault in Pakistan and Afghanistan that runs for over 850 km.[1] Tectonically, it is actually a system of related geologic faults that separates the Eurasian Plate from the Indo-Australian Plate. It is a terrestrial, primarily transform, left-lateral strike-slip fault. The slippage rate along the Chaman fault system as the Indo-Australian Plate moves northward (relative to the Eurasian Plate) has been estimated at 10 mm/yr or more.[1] In addition to its primary transform aspect, the Chaman fault system has a compressional component as the Indian Plate is colliding with the Eurasian Plate. This type of plate boundary is sometimes called a transpressional boundary.[2]
From the south, the Chaman fault starts at the triple junction where the Arabian Plate, the Eurasian Plate and the Indo-Australian Plate meet, which is just off the Makran Coast of Pakistan. The fault tracks northeast across Balochistan and then north-northeast into Afghanistan, runs just to the west of Kabul, and then northeastward across the right-lateral-slip Herat fault, up to where it merges with the Pamir fault system north of the 38° parallel.[3] The Ghazaband and Ornach-Nal faults are often included as part of the Chaman fault system. South of the triple junction, where the fault zone lies undersea and extends southwest to approximately 10°N 57°E, it is known as the Owen Fracture Zone.
While there is general agreement that the fault is slipping at a rate of at least 10 mm/yr, there is a report of volcanic rocks in Pakistan dated to 2 m.y. BP which have been offset such as to indicate a slip rate of 25–35 mm/yr.[4] Offsets have been described throughout the fault in Pakistan that are young enough that "only the alluvium of the bottom of active dry washes is not displaced".[5]
The parallel mountain ranges of eastern Balochistan, (east to west) the Kirthar Mountains, the Khude Mountains, the Zarro Mountains, the Pab Mountains and the Mor Mountains, are a result of the compressional plate boundary and are aligned parallel to the Chaman fault movement. The fault itself is west of these ranges.
^ ab"USGS Unveils How Earthquakes Pose Risks to Afghanistan" News Release, 30 May 2007, United States Geological Survey
^"Earthquakes Pose a Serious Hazard in Afghanistan" Fact Sheet 2007–3027, April 2007, United States Geological Survey
^Fig.2 Chaman fault System associated with Indian Plate Boundary (April 2008) "Chaman Fault System (CFS) – a Prominent Seismo-tectonic Feature In Pakistan" Archived 13 July 2017 at the Wayback Machine Cowasjee Earthquake Study Centre Ned Newsletter 8(1): pp. 2–3, p.2
^not viewed, cited by Lawrence , R. D.; Khan, S. Hasan and Nakata, T. (1992) "Chaman fault, Pakistan-Afghanistan" In Bucknam, R. C. and Hancock, P. L. (eds.) (1992) Major active faults of the world—Results of IGCP project 206Annales Tectonicae 6(supplement): pp. 196–223
^Lawrence, R. D.; Khan, S. Hasan and Nakata, T. (1992) "Chaman fault, Pakistan-Afghanistan" In Bucknam, R. C. and Hancock, P. L. (eds.) (1992) Major active faults of the world—Results of IGCP project 206Annales Tectonicae 6(supplement): pp. 196–223, p. 204
The ChamanFault is a major, active geological fault in Pakistan and Afghanistan that runs for over 850 km. Tectonically, it is actually a system of related...
This is a list of faults in Pakistan. The ChamanFault is a major, active geological fault in Pakistan and Afghanistan that runs for over 850 km. Tectonically...
Sea Transform fault Pakistan's ChamanFault Turkey's North Anatolian Fault North America's Queen Charlotte Fault Myanmar's Sagaing Fault Fracture zone –...
most active seismic region of Pakistan atop the Chaman and Chiltan faults. Movement on the ChamanFault resulted in an earthquake early in the morning...
Western Fold Belt along the border (between the Sulaiman Range and the ChamanFault) is the western boundary of the Indian Plate, where, along the Eastern...
consisting of sediment, alongside which runs the Ornach Nal-Ghazaband-ChamanFault. One of the highest peaks of the Sulaimans, the Takht-i Sulaiman ("Throne...
seismically active countries in the world, being crossed by several major faults. As a result, earthquakes in Pakistan occur often and are destructive. Pakistan...
Herat) Fault, which is far less seismically active than the ChamanFault that runs through the east of the country. To the north of the Harirud Fault, the...
movement on faults accommodating detachment of the subducted crust. Within the shallow crust, the ChamanFault represents a major transform fault associated...
north–south trending zones of right lateral strike-slip, such as the ChamanFault, with an increasing degree of shortening to the north, together accommodating...
north–south trending zones of right lateral strike-slip, such as the ChamanFault, with an increasing degree of shortening to the north, together accommodating...
plate boundary. The main active faults are dominated by sinistral (left-lateral) strike-slip motion, with the ChamanFault being the most important structure...
primarily accommodated on the ChamanFault, with the earthquake potentially occurring on one of the southernmost strands of this fault system. Further, more in-depth...
north–south trending zones of right lateral strike-slip, such as the ChamanFault, with an increasing degree of shortening to the north, together accommodating...
Herat) Fault, which is far less seismically active than the ChamanFault that runs through the east of the country. To the north of the Harirud Fault, the...
the large ChamanFault; a left-lateral strike-slip structure. While a large portion of the boundary is accommodated by strike-slip faulting, the region...
north–south trending zones of right lateral strike-slip, such as the ChamanFault, with an increasing degree of shortening to the north, together accommodating...
Karachi, Muscat, Delhi, and III (Weak) in Kabul, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi. ChamanFault List of earthquakes in 2011 List of earthquakes in Pakistan ISC (2016)...
Fault system to the Zagros fold and thrust belt. To the east, the Makran Trench is bounded by the transpressional strike-slip Ornach-Nal and Chaman Faults...
Herat) Fault, which is far less seismically active than the ChamanFault that runs through the east of the country. To the north of the Harirud Fault, the...
the large ChamanFault; a left-lateral strike-slip structure. While a large portion of the boundary is accommodated by strike-slip faulting, the region...
the large ChamanFault; a left-lateral strike-slip structure. While a large portion of the boundary is accommodated by strike-slip faulting, the region...
movement on faults accommodating detachment of the subducted crust. Within the shallow crust, the ChamanFault represents a major transform fault associated...
Sanjeev Kumar as Kishore Sadhana as Shobha Pran as Prakash Johnny Walker as Chaman Helen as Meena Raj Mehra as Dindayal Anwar Hussain as Madan Sulochana Latkar...
Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Chaman Lal". Birmingham City Council. Retrieved 14 January 2024. "Hoshiarpur-born Chaman Lal becomes Birmingham's first...
named after the former forest. Birmingham is dominated by the Birmingham Fault, which runs diagonally through the city from the Lickey Hills in the south...
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