CURRENT DEFORMATION OF THE SULAIMAN RANGE

The relative displacement between the Indian and Eurasian plates is aborbed by a sinister transpression zone comprising the Chaman and Ghazaband faults and the Sulaiman Ranges. Current deformation of the Sulmaiman Ranges is only known from numerous focal mechanisms and a few neotectonic studies. We propose an Insar quantification of current deformation using the Sentinel 1 satellite. Comparison of velocity maps for ascending and descending tracks enables us to locate active faults affected by creep, the Harnaï and Kingri strike-slip faults and the Gwal-Bagh thrust. We propose a numerical simulation considering these faults as well as the level of detachment of this fold and thrust belt. The results show the existence of out-of-sequence deformation along the Gwal-Bagh thrust, creep along the Harnaï and Kingri strike-slip faults and slip along the detachment level of the Sulaiman Ranges.  The eastern part of the Sulaiman Ranges is characterized by a partioning of the deformation with a sinister strike-slip along the N170° Kingri fault and an eastward thrust. The western part, on the other hand, is characterized by north-south compressive deformation associated with dextral unthrusting on the Harnaï N120° fault. Modelling of the coseismic deformation of the October 21, 2021 earthquake shows that this earthquake occurred on an upper flat connected to a ramp previously ruptured during the Mw 7.1 27 February 1997 earthquake.