Morphotectonic control of the Białka drainage basin (Central Carpathians): Insights from DEM and morphometric analysis

Abstract

The Bialka river valley is directly related to a deep NNW-SSE oriented fault zone. According to the results of previous morphometric analyses, the Bialka drainage basin is one of the most tectonically active zones in the Central Carpathians. It is also located within an area of high seismic activity. In this study Digital Elevation Model (DEM) based, morphometric analyses were used to investigate the morphotectonic conditions of the watershed. The results reveal the relationships between the main tectonic feature and the landforms within the research area. The lineaments, as obtained from the classified aspect map, seem to coincide with the orientation of the main structures as well as the trends revealed by the theoretical Riedel-Skempton shear model. Base-level and isolong maps support the conclusion that the Bialka and Bialy Dunajec fault zones exert a strong influence on the morphology of the adjacent area.