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Year 2026
 
Vol 67, Issue 4, [08 - 2026] - Full papers

Active faulting in north-central Vietnam illuminated by fluvial geomorphic analysis: A case study of the Quang Nam basin

DOI:10.46326/JMES.2026.67(4).08

  • Affiliations:

    Hanoi University of Mining and Geology, Hanoi, Vietnam

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  • Received: 6th-May-2026
  • Revised: 12th-July-2026
  • Accepted: 21st-July-2026
  • Online: 1st-Aug-2026
Pages: 79 - 94
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Abstract:

North-central Vietnam, including the densely populated Quang Nam basin and the Da Nang - Hoi An urban corridor, has recently experienced earthquakes and associated geohazards such as landslides and coastal erosion, yet neotectonic deformation in the region remains poorly understood. This study integrates field structural observations with newly extracted fluvial geomorphic indices to characterise deformation patterns and potential active faulting in the Quang Nam basin. A 12.5 m ALOS Digital Elevation Model was processed to derive channel and basin metrics, including drainage basin asymmetry, the valley floor width-to-height ratio, the normalised channel steepness index, and knickpoints extracted from modelled longitudinal profiles of 40 rivers. Several knickpoints coincide with lithological boundaries of contrasting erodibility and with artificial dams, whereas many others align along the strike of major faults and are interpreted as having a tectonic origin. Channels intersecting the NE-SW to E-W fault system display anomalously high steepness values; field slickenside indicators on recent fault scarps reveal these structures to be active normal faults. The drainage basin asymmetry of the Quang Nam basin (AF = 60.1) indicates northward tilting of the basin floor, while lower valley floor width-to-height ratios on the northern flank (0.11÷0.61) relative to the southern flank (0.40÷3.72) suggest a higher subsidence rate to the north. Four reactivated structures - the Nam O-Nam Dong, Prao, Kon River and Tam Ky-Phuoc Son faults - are inferred to be active. The results provide geomorphic and field evidence for a distribution of active faults that may pose a seismic and subsidence hazard to the Quang Nam region, with important implications for hazard assessment under rising sea levels. This is the first basin-scale assessment to integrate fluvial geomorphic indices (ksn, AF and Vf) with field kinematic observations across the entire Quang Nam basin: channels crossing the active NE-SW to E-W faults show ksn rising from about 150 to nearly 300 within uniform lithology, providing the principal quantitative evidence for active faulting.

How to Cite
Vu, D.Anh, Tran, H.Thanh, Phan, B.Van, Bui, H.Vinh, Ngo, C.Kim Thi and Nguyen, H.Quoc 2026. Active faulting in north-central Vietnam illuminated by fluvial geomorphic analysis: A case study of the Quang Nam basin. Journal of Mining and Earth Sciences. 67, 4 (Aug, 2026), 79-94. DOI:https://doi.org/10.46326/JMES.2026.67(4).08.
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