Tectonic geomorphology of the south-eastern section of the Burdur-Fethiye Shear Zone, Western Taurides: morphotectonic framework of the Esen Basin

The Esen Basin is a transtensional basin located in the south-eastern section of the Burdur-Fethiye Shear Zone and includes a part of the Western Taurides to the east. This tectonically complex area is bounded by the back-arc region of the Hellenic Arc, the offshore Anaximander Mountains, the offshore Rhodes and Finike basins, the extensional Western Anatolian region, and the compressional regions of the Western Taurides. In this study, in order to characterise the recent tectonic activity of the Esen Basin, 101 drainage basins and 41 mountain fronts were analysed in terms of the longitudinal river profiles and the application of geomorphic indices: drainage basin asymmetry factor (AF), transverse topography symmetry factor (T), basin shape index (Bs), hypsometric curves and hypsometric integral (HI), valley-floor width to valley height ratio (Vf), mountain front sinuosity index (Smf), stream length gradient index (SL), and channel steepness index (ksn). To improve the accuracy of the results of the indices, an index map of the relative tectonic activity (Iat) was created using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), a multicriteria decision-making technique. In addition, the knickpoints, which indicate abrupt changes in the slope of river profiles, were identified to provide tectonic processes affecting the landscape. The comprehensive approach of this study unravels landscape dynamics of the Esen Basin and the analyses suggest a high level of tectonic activity, especially in the northern and eastern sides of the basin, which is related to the surrounding tectonic features.