Geomorphology and Geometry of the Khanuga Anticline, Northern Iraq

The Khanuga anticline is significant for understanding geological processes in northern Iraq's Low Folded Zone, about 90 km east of Salah Al-Din Governorate. The Khanuga anticline is characterized by its double-plunging form, with its axis aligned with the Zagros trend. This study aims to conduct a geomorphological and geometric analysis of the Khanuga anticline using field data and a stereonet diagram for each traverse. In addition to preparing a geological map and stratigraphic section for the study area. Three selected traverses perpendicular to the fold axis, and nineteen stations are selected based on the availability of outcrops because most of the rocks are covered by recent deposits. Field and office measurements proved that the southwestern limb dips more than the northeastern limb; this fact may be attributed to the effect of the Khanuga anticline by the foreland listric fault, which plays an active role in the determination of the fold location and its form. The study presented that the Khanuga anticline exhibits parallel style and is formed by a combined neutral surface and flexural-slip mechanism. The region is categorized by numerous geomorphological features of structural, denudation, and fluvial origin, which have been observed in the field. This study came to conclude that the Khanuga anticline formed as a result of regional horizontal stress in the northeast-southwest direction in the Late Miocene-Pliocene and is related to the second stage of the Alpine Orogeny. The fold geometry was described as asymmetrical, gentle, linear, horizontal, and upright, based on the structure parameters: limbs, fold axis, axial plane, hinge line, and interlimb angle.