Unveiling Pakistan’s Hidden Fault Activity through InSAR Monitoring

Using Sentinel-1 InSAR data, this study models present-day tectonic deformation across Pakistan’s Sulaiman Range, a major transpressional zone along the Indian–Eurasian plate boundary. Numerical simulations incorporating key faults—the Gwal–Bagh thrust, Harnaï fault, Kingri fault, and a basal décollement—reveal complex strain partitioning between thrusting and strike-slip motion.

Figure 4. Velocities in the LOS direction obtained for the descending D078 track. QB : Quater nar y basin. Light grey inset indicates the area used to simulate slip along the Gwal–Bagh thrust, medium grey inset indicates the area used to simulate slip along the Harna ¨ıfault, whereas black inset indicates the area used to simulate slip along the Kingri fault. These velocities have been obtained for the 2015–2020 time span, before the 2021 Harna ¨ıearthquake.


In the eastern Sulaiman Range, left-lateral creep up to 12 mm/yr occurs along the Kingri fault, coupled with eastward slip on the underlying décollement. In the western sector, right-lateral creep reaching 8 mm/yr is modeled along the Harnaï fault, associated with southward thrusting. The Gwal–Bagh thrust shows out-of-sequence deformation, likely controlled by serpentinized ophiolitic rocks that promote fault creep.

Modeling of the 2021 Harnai earthquake indicates rupture on a ramp-shaped fault with a dominant strike-slip component—interpreted as the reactivation of an older thrust. Overall, the results confirm that deformation within the Sulaiman Range is partitioned between strike-slip and compressional regimes, with current shortening rates slightly lower than long-term geological estimates (15–30 mm/yr).

This integrated InSAR analysis refines understanding of active faulting and slip behavior in one of South Asia’s most complex convergent margins and highlights the importance of combining InSAR and GNSS monitoring for future seismic hazard assessment.



L’étude complète est publiée dans HAL science ouverte


References :

Barnhart, W.D. (2017). Fault creep rates of the Chaman fault (Afghanistan and Pakistan) inferred from InSAR J. Geophys. Res. : Solid Earth, 122(1), 372–386.

Bernard, M., Shen-Tu, B., Hold, W.E., & Davis, D.M. (2000). Kinematics of active deformation in the Sulaiman lobe and range, Pakistan J. Geophys. Res. : Solid Earth, 105(B6), 13253–13279.

Crupa, W.E., Khan, S.D., Huang, J., Khan, A.S., & Kasi, A. (2017). Active tectonic deformation of the western Indian plate boundary : a case study from the Chaman fault system J. Asian Earth Sci., 147, 452–468.

Dalal, P., Senapati, B., & Kundu, B. (2024). Co-seismic surface displacement of the June 21, 2022 MW 6 Khōst, Afghanistan earthquake from InSAR observations Geod. Geodyn., 15(3), 201–208.

Jónsson, S., Zebker, H., Segall, P., & Amelung, F. (2002). Fault slip distribution of the 1999 Mw7.1 Hector Mine, California earthquake, estimated from satellite radar and GPS measurements Bull. Seism. Soc. Am., 92(4), 1377–1389.

Scientific contacts :

  • François Jouanne – Researcher, ISTerre – CNRS / Université Grenoble Alpes / Université Savoie Mont Blanc / IRD / Université Gustave Eiffel
  • Lea Pousse-Beltran – Researcher, ISTerre – CNRS / Université Grenoble Alpes / Université Savoie Mont Blanc / IRD / Université Gustave Eiffel
  • Marie-Pierre Doin – Researcher, ISTerre – CNRS / Université Grenoble Alpes / Université Savoie Mont Blanc / IRD / Université Gustave Eiffel
  • Pascale Bascou – Researcher, ISTerre – CNRS / Université Grenoble Alpes / Université Savoie Mont Blanc / IRD / Université Gustave Eiffel
  • Franck Thollard – Researcher, ISTerre – CNRS / Université Grenoble Alpes / Université Savoie Mont Blanc / IRD / Université Gustave Eiffel
  • Awais Ahmed – Geoscience Advance Research Laboratories, Geological Survey of Pakistan, H8/1 Islamabad, Pakistan



Supporting Information

Supplementary data are available at GJIRASonline.