Imaging Subsurface Structure of Central Zagros Zone/Iran Using Ambient Noise Tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vahidravesh, Shaghayegh; Pakzad, Mehrdad, ,, Dr.; Hatami, Mohammad Reza, ,, Dr.

2017-04-01

The Central Zagros zone, of west Iran & east Iraq, is surrounded by many active faults (including Main Zagros Reversed Fault, Main Recent Fault, High Zagros Fault, Zagros Fold, & Thrust Belt). Recent studies show that cross-correlation of a long-term ambient seismic noise data recorded in station-pair, includes important information regarding empirical Green's functions (EGFs) between stations. Hence, ambient seismic noise carries valuable information of the wave propagation path (which can be extracted). The 2D model of surface waves (Rayleigh & Love) velocities for the studied area is obtained by seismic ambient noise tomography (ANT) method. Throughout this research, we use continuous records of all three vertical, radial, and tangential components (obtained by rotation) recorded by IRSC (Iranian Seismological Center) and IIEES (International Institute of Earthquake Engineering) networks for this area of interest. The IRSC & IIEES networks are equipped by SS-1 kinematics and Guralp CMG-3T sensors respectively. Data of 20 stations were used for 12 months from 2014/Nov. to 2015/Nov. The performed data processing is similar to the one, put into words in detail by Bensen et al. (2007) including the processed daily base data. Mean, trend, and instrument response were removed and the data were decimated to 5 sps (sample per second) to reduce the amount of storage space and computational time required. We then applied merge to handle data gaps. One-bit time-domain normalization was also applied to suppress the influence of instrument irregularities and earthquake signals followed by spectral (frequency-domain) normalization between 0.05-0.2 Hz (period 5-20 sec). After cross-correlation (processing step), we perform rms stacking (new approach of stacking) to stack many cross-correlation functions based on the highest energy in a time interval which we accordingly anticipate to receive Rayleigh & Love waves fundamental modes. To evaluate quality of the stacking process

The 2013 Mw 6.2 Khaki-Shonbe (Iran) Earthquake: Seismic Shortening of the Zagros Sedimentary Cover

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elliott, J. R.; Bergman, E.; Copley, A.; Ghods, A.; Nissen, E.; Oveisi, B.; Walters, R. J.

2014-12-01

The 2013 Mw 6.2 Khaki-Shonbe earthquake occurred in the Simply Folded Belt of the Zagros Mountains, Iran. This is the largest earthquake in the Zagros since the November 1990 Mw 6.4 Furg (Hormozgan) thrust faulting event, and therefore the largest in the period for which dense InSAR ground displacements are available. It is also the biggest seismic event to have occurred in the Simply Folded Belt since the March 1977 Mw 6.7 Khurgu earthquake. This earthquake therefore potentially provides valuable insights into a range of controversies: (1) the preponderance of earthquake faulting in the crystalline basement versus the sedimentary cover and the potential importance of lithology in controlling and limiting seismic rupture; (2) the nature of surface folding and whether or not there is a one-to-one relationship between buried reverse faults and surface anticlines; and (3) the presence or absence of large pulses of aseismic slip triggered by mainshock rupture. We combine seismological solutions and aftershock relocations with satellite interferometric ground displacements and observations from the field to determine the geometry of faulting and its relationship with the structure, stratigraphy and tectonics of the Central Zagros. The earthquake rupture involved reverse slip on two along-strike southwest dipping fault segments, the rupture initiating at the northern and bottom end of the larger north-west segment. These faults verge away from the foreland and towards the high range interior, contrary to the fault geometries depicted in many structural cross-sections of the Zagros. The slip measured on the reverse segments occurred over two mutually exclusive depth ranges, 10-5 km and 4-2 km, resulting in long (16 km), narrow (7 km) rupture segments. Conversely, aftershocks are found to cluster in the depth range 8-16 km, beneath the main rupture segment. This indicates only significant reverse slip and coseismic shortening in the sedimentary cover, with the slip

Crustal and lithospheric structure of the Alborz Mountains, Iran, and surrounding areas from integrated geophysical modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Motavalli-Anbaran, Seyed-Hani; Zeyen, Hermann; Brunet, Marie-FrançOise; Ardestani, Vahid Ebrahimzadeh

2011-10-01

Using gravity, geoid, topography and surface heat flow data, we have modeled the density and temperature distribution in the lithosphere along three profiles crossing Iran in SW-NE direction from the Arabian foreland in the SW to the South Caspian Basin and the Turan Platform to the NE. We find thin lithosphere (100-120 km) underneath central Iran, whereas thick lithosphere (up to 240 km) is found underneath Arabia, the South Caspian Basin and the Turan Platform. Crustal thickening is found under the Zagros and Alborz mountains (up to 60 km) and under the Kopet-Dagh Mountains (48 km), whereas the thin crust under the southern Caspian Sea is either an oceanic crust or a highly thinned continental one. Below the South Caspian Sea, the shape of the crust-mantle interface and the base of the lithosphere indicate a subduction of the South Caspian block toward the N-NW. Further east, under the Kopet-Dagh, no evidence for active subduction is visible. This can be explained by a rheologically very strong South Caspian block, surrounded by weaker continental lithosphere.

Canopy Density Mapping on Ultracam-D Aerial Imagery in Zagros Woodlands, Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erfanifard, Y.; Khodaee, Z.

2013-09-01

Canopy density maps express different characteristics of forest stands, especially in woodlands. Obtaining such maps by field measurements is so expensive and time-consuming. It seems necessary to find suitable techniques to produce these maps to be used in sustainable management of woodland ecosystems. In this research, a robust procedure was suggested to obtain these maps by very high spatial resolution aerial imagery. It was aimed to produce canopy density maps by UltraCam-D aerial imagery, newly taken in Zagros woodlands by Iran National Geographic Organization (NGO), in this study. A 30 ha plot of Persian oak (Quercus persica) coppice trees was selected in Zagros woodlands, Iran. The very high spatial resolution aerial imagery of the plot purchased from NGO, was classified by kNN technique and the tree crowns were extracted precisely. The canopy density was determined in each cell of different meshes with different sizes overlaid on the study area map. The accuracy of the final maps was investigated by the ground truth obtained by complete field measurements. The results showed that the proposed method of obtaining canopy density maps was efficient enough in the study area. The final canopy density map obtained by a mesh with 30 Ar (3000 m2) cell size had 80% overall accuracy and 0.61 KHAT coefficient of agreement which shows a great agreement with the observed samples. This method can also be tested in other case studies to reveal its capability in canopy density map production in woodlands.

Link between Neogene and modern sedimentary environments in the Zagros foreland basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pirouz, Mortaza; Simpson, Guy; Bahroudi, Abbas

2010-05-01

The Zagros mountain belt, with a length of 1800 km, is located in the south of Iran and was produced by collision between the Arabian plate and the Iran micro plate some time in the early Tertiary. After collision, the Zagros carbonate-dominated sedimentary basin has been replaced by a largely clastic system. The Neogene Zagros foreland basin comprises four main depositional environments which reflect the progressive southward migration of the deformation front with time. The oldest unit - the Gachsaran formation - is clastic in the northern part of the basin, but is dominated by evaporates in southern part, being deposited in a supratidal Sabkha-type environment. Overlying the Gachsaran is the Mishan formation, which is characterized by the Guri limestone member at the base, overlain by marine green marls. The thickness of the Guri member increases dramatically towards the southeast. The next youngest unit is the Aghajari Formation which consists of well sorted lenticular sandstone bodies in a red silty-mudstone. This formation is interpreted as representing the floodplain of dominantly meandering rivers. Finally, the Bakhtiari formation consists of mainly coarse-grained gravel sheets which are interpreted to represent braided river deposits. Each of these Neogene depositional environments has a modern day equivalent. For example, the braided rivers presently active in the Zagros mountains are modern analogues of the Bakhtiari. In the downstream direction, these braided rivers become meandering systems, which are equivalents of the Aghajari. Eventually, the meandering rivers meet the Persian gulf which is the site of the ‘modern day' Mishan shallow marine marls. Finally, the modern carbonate system on the southern margin of Persian Gulf represents the Guri member paleo-environment, behind which Sabkha-type deposits similar to the Gachsaran are presently being deposited. One important implication of this link between the Neogene foreland basin deposits and the

GT-12 - EARTH SKY - IRAN, TRUCIAL COAST

NASA Image and Video Library

1966-11-13

S66-63485 (13 Nov. 1966) --- Iran, Trucial Coast, Oman, Zagros Mountains, and Qishm Island (large island at lower left), as seen from the Gemini-12 spacecraft during its 25th revolution of Earth. Gulf of Oman is at lower left edge and the Persian Gulf is large body of water in upper half of photo. Photo credit: NASA

The Oligocene carbonate platform of the Zagros Basin, SW Iran: An assessment of highly-complex geological heritage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Habibi, Tahereh; Ruban, Dmitry A.

2017-05-01

North Africa and the Middle East possess rich geological heritage, but the latter is yet to be fully identified and described. The Oligocene carbonate platform of the Zagros Basin in southwest Iran, which corresponds to the lower part of the Asmari Formation, has significant potential for geoconservation and geotourism. The types of the geological heritage, their value, and the possible geosites have been assessed. The studied deposits are interesting because of lithology (carbonate rocks), fossils (larger foraminifera, other microfossils, diverse marine invertebrates, fish microremains, and trace fossils), biostratigraphical developments, facies (homoclinal carbonate ramp) and signature of global events (glacioeustatic fluctuations), and outstanding hydrocarbon resources. The five main geological heritage types are sedimentary, palaeontological, stratigraphical, palaeogeographical, and economical, from which the palaeontological, palaeogeographical, and economical types are of global rank. The Khollar and Kavar sections in the Fars Province of Iran are recommended as geosites suitable for research, education, and tourism. The high complexity of the geological heritage linked to the Oligocene carbonate platform of the Zagros Basin implies the phenomenon of geodiversity should be understood with regard to the relationships between types and their values.

GT-12 - EARTH SKY - IRAN, TRUCIAL COAST

NASA Image and Video Library

1966-11-13

S66-63486 (13 Nov. 1966) --- Iran, Trucial Coast, Oman, Zagros Mountains, and Qishm Island (large island at lower right), as seen from the Gemini-12 spacecraft during its 25th revolution of Earth. Gulf of Oman is large body of water at left and the Persian Gulf is body of water at right. View is looking east. Photo credit: NASA

Active Tectonics of the Iran Plateau and South Caspian Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Priestely, K.; Jackson, J.; Maggi, A.; Talebian, M.; Walker, R.

2002-12-01

We use observations of surface faulting, well-constrained earthquake focal mechanisms and centroid depths, and velocity structure to investigate the present-day deformation and kinematics of the region. Current deformation is primarily concentrated in three seismically active belts: the Zagros Mountains of southwest Iran,the Talesh-Alborz-Kopeh Dag Mountains of northern Iran, and the Apsheron-Balkhan Sill in the central Caspian Sea. These belts are separated by seismically inactive regions that act as semi-rigid blocks. The extent to which the active shortening is divided between the three belts is still uncertain. Earthquake locations in the region, particularly their focal depths which are determined from teleseismic arrival times, are poor, and reported subcrustal earthquakes have been cited as evidence for present-day subduction beneath the Zagros. A detailed analysis of earthquake focal depths in the Zagros and elsewhere in the region confirms that no substantial subcrustal earthquakes occur in this part of the Middle East except beneath the Makran subduction zone in the south and the Apsheron-Balkhan Sill in the north. The present-day N-S deformation across the Zagros is partitioned with right-lateral, strike-slip motion on the NW-SE striking Main Recent Fault, and NE-SW shortening across the Zagros. Shortening in the Zagros is accommodated by folding in the sediments (0-10 km depth), moderate earthquakes on high-angle reverse faults striking parallel to the surface folds (~10-20 km depth), and aseismic thickening of the lower crust (~20-45 km depth). The south Caspian basin is essentially free of earthquakes and acts as a rigid block which strongly influences the nature of the deformation in the surrounding active belts. No significant subcrustal earthquakes occur in the Talesh, Alborz, or Kopeh Dag Mountains which bound the northeast, south and west sides of the south Caspian basin, but substantial subcrustal seismicity occurs beneath the Apsheron

Earthquake hazard assessment in the Zagros Orogenic Belt of Iran using a fuzzy rule-based model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farahi Ghasre Aboonasr, Sedigheh; Zamani, Ahmad; Razavipour, Fatemeh; Boostani, Reza

2017-08-01

Producing accurate seismic hazard map and predicting hazardous areas is necessary for risk mitigation strategies. In this paper, a fuzzy logic inference system is utilized to estimate the earthquake potential and seismic zoning of Zagros Orogenic Belt. In addition to the interpretability, fuzzy predictors can capture both nonlinearity and chaotic behavior of data, where the number of data is limited. In this paper, earthquake pattern in the Zagros has been assessed for the intervals of 10 and 50 years using fuzzy rule-based model. The Molchan statistical procedure has been used to show that our forecasting model is reliable. The earthquake hazard maps for this area reveal some remarkable features that cannot be observed on the conventional maps. Regarding our achievements, some areas in the southern (Bandar Abbas), southwestern (Bandar Kangan) and western (Kermanshah) parts of Iran display high earthquake severity even though they are geographically far apart.

Strong Genetic Differentiation of Submerged Plant Populations across Mountain Ranges: Evidence from Potamogeton pectinatus in Iran

PubMed Central

Abbasi, Shabnam; Afsharzadeh, Saeed; Saeidi, Hojjatollah; Triest, Ludwig

2016-01-01

Biogeographic barriers for freshwater biota can be effective at various spatial scales. At the largest spatial scale, freshwater organisms can become genetically isolated by their high mountain ranges, vast deserts, and inability to cross oceans. Isolation by distance of aquatic plants is expected to be stronger across than alongside mountain ridges whereas the heterogeneity of habitats among populations and temporary droughts may influence connectivity and hamper dispersal. Suitable aquatic plant habitats became reduced, even for the widespread submerged Potamogeton pectinatus L. (also named Stuckenia pectinata) giving structure to various aquatic habitats. We compared the level of genetic diversity in a heterogeneous series of aquatic habitats across Iran and tested their differentiation over distances and across mountain ranges (Alborz and Zagros) and desert zones (Kavir), with values obtained from temperate region populations. The diversity of aquatic ecosystems across and along large geographic barriers provided a unique ecological situation within Iran. P. pectinatus were considered from thirty-six sites across Iran at direct flight distances ranging from 20 to 1,200 km. Nine microsatellite loci revealed a very high number of alleles over all sites. A PCoA, NJT clustering and STRUCTURE analysis revealed a separate grouping of individuals of southeastern Iranian sites and was confirmed by their different nuclear ITS and cpDNA haplotypes thereby indicating an evolutionary significant unit (ESU). At the level of populations, a positive correlation between allelic differentiation Dest with geographic distance was found. Individual-based STRUCTURE analysis over 36 sites showed 7 genetic clusters. FST and RST values for ten populations reached 0.343 and 0.521, respectively thereby indicating that allele length differences are more important and contain evolutionary information. Overall, higher levels of diversity and a stronger differentiation was revealed among

Strong Genetic Differentiation of Submerged Plant Populations across Mountain Ranges: Evidence from Potamogeton pectinatus in Iran.

PubMed

Abbasi, Shabnam; Afsharzadeh, Saeed; Saeidi, Hojjatollah; Triest, Ludwig

2016-01-01

Biogeographic barriers for freshwater biota can be effective at various spatial scales. At the largest spatial scale, freshwater organisms can become genetically isolated by their high mountain ranges, vast deserts, and inability to cross oceans. Isolation by distance of aquatic plants is expected to be stronger across than alongside mountain ridges whereas the heterogeneity of habitats among populations and temporary droughts may influence connectivity and hamper dispersal. Suitable aquatic plant habitats became reduced, even for the widespread submerged Potamogeton pectinatus L. (also named Stuckenia pectinata) giving structure to various aquatic habitats. We compared the level of genetic diversity in a heterogeneous series of aquatic habitats across Iran and tested their differentiation over distances and across mountain ranges (Alborz and Zagros) and desert zones (Kavir), with values obtained from temperate region populations. The diversity of aquatic ecosystems across and along large geographic barriers provided a unique ecological situation within Iran. P. pectinatus were considered from thirty-six sites across Iran at direct flight distances ranging from 20 to 1,200 km. Nine microsatellite loci revealed a very high number of alleles over all sites. A PCoA, NJT clustering and STRUCTURE analysis revealed a separate grouping of individuals of southeastern Iranian sites and was confirmed by their different nuclear ITS and cpDNA haplotypes thereby indicating an evolutionary significant unit (ESU). At the level of populations, a positive correlation between allelic differentiation Dest with geographic distance was found. Individual-based STRUCTURE analysis over 36 sites showed 7 genetic clusters. FST and RST values for ten populations reached 0.343 and 0.521, respectively thereby indicating that allele length differences are more important and contain evolutionary information. Overall, higher levels of diversity and a stronger differentiation was revealed among

The Middle Jurassic basinal deposits of the Surmeh Formation in the Central Zagros Mountains, southwest Iran: Facies, sequence stratigraphy, and controls

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lasemi, Y.; Jalilian, A.H.

2010-01-01

The lower part of the Lower to Upper Jurassic Surmeh Formation consists of a succession of shallow marine carbonates (Toarcian-Aalenian) overlain by a deep marine basinal succession (Aalenian-Bajocian) that grades upward to Middle to Upper Jurassic platform carbonates. The termination of shallow marine carbonate deposition of the lower part of the Surmeh Formation and the establishment of deep marine sedimentation indicate a change in the style of sedimentation in the Neotethys passive margin of southwest Iran during the Middle Jurassic. To evaluate the reasons for this change and to assess the basin configuration during the Middle Jurassic, this study focuses on facies analysis and sequence stratigraphy of the basinal deposits (pelagic and calciturbidite facies) of the Surmeh Formation, referred here as 'lower shaley unit' in the Central Zagros region. The upper Aalenian-Bajocian 'lower shaley unit' overlies, with an abrupt contact, the Toarcian-lower Aalenian platform carbonates. It consists of pelagic (calcareous shale and limestone) and calciturbidite facies grading to upper Bajocian-Bathonian platform carbonates. Calciturbidite deposits in the 'lower shaley unit' consist of various graded grainstone to lime mudstone facies containing mixed deep marine fauna and platform-derived material. These facies include quartz-bearing lithoclast/intraclast grainstone to lime mudstone, bioclast/ooid/peloid intraclast grainstone, ooid grainstone to packstone, and lime wackestone to mudstone. The calciturbidite layers are erosive-based and commonly exhibit graded bedding, incomplete Bouma turbidite sequence, flute casts, and load casts. They consist chiefly of platform-derived materials including ooids, intraclasts/lithoclasts, peloids, echinoderms, brachiopods, bivalves, and open-ocean biota, such as planktonic bivalves, crinoids, coccoliths, foraminifers, and sponge spicules. The 'lower shaley unit' constitutes the late transgressive and the main part of the highstand

Sinkholes, collapse structures and large landslides in an active salt dome submerged by a reservoir: The unique case of the Ambal ridge in the Karun River, Zagros Mountains, Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gutiérrez, Francisco; Lizaga, Iván

2016-02-01

Ambal ridge, covering 4 km2, is a salt pillow of Gachsaran Formation with significant salt exposures in direct contact with the Karun River, Zagros Mountains. The highly cavernous salt dome is currently being flooded by the Gotvand Reservoir, second largest in Iran. Geomorphic evidence, including the sharp deflection of the Karun River and defeated streams indicate that Ambal is an active halokinetic structure, probably driven by erosional unloading. Around 30% of the salt dome is affected by large landslides up to ca. 50 × 106 m3 in volume. Slope oversteepening related to fluvial erosion and halokinetic rise seems to be the main controlling factor. A total of 693 sinkholes have been inventoried (170 sinkholes/km2), for which a scaling relationship has been produced. The depressions occur preferentially along a belt with a high degree of clustering. This spatial distribution is controlled by the proximity to the river, slope gradient and halite content in the bedrock. A large compound depression whose bottom lies below the normal maximum level of the reservoir will likely be flooded by water table rise forming a lake. The impoundment of the reservoir has induced peculiar collapse structures 220-280 m across, expressed by systems of arcuate fissures and scarps. Rapid subsurface salt dissolution is expected to generate and reactivate a large number of sinkholes and may reactivate landslides with a significant vertical component due to lack of basal support.

The Zagros hinterland fold-and-thrust belt in-sequence thrusting, Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarkarinejad, Khalil; Ghanbarian, Mohammad Ali

2014-05-01

The collision of the Iranian microcontinent with the Afro-Arabian continent resulted in the deformation of the Zagros orogenic belt. The foreland of this belt in the Persian Gulf and Arabian platform has been investigated for its petroleum and gas resource potentials, but the Zagros hinterland is poorly investigated and our knowledge about its deformation is much less than other parts of this orogen. Therefore, this work presents a new geological map, stratigraphic column and two detailed geological cross sections. This study indicates the presence of a hinterland fold-and-thrust belt on northeastern side of the Zagros orogenic core that consists of in-sequence thrusting and basement involvement in this important part of the Zagros hinterland. The in-sequence thrusting resulted in first- and second-order duplex systems, Mode I fault-bend folding, fault-propagation folding and asymmetric detachment folding which indicate close relationships between folding and thrusting. Study of fault-bend folds shows that layer-parallel simple shear has the same role in the southeastern and northwestern parts of the study area (αe = 23.4 ± 9.1°). A major lateral ramp in the basement beneath the Talaee plain with about one kilometer of vertical offset formed parallel to the SW movement direction and perpendicular to the major folding and thrusting.

Crustal and lithospheric structure of the Alborz Mountains (Iran) and surrounding areas from integrated geophysical modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Motavallianbaran, S.; Zeyen, H. J.; Brunet, M.; Ardestani, V. E.

2010-12-01

The tectonic evolution of Alborz Mountains (northern Iran) and the South Caspian Basin as well as its transition into the Scythian and Turan platforms are yet an unsolved and debated problem. Using gravity, geoid, topography and surface heat flow data, we have modeled the density and temperature distribution in the lithosphere along three profiles crossing Iran in SW-NE direction from the Arabian foreland in the SW to the South Caspian Basin and the Turan Platform to the NE. We found thin lithosphere (100-120 km) underneath Central Iran, whereas thick lithosphere (up to 260 km), is found underneath Arabia, the South Caspian Basin and the Turan Platform. Crustal thickening is found under the Zagros and Alborz Mountains (up to 58 km) and under the Kopet-Dagh Mountains (48 km), whereas the thin crust under the southern Caspian Sea is interpreted as oceanic crust. Modeling result of Profile I is shown below with the crust in gray scale (darker gray: higher density) and the lithospheric mantle with color-coded temperatures. Since some previous studies argued for the absence of a root under the Alborz, we tested different models to see whether it is possible to explain the data without a root beneath the Alborz and finally we found that it is impossible to fit the calculated data to the measured ones with a geologically reasonable model. Below the South Caspian Sea, the form of the crust-mantle interface and the base of the lithosphere indicate a subduction of the South Caspian block towards the N-NW. Further east, under the Kopet-Dagh, no evidence for active subduction is visible. Based on the temperature distribution, we calculated the vertically integrated rock rigidity along the profiles. It shows that a rheologically very strong South Caspian block is surrounded by weaker continental lithosphere which may explain the rigid-block subduction of the South Caspian block on the one hand and internal deformation of the lithosphere under the Kopet-Dagh on the other hand.

A combined magnetometry and gravity study across Zagros orogeny in Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abedi, Maysam; Oskooi, Behrooz

2015-11-01

In this work, the structural geology and the tectonic conditions of the Zagros orogeny along the route of Qom to Kermanshah cities were investigated using the combined geophysical methods of the airborne magnetometry and the ground-based gravity data. Airborne magnetometry data of Iran with a line space of survey, 7.5 km, were used to model the magnetic susceptibility property along the route. At first, the airborne magnetic data were stably 500-m downward continued to the ground surface in order to enhance minor changes of the Earth's magnetic field over the studied region. Afterward, 3D inverse modeling of the magnetic data was implemented to the downward continued data, and subsequently the section of magnetic susceptibility variation along the desired route was extracted and imaged at depth. The acquired model could appropriately predict the observed magnetic data, showing low misfit values between the observation and the predicted data. The analytic signal filter was applied to the reduced-to-pole (RTP) magnetic data leading to the determination of the active and probable hidden faults in the structural zones of the Zagros, such as Sanandaj-Sirjan, Central Domain (CD) and Urumieh-Dokhtar based upon the generated peaks along the profile of analytic signal filter. In addition, the density variations of the subsurface geological layers were determined by 3D inverting of the ground-based gravity data over the whole study area, and extracting this property along the route. The joint models of magnetic susceptibility and density variation could appropriately localize the traces of faults along with the geologically and tectonically structural boundaries in the region. The locations of faults correspond well to the variation of geophysical parameters on the inverted sections. Probable direction, slope and extension at depth of these faults were also determined on the sections, indicating a high tectonized zone of the Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone (SSZ) parallel to the zone of

Role of Neogene Exhumation and Sedimentation on Critical-Wedge Kinematics in the Zagros Orogenic Belt, Northeastern Iraq, Kurdistan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koshnaw, R. I.; Horton, B. K.; Stockli, D. F.; Barber, D. E.; Tamar-Agha, M. Y.; Kendall, J. J.

2014-12-01

The Zagros orogenic belt and foreland basin formed during the Cenozoic Arabia-Eurasia collision, but the precise histories of shortening and sediment accumulation remain ambiguous, especially at the NW extent of the fold-thrust belt in Iraqi Kurdistan. This region is characterized by well-preserved successions of Cenozoic clastic foreland-basin fill and deformed Paleozoic-Mesozoic hinterland bedrock. The study area provides an excellent opportunity to investigate the linkage between orogenic wedge behavior and surface processes of erosion and deposition. The aim of this research is to test whether the Zagros orogenic wedge advanced steadily under critical to supercritical wedge conditions involving in-sequence thrusting with minimal erosion or propagated intermittently under subcritical condition involving out-of-sequence deformation with intense erosion. These endmember modes of mountain building can be assessed by integrating geo/thermochronologic and basin analyses techniques, including apatite (U-Th)/He thermochronology, detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology, stratigraphic synthesis, and seismic interpretations. Preliminary apatite (U-Th)/He data indicate activation of the Main Zagros Fault (MZF) at ~10 Ma with frontal thrusts initiating at ~8 Ma. However, thermochronometric results from the intervening Mountain Front Flexure (MFF), located between the MZF and the frontal thrusts, suggest rapid exhumation at ~6 Ma. These results suggest that the MFF, represented by the thrust-cored Qaradagh anticline, represents a major episode of out-of-sequence deformation. Detrital zircon U-Pb analyses from the Neogene foreland-basin deposits show continuous sediment derivation from sources to the NNE in Iraq and western Iran, suggesting that out-of-sequence thrusting did not significantly alter sedimentary provenance. Rather, intense hinterland erosion and recycling of older foreland-basin fill dominated sediment delivery to the basin. The irregular distribution of

Crustal Structure of the Iran Region from In-Country and Ground-Truth Data

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-09-30

thickness in the region (e.g., Mokhtari et al., 2004), and these data will be utilized in our Pn tomography both as constraints and for validation of...Vergne, and M. Mokhtari (2006). Seismological evidence for crustal-scale thrusting in the Zagros mountain belt (Iran), Geophys. J Int. 166: 227-237...for understanding the deformation history of the Arabian-Eurasian collision. Geophvs. J. Int. 172: 1179-1187. Mokhtari , M., A. M. Farahbod, C. Lindholm

Tectono-sedimentary evolution of the Permian-Triassic extension event in the Zagros basin (Iran): results from analogue modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Madani-kivi, M.; Zulauf, G.

2015-12-01

Since the 1970s, the largest oil and gas reservoirs have been discovered in the Permian-Early Triassic formationsin Saudi Arabia. Thus, this time period is important for the discovery of new oil reserves in Iran. The Arabian passivecontinental margin has undergone lithospheric extension during the Permian-Triassic, which led to the formation of theNeo-Tethys. The aim of this paper is to describe the development of the continental rift basin in the Zagros region basedon the tectono-sedimentological evolution. We have studied well-log data to specify the distribution of synrift depositsin the Zagros and have related this information to the modelling. Environmental changes indicated by various sedimentarysequences, from a siliciclastic basin to a carbonate platform setting, are described. The Cambrian Hormuz salt, whichoverlies the metamorphosed Precambrian basement, becomes effective as a basal detachment layer influencing the styleof overburden deformation during the Permian-Triassic extension event. We have investigated the formation of variousstructures linked to the presence or absence of the Hormuz layer by analogue modelling and relating these structures to theLate Palaeozoic sedimentation. Based on results of the analogue modelling, we argue that the basal detachment layer (Hormuzseries) has contributed to the various structural styles of the extensional basin development in the Fars domain and theLorestan domain.

Flexural bending of the Zagros foreland basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pirouz, Mortaza; Avouac, Jean-Philippe; Gualandi, Adriano; Hassanzadeh, Jamshid; Sternai, Pietro

2017-09-01

We constrain and model the geometry of the Zagros foreland to assess the equivalent elastic thickness of the northern edge of the Arabian plate and the loads that have originated due to the Arabia-Eurasia collision. The Oligo-Miocene Asmari formation, and its equivalents in Iraq and Syria, is used to estimate the post-collisional subsidence as they separate passive margin sediments from the younger foreland deposits. The depth to these formations is obtained by synthesizing a large database of well logs, seismic profiles and structural sections from the Mesopotamian basin and the Persian Gulf. The foreland depth varies along strike of the Zagros wedge between 1 and 6 km. The foreland is deepest beneath the Dezful embayment, in southwest Iran, and becomes shallower towards both ends. We investigate how the geometry of the foreland relates to the range topography loading based on simple flexural models. Deflection of the Arabian plate is modelled using point load distribution and convolution technique. The results show that the foreland depth is well predicted with a flexural model which assumes loading by the basin sedimentary fill, and thickened crust of the Zagros. The model also predicts a Moho depth consistent with Free-Air anomalies over the foreland and Zagros wedge. The equivalent elastic thickness of the flexed Arabian lithosphere is estimated to be ca. 50 km. We conclude that other sources of loading of the lithosphere, either related to the density variations (e.g. due to a possible lithospheric root) or dynamic origin (e.g. due to sublithospheric mantle flow or lithospheric buckling) have a negligible influence on the foreland geometry, Moho depth and topography of the Zagros. We calculate the shortening across the Zagros assuming conservation of crustal mass during deformation, trapping of all the sediments eroded from the range in the foreland, and an initial crustal thickness of 38 km. This calculation implies a minimum of 126 ± 18 km of crustal

Tertiary stress field evolution in Sistan (Eastern Iran)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michael, Jentzer; Marc, Fournier; Philippe, Agard; Jafar, Omrani

2016-04-01

The Sistan orogenic belt in eastern Iran, near the boundary with Afghanistan, results from the closure of a branch of the Neo-Thethys: the Sistan Ocean. It was divided by Tirrul et al. (1983) in five main units: the Lut (1) and Afghan (2) continental blocks where basement is exposed; the Neh (3) and Ratuk (4) complexes which display ophiolitic rocks weakly and highly (HP-BT) metamorphosed, respectively, and the Sefidabeh basin lying over these complexes and interpreted as a fore-arc basin. Sistan is bordered by the Makran and Zagros (formed by the closure of the Neo-Tethys) to the south and by the Kopet Dagh (formed by the closure of Paleo-Tethys) to the North. The aim of this study is to fill the gap between preliminary studies about the overall structure of the Sistan Suture Zone and recent investigations of active tectonics in the region (e.g., Walker et al., 2004 and 2006 a and b). Questions herein addressed are: (1) how are stresses transfered throughout Iran from the Zagros to the Sistan belts? (2) Did the Zagros, Makran and Sistan belts evolve independently through time, or were they mechanically coupled? In order to answer these questions, we have determined paleostress evolution in the Sistan, using a direct inversion method for 42 microtectonic sites in almost all lithologies of the Neh complex and the Sefidabeh basin. We find three successive directions of compression: (1) 87°N for the oldest deformation stage dated of the Late Miocene, (2) 59°N for the intermediate stage probably dated of the Early Pliocene, and (3) 26°N for the youngest stage dated of the Plio-Quaternary. A counterclockwise rotation of about 60° of the main stress (σ1) in less than 10 Ma is therefore documented in Sistan. These same three stages of deformation were also documented by several microtectonic studies in Iran, especially in Makran and Zagros. The direction of the youngest compression is very homogeneous indicating that the mountain belts and continental blocks of Iran

Non-cylindrical fold growth in the Zagros fold and thrust belt (Kurdistan, NE-Iraq)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartl, Nikolaus; Bretis, Bernhard; Grasemann, Bernhard; Lockhart, Duncan

2010-05-01

The Zagros mountains extends over 1800 km from Kurdistan in N-Iraq to the Strait of Hormuz in Iran and is one of the world most promising regions for the future hydrocarbon exploration. The Zagros Mountains started to form as a result of the collision between the Eurasian and Arabian Plates, whose convergence began in the Late Cretaceous as part of the Alpine-Himalayan orogenic system. Geodetic and seismological data document that both plates are still converging and that the fold and thrust belt of the Zagros is actively growing. Extensive hydrocarbon exploration mainly focuses on the antiforms of this fold and thrust belt and therefore the growth history of the folds is of great importance. This work investigates by means of structural field work and quantitative geomorphological techniques the progressive fold growth of the Permam, Bana Bawi- and Safeen- Anticlines located in the NE of the city of Erbil in the Kurdistan region of Northern Iraq. This part of the Zagros fold and thrust belt belongs to the so-called Simply Folded Belt, which is dominated by gentle to open folding. Faults or fault related folds have only minor importance. The mechanical anisotropy of the formations consisting of a succession of relatively competent (massive dolomite and limestone) and incompetent (claystone and siltstone) sediments essentially controls the deformation pattern with open to gentle parallel folding of the competent layers and flexural flow folding of the incompetent layers. The characteristic wavelength of the fold trains is around 10 km. Due to faster erosion of the softer rock layers in the folded sequence, the more competent lithologies form sharp ridges with steeply sloping sides along the eroded flanks of the anticlines. Using an ASTER digital elevation model in combination with geological field data we quantified 250 drainage basins along the different limbs of the subcylindrical Permam, Bana Bawi- and Safeen- Anticlines. Geomorphological indices of the drainage

Neogene shortening and exhumation of the Zagros fold-thrust belt and foreland basin in the Kurdistan region of northern Iraq

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koshnaw, Renas I.; Horton, Brian K.; Stockli, Daniel F.; Barber, Douglas E.; Tamar-Agha, Mazin Y.; Kendall, Jerome J.

2017-01-01

The Zagros fold-thrust belt in the Kurdistan region of Iraq encroached southward toward a rapidly subsiding Neogene foreland basin and was later partitioned by out-of-sequence shortening focused along the Mountain Front Flexure (MFF), as defined by new low-temperature thermochronologic, stratigraphic, and provenance results. Apatite (U-Th)/He ages document rapid deformation advance from the Main Zagros Fault to southern frontal structures (Kirkuk, Shakal, and Qamar thrusts) at 10-8 Ma, followed by potential basement-involved out-of-sequence development of the MFF (Qaradagh anticline) by 5 Ma. Distinct shifts in detrital zircon U-Pb provenance signatures for Neogene foreland basin fill provide evidence for drainage reorganization during fold-thrust belt advance. U-Pb age spectra and petrologic data from the Injana (Upper Fars) Formation indicate derivation from a variety of Eurasian, Pan-African, ophiolitic and Mesozoic-Cenozoic volcanic terranes, whereas the Mukdadiya (Lower Bakhtiari) and Bai-Hasan (Upper Bakhtiari) Formations show nearly exclusive derivation from the Paleogene Walash-Naopurdan volcanic complex near the Iraq-Iran border. Such a sharp cutoff in Eurasian, Pan-African, and ophiolitic sources is likely associated with drainage reorganization and tectonic development of the geomorphic barrier formed by the MFF. As a result of Zagros crustal shortening, thickening and loading, the Neogene foreland basin developed and accommodated an abrupt influx of fluvial clastic sediment that contains growth stratal evidence of synkinematic accumulation. The apparent out-of-sequence pattern of upper crustal shortening in the hinterland to foreland zone of Iraqi Kurdistan suggests that structural inheritance and the effects of synorogenic erosion and accumulation are important factors influencing the irregular and episodic nature of orogenic growth in the Zagros.

Middle to late Cenozoic basin evolution in the western Alborz Mountains: Implications for the onset of collisional deformation in northern Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guest, Bernard; Horton, Brian K.; Axen, Gary J.; Hassanzadeh, Jamshid; McIntosh, William C.

2007-12-01

Oligocene-Miocene strata preserved in synclinal outcrop belts of the western Alborz Mountains record the onset of Arabia-Eurasia collision-related deformation in northern Iran. Two stratigraphic intervals, informally named the Gand Ab and Narijan units, represent a former basin system that existed in the Alborz. The Gand Ab unit is composed of marine lagoonal mudstones, fluvial and alluvial-fan clastic rocks, fossiliferous Rupelian to Burdigalian marine carbonates, and basalt flows yielding 40Ar/39Ar ages of 32.7 ± 0.3 and 32.9 ± 0.2 Ma. The Gand Ab unit is correlated with the Oligocene-lower Miocene Qom Formation of central Iran and is considered a product of thermal subsidence following Eocene extension. The Narijan unit unconformably overlies the Gand Ab unit and is composed of fluvial-lacustrine and alluvial fan sediments exhibiting contractional growth strata. We correlate the Narijan unit with the middle to upper Miocene Upper Red Formation of central Iran on the basis of lithofacies similarities, stratigraphic position, and an 8.74 ± 0.15 Ma microdiorite dike (40Ar/39Ar) that intruded the basal strata. Deformation timing is constrained by crosscutting relationships and independent thermochronological data. The Parachan thrust system along the eastern edge of the ancestral Taleghan-Alamut basin is cut by dikes dated at 8.74 ± 0.15 Ma to 6.68 ± 0.07 Ma (40Ar/39Ar). Subhorizontal gravels that unconformably overlie tightly folded and faulted Narijan strata are capped by 2.86 ± 0.83 Ma (40Ar/39Ar) andesitic lava flows. These relationships suggest that Alborz deformation had migrated southward into the Taleghan-Alamut basin by late Miocene time and shifted to its present location along the active range front by late Pliocene time. Data presented here demonstrate that shortening in the western Alborz Mountains had started by late middle Miocene time. This estimate is consistent with recent thermochronological results that place the onset of rapid exhumation

Paleo- and Neo-Tethyan ophiolites of Iran: a progress report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghazi, M.; Hassanipak, A.; Babaie, H.

2003-04-01

The Bitlis-Zagros and Alborz stuture zones of Iran mark two collisional plate boundaries in the Alpine-Himalayan orogenic belt. The ophiolites of these zones together with the ophiolites of Makran accretionary prism and Central Iran form discontinuous linear belts of Tethyan oceanic fragments, which form a bridge between the Mediterranean and Himalayan ophiolites. Based on age alone these ophiolites have been divided into less abundant Paleozoic and much more abundant Mesozoic ophiolites. The Paleozoic ophiolites are located along the Alborz orogenic belt [i.e., Rasht and Mashhad ophiolites (297 Ma and 268 Ma)] and near Anarak in Central Iran. which are the remnants of the Paleo-Tethys ocean crust emplaced as result of closure of the Paleo-Tethys between the Turan and the Central Iranian Microplates (CIM). The Mesezoic ophiolites of Iran are more abundant and include the Zagros ophiolites (i.e., Neyriz and the Kermanshah ophiolites which appear to be coeval with the Oman ophiolite obducted onto the Arabian plate (˜96-92 Ma). The Khoy ophiolite in NW Iran which has formation age of Middle to Late Jurrasic (˜159-155 Ma), and emplacement age Albian ages (˜ 109-104 Ma) has a different tectonics than other Zagros ophiolites. Unfragmented ophiolites of the Makran accretionary prism which are located to the south of the Sanandaj-Sirjan microcontinental block, including complexes such as Band-e-Zeyarat/Dar Anar, Ganj and Remeshk/Mokhtarabad (˜140-98 Ma) are similar in age to the Masirah ophiolite (i.e., ˜150-120 Ma). The ophiolites of the Central Iran include those inside of the Sanandaj-Sirjan microcontinental block, such as Shahr-e-Babak (120 Ma), Naien (100 Ma), Baft, Sabzevar in north central Iran (98-70 Ma) and Tchehel Kureh on the eastern boundary of CIM.Geochemically, these ophiolites are quite diverse and show a significant variations in rock composition, representing a wide range of tectonic environment of formation. In terms of radiogenic isotopic data

Reactivation versus reworking of the active continental margin during the Zagros collision: Mahallat-Muteh-Laybid complexes, Sanandaj-Sirjan zone, Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aflaki, Mahtab; Shabanian, Esmaeil; Davoodi, Zeinab; Mohajjel, Mohammad

2017-06-01

Reactivation of long-lived basement faults has significant influences on further deformation of collision zones. Three major inherited pre-collisional NW-, N- and NE-trending basement discontinuities have played important roles on the structural and tectono-sedimentary evolution of the Iranian micro-continent in the northeastern part of the Gondwana super-continent. Sanandaj-Sirjan zone (SSZ), known as the metamorphic belt of the Zagros orogeny, marks the SW margin of the Central Iran. SSZ is formed as a result of the Arabia-Eurasia collision and its general trend of deformation coincides with the NW structural trend of the collision. The NE-trending Mahallat, Muteh and Laybid complexes in the middle part of the NW-trending SSZ are the exception and have a trend almost normal to the NW-trending Zagros. A combined methodology of remote sensing, geometric and kinematics analyses complemented by field work was used to reconstruct the history of deformation in the Zagros hinterland since the earlier stages of collision to the present-day. Our results reveal the key role of the preexisting discontinuities of the Iranian basement in both the kinematics and structural pattern of the middle part of the SSZ. These basement faults have acted as main boundary conditions changing the collisional fabric perpendicular to its overall trend. Progressive deformation and the related changes during collision have caused drastic changes in the kinematics of the boundary faults. The establishment of dextral transtension in the SSZ has had secondary influences on the pattern of deformation by local clockwise rotation and localized dextral shear in the southern parts of the area of interest. This study highlights the significance of long-lived pre-existing structures in the deformation of collision zones. Such basement faults are capable to change both the pattern and kinematics of deformation of the adjacent areas involved in a continental collision.

Effects of Heterogeniety on Spatial Pattern Analysis of Wild Pistachio Trees in Zagros Woodlands, Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erfanifard, Y.; Rezayan, F.

2014-10-01

Vegetation heterogeneity biases second-order summary statistics, e.g., Ripley's K-function, applied for spatial pattern analysis in ecology. Second-order investigation based on Ripley's K-function and related statistics (i.e., L- and pair correlation function g) is widely used in ecology to develop hypothesis on underlying processes by characterizing spatial patterns of vegetation. The aim of this study was to demonstrate effects of underlying heterogeneity of wild pistachio (Pistacia atlantica Desf.) trees on the second-order summary statistics of point pattern analysis in a part of Zagros woodlands, Iran. The spatial distribution of 431 wild pistachio trees was accurately mapped in a 40 ha stand in the Wild Pistachio & Almond Research Site, Fars province, Iran. Three commonly used second-order summary statistics (i.e., K-, L-, and g-functions) were applied to analyse their spatial pattern. The two-sample Kolmogorov-Smirnov goodness-of-fit test showed that the observed pattern significantly followed an inhomogeneous Poisson process null model in the study region. The results also showed that heterogeneous pattern of wild pistachio trees biased the homogeneous form of K-, L-, and g-functions, demonstrating a stronger aggregation of the trees at the scales of 0-50 m than actually existed and an aggregation at scales of 150-200 m, while regularly distributed. Consequently, we showed that heterogeneity of point patterns may bias the results of homogeneous second-order summary statistics and we also suggested applying inhomogeneous summary statistics with related null models for spatial pattern analysis of heterogeneous vegetations.

Along-strike structural variation and thermokinematic development of the Cenozoic Bitlis-Zagros fold-thrust belt, Turkey and Iraqi Kurdistan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barber, Douglas E.; Stockli, Daniel F.; Koshnaw, Renas I.; Tamar-Agha, Mazin Y.; Yilmaz, Ismail O.

2016-04-01

The Bitlis-Zagros orogen in northern Iraq is a principal element of the Arabia-Eurasia continent collision and is characterized by the lateral intersection of two structural domains: the NW-SE trending Zagros proper system of Iran and the E-W trending Bitlis fold-thrust belt of Turkey and Syria. While these components in northern Iraq share a similar stratigraphic framework, they exhibit along-strike variations in the width and style of tectonic zones, fold morphology and trends, and structural inheritance. However, the distinctions of the Bitlis and Zagros segments remains poorly understood in terms of timing and deformation kinematics as well as first-order controls on fold-thrust development. Structural and stratigraphic study and seismic data combined with low-T thermochronometry provide the basis for reconstructions of the Bitlis-Zagros fold-thrust belt in southeastern Turkey and northern Iraq to elucidate the kinematic and temporal relationship of these two systems. Balanced cross-sections were constructed and incrementally restored to quantify the deformational evolution and use as input for thermokinematic models (FETKIN) to generate thermochronometric ages along the topographic surface of each cross-section line. The forward modeled thermochronometric ages from were then compared to new and previously published apatite and zircon (U-Th)/He and fission-track ages from southeastern Turkey and northern Iraq to test the validity of the timing, rate, and fault-motion geometry associated with each reconstruction. The results of these balanced theromokinematic restorations integrated with constraints from syn-tectonic sedimentation suggest that the Zagros belt between Erbil and Suleimaniyah was affected by an initial phase of Late Cretaceous exhumation related to the Proto-Zagros collision. During the main Zagros phase, deformation advanced rapidly and in-sequence from the Main Zagros Fault to the thin-skinned frontal thrusts (Kirkuk, Shakal, Qamar) from middle

Linkages between orogenic plateau build-up, fold-thrust shortening, and foreland basin evolution in the Zagros (NW Iran)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barber, D. E.; Stockli, D. F.

2017-12-01

The Iranian Plateau (IP) is a thickened, low-relief morphotectonic province of diffuse deformation that formed due to Arabia-Eurasia collision and may serve as a younger analogue for the Tibetan Plateau. Despite detailed geophysical characterization of the IP, its deformation history and relationship to the Zagros fold-thrust belt and its foreland basin evolution remains unresolved. Low-temperature thermochronometry and provenance data from a transect across the internal and external Zagros track growth of the IP and delineate multiphase interaction between upper- and lower-plate processes during closure of the Neotethys and Arabia-Eurasia suturing. Inversion of zircon (U-Th)/He and fission-track data from plutonic and metamorphic basement rocks in the Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone (SSZ) of the IP reveals an initial stage of low-rate exhumation from 36-25 Ma, simultaneous with the onset of tectonic subsidence and marine incursion in the Zagros foreland basin. Overlapping apatite fission-track and (U-Th)/He ages indicate sharp acceleration in SSZ exhumation rates between 20-15 Ma, coincident with rejuvenation of foreland basin subsidence and an influx of Eurasian-derived sediments into the Zagros foreland deposited above an Oligocene unconformity. The mid-Miocene marks a transition in focused exhumation from the SSZ to Arabian lower-plate. Apatite (U-Th)/He ages suggest in-sequence fold-thrust propagation from the High Zagros to simply folded belt from 10 Ma to recent, which is reflected in the foreland by a shift in provenance to dominantly recycled Arabian-derived detritus and clastic facies progradation. Integrated thermochronometric and provenance data document a two-phase outward expansion of the Iranian Plateau and Zagros fold-thrust belt, tightly coupled to distinct phases of basin evolution and provenance shifts in the Zagros foreland. We associate multiple deformation and basin episodes with protracted collisional processes, from subduction of attenuated Arabian

Variation in crustal structure in Iran and the surrounding region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rham, D.; Tatar, M.; Ashtiany, M.; Mokhtari, M.; Priestley, K.; Paul, A.

2007-12-01

We present a model for the topography of the Moho discontinuity for Iran and its surrounding regions. This is produced using data from field deployments within Iran by the University of Cambridge (UK) and the Universite Joseph-Fourier (FRA) in conjunction with International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology (Iran), in addition to data from IRIS and Geofone. We determine tomographic group velocity maps for periods between 10 and 60 s from multiple filter analysis of ~5500 seismograms. Because of the dense path coverage, these images have substantially higher lateral resolution for this region than is currently available from global and regional group velocity studies. Joint inversion of receiver functions and Rayleigh wave dispersion give accurate crustal velocity structures at 96 sites within Iran These provide a constraint for the less sharp crustal velocity profile produced by inverting the Rayleigh wave dispersion curve across all of Iran. We observe variations in the crustal thickness across the region, consistent with the surface topography. The thickest crust (55-60 km) is found beneath the central Zagros mountains, with the crust in the remainder of Iran having a thicknesses of 40-50 km. No significant increase in Moho depth is seen beneath the Alborz or Kopet Dagh mountains. The structure of the South Caspian Basin is presented with a different structure to that found in previous studies, with a crustal thickness of 50 km in the west, and beneath the Caucasus and Talesh mountains, in the middle part of the basin, over the course of the ~100km, this decreases to 40km, and continues to 35 km beneath the Turkmen Platform. Comparisons are also made between the joint inversion results, and accurate hypocentre depths for regional earthquakes. This shows most events occur in the upper crystalline crust (~10-20km depth), with few in the lowest velocity layer. Almost no events are located in the lower crust, and only in the Makran and Aspheron

Makran Mountain Range, Iran and Pakistan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

The long folded mountain ridges and valleys of the coastal Makran Ranges of Iran and Pakistan (26.0N, 63.0E) illustrate the classical Trellis type of drainage pattern, common in this region. The Dasht River and its tributaries is the principal drainage network for this area. To the left, the continental drift of the northward bound Indian sub-continent has caused the east/west parallel ranges to bend in a great northward arc.

Post-collisional deposits in the Zagros foreland basin: Implications for diachronous underthrusting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pirouz, Mortaza

2017-11-01

Detailed sedimentology of the Neogene foreland basin deposits is investigated and classified into 11 lithofacies associations with respect to their paleo-sedimentary environments. The foreland deposits reveal a single coarsening-upward mega-sequence with continuous passage from back-bulge to forebulge, foredeep, and wedge-top sedimentary environments. The Gachsaran deposits form the base of the foreland strata and consist mainly of three different lithofacies associations including fluvial, marine, and sabkha deposits in the eastern Zagros in Fars, and are typically dominated with evaporites toward the west in the Dezful and Kirkuk embayments. The Mishan Formation has three different shallow-marine lithofacies associations in a vertical succession representing foredeep deposits in the eastern Zagros, which tapers toward the Dezful embayment and disappears in Iraq. The Agha Jari distal wedge-top deposits also contain three different lithofacies associations including delta deposits mostly in the Fars, tidal flat deposits in Dezful and Mesopotamia basin, and continental fluvial deposits across the entire Zagros. The uppermost synorogenic Bakhtiari Formation represents proximal wedge-top deposits and consists mainly of two main lithofacies associations including shallow marine and fluvial deposits, within which the fluvial succession is divided into three sub-lithofacies associations with respect to distance from the mountain front and hydraulic power of the river networks. Synthetizing sedimentary facies association with age constraints of the old foreland deposits near the Zagros suture in the High Zagros area suggests that a considerable part of the Arabian plate has been removed at the northern edge by underthrusting and erosion. Moreover, preservation of the young distal foreland deposits near the suture in the western Zagros implies that the magnitude and rate of removal of the proximal foreland deposits have been inconstant along-strike the belt and decreases

A new species of the genus Acinopus Dejean, 1821 from west of Iran (Coleoptera; Carabidae; Harpalini) with a key to species of Iran.

PubMed

Azadbakhsh, Saeed; Wrase, David W

2016-08-08

A new species of the genus Acinopus Dejean, 1821, namely Acinopus (Acinopus) zagrosensis sp. n., is described on the basis of specimens collected from west Iran (type locality: Iran, Fars province, Zagros Mts., Sepidan env., 2060 m). The new species is compared with closely related species. A key for the identification of species of genus Acinopus in Iran is provided.

Spatiotemporal analysis of brucellosis incidence in Iran from 2011 to 2014 using GIS.

PubMed

Pakzad, Reza; Pakzad, Iraj; Safiri, Saeid; Shirzadi, Mohammad Reza; Mohammadpour, Marzieh; Behroozi, Abbas; Sullman, Mark J M; Janati, Ali

2018-02-01

To investigate the distribution and trends associated with brucellosis incidence rates in Iran from 2011 to 2014. The reported incidence rates of brucellosis for the years 2011-2014 were collected and entered into GIS 10.1. The Cochran-Armitage test for linear trends, choropleth maps, hot-spot analysis, and high-low clustering analysis were used to investigate patterns of the disease over the study period and by season, and to identify high-risk areas and any clustering of the disease. The significance level was set at p<0.05. A total of 68493 cases of brucellosis were reported during the study period, giving an average brucellosis incidence rate for this period of 38.67/100000. In 2011, the highest rate of brucellosis was observed in Koohrang County of Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari Province, with 317/100 000. In the subsequent years, 2012-2014, Charuymaq County of East-Azerbaijan Province had incidence rates of 384, 534, and 583/100000, respectively. However, the incidence rate of the disease did not follow a linear trend (p<0.001). The maximum and minimum incidence rates of the disease occurred in mid-summer and mid-winter, respectively. The results of the hot-spot analysis showed that the distribution of the disease was highest in the mountainous areas of Iran, particularly along the Zagros mountain range and in most cities near the Zagros Mountains (p<0.01). In addition, the cluster analysis showed a clustering pattern in these high incidence areas (p<0.01). There were significant differences in the geographic distribution of brucellosis, with the incidence rates being highest in most of the cities in the west and north-west of the country. The incidence of this disease also increased during the summer. It is important to take these patterns into account when allocating resources to combat this disease and to ensure that health programs and other interventions focus on the areas of greatest need. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights

Ophiolites of Iran: Keys to understanding the tectonic evolution of SW Asia: (II) Mesozoic ophiolites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moghadam, Hadi Shafaii; Stern, Robert J.

2015-03-01

Iran is a mosaic of continental terranes of Cadomian (520-600 Ma) age, stitched together along sutures decorated by Paleozoic and Mesozoic ophiolites. Here we present the current understanding of the Mesozoic (and rare Cenozoic) ophiolites of Iran for the international geoscientific audience. We summarize field, chemical and geochronological data from the literature and our own unpublished data. Mesozoic ophiolites of Iran are mostly Cretaceous in age and are related to the Neotethys and associated backarc basins on the S flank of Eurasia. These ophiolites can be subdivided into five belts: 1. Late Cretaceous Zagros outer belt ophiolites (ZOB) along the Main Zagros Thrust including Late Cretaceous-Early Paleocene Maku-Khoy-Salmas ophiolites in NW Iran as well as Kermanshah-Kurdistan, Neyriz and Esfandagheh (Haji Abad) ophiolites, also Late Cretaceous-Eocene ophiolites along the Iraq-Iran border; 2. Late Cretaceous Zagros inner belt ophiolites (ZIB) including Nain, Dehshir, Shahr-e-Babak and Balvard-Baft ophiolites along the southern periphery of the Central Iranian block and bending north into it; 3. Late Cretaceous-Early Paleocene Sabzevar-Torbat-e-Heydarieh ophiolites of NE Iran; 4. Early to Late Cretaceous Birjand-Nehbandan-Tchehel-Kureh ophiolites in eastern Iran between the Lut and Afghan blocks; and 5. Late Jurassic-Cretaceous Makran ophiolites of SE Iran including Kahnuj ophiolites. Most Mesozoic ophiolites of Iran show supra-subduction zone (SSZ) geochemical signatures, indicating that SW Asia was a site of plate convergence during Late Mesozoic time, but also include a significant proportion showing ocean-island basalt affinities, perhaps indicating the involvement of subcontinental lithospheric mantle.

40Ar 39Ar Ages and tectonic setting of ophiolite from the Neyriz area, southeast Zagros Range, Iran

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lanphere, M.A.; Pamic, J.

1983-01-01

An ophiolite, considered to be an allochthonous fragment of Tethyan oceanic crust and mantle, crops out near Neyriz in the Zagros Range, Iran. 40Ar 39Ar ages ranging from 76.8 ?? 23.8 Ma to 105 ?? 23.3 Ma were measured on hornblende from five samples of plagiogranite and diabase from the ophiolite. The most precise ages are 85.9 ?? 3.8 Ma for a diabase and 83.6 ?? 8.4 Ma for a plagiogranite. The weighted mean age of hornblende from the five samples is 87.5 ?? 7.2 Ma which indicates that the igneous part of the Neyriz ophiolite formed during the early part of the Late Cretaceous. Pargasite from amphibolite below peridotite of the Neyriz ophiolite has a 40Ar 39Ar age of 94.9 ?? 7.6 Ma. The pargasite age agrees within analytical uncertainty with the ages measured on diabase and plagiogranite. Comparable ages have been measured on igneous rocks from the Samail ophiolite of Oman and on amphibolite below peridotite of the Samail ophiolite. ?? 1983.

Microbiostratigraphy of the Upper Paleocene to Middle Eocene Jahrum Formation in the Folded Zagros Zone, SW Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Izadighalati, S.; Ahmadi, V.

2017-12-01

The Jahrum Formation (Upper Paleocene to Middle Eocene) is composed of carbonate and dolomitic carbonate rocks in the Zagros Basin. The Zagros is located at the boundary between the Arabian and Eurasian lithosphere plates and represent the orogenic response to a collision between Eurasia and advancing Arabia during the Cenozoic. The study area is located in the northern part of Kuh-E-Tudej, 175 km southeast of Shiraz in the Folded Zagros Zone. The Jahrum Formation at Kuh-E-Tudej, with a thickness of 190 m, consists of medium to massive bedded limestone. The following foraminiferal index species are identified in the studied section: Fallotella alavensis, Kathina sp., Miscellanea sp., Lockhartia sp., Orbitolites shirazeinsis, Nummulites sp., Opertorbitolites sp., Dictyoconus cf. egyptiensis, Orbitolites cf. complanatus, Dictyoconus sp., Coskinolina sp., Somalina stefaninii, Discocyclina sp., Praerhapydionina sp., Coskinolina cf. liburnica, Nummulites cf. globulus, Nummulites cf. aturicus, and Alveolina sp. The age of the studied sediments ranges from Upper Paleocene to Middle Eocene. The microbiostratigraphic studies revealed four biozones based on the foraminifers identified in the studied section.

Variations in the kinematics of deformation along the Zagros inclined transpression zone, Iran: Implications for defining a curved inclined transpression zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarkarinejad, Khalil; Partabian, Abdolreza; Faghih, Ali

2013-03-01

The combination of inclined collision and plate boundary shape can control the nature of deformation and the sense of shear along a transpression zone. The present study investigated the effects of a boundary zone with curvilinear shape along a transpression zone on the kinematics of deformation. The kinematics of the Zagros transpression zone varies with the orientation of the zone boundary. Detailed structural and microstructural studies showed sinistral sense of shear on the southeastern part of the Zagros inclined transpression zone (Fars Arc), but dextral sense of shear on the northwestern part of the zone. It is inferred that the both senses of shear were developed coevally under a bulk general shear, regional-scale deformation along a curved inclined transpression miming the shape of the Fras Arc of the Zagros and the reentrant of the Bandar Abbas Syntaxis. The Zagros transpression zone formed by inclined continental collision between the Afro-Arabian continent and Iranian microcontinent.

The continuation of the Kazerun fault system across the Sanandaj-Sirjan zone (Iran)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Safaei, Homayon

2009-08-01

The Kazerun (or Kazerun-Qatar) fault system is a north-trending dextral strike-slip fault zone in the Zagros mountain belt of Iran. It probably originated as a structure in the Panafrican basement. This fault system played an important role in the sedimentation and deformation of the Phanerozoic cover sequence and is still seismically active. No previous studies have reported the continuation of this important and ancient fault system northward across the Sanandaj-Sirjan zone. The Isfahan fault system is a north-trending dextral strike-slip fault across the Sanandaj-Sirjan zone that passes west of Isfahan city and is here recognized for the first time. This important fault system is about 220 km long and is seismically active in the basement as well as the sedimentary cover sequence. This fault system terminates to the south near the Main Zagros Thrust and to the north at the southern boundary of the Urumieh-Dokhtar zone. The Isfahan fault system is the boundary between the northern and southern parts of Sanandaj-Sirjan zone, which have fundamentally different stratigraphy, petrology, geomorphology, and geodynamic histories. Similarities in the orientations, kinematics, and geologic histories of the Isfahan and Kazerun faults and the way they affect the magnetic basement suggest that they are related. In fact, the Isfahan fault is a continuation of the Kazerun fault across the Sanandaj-Sirjan zone that has been offset by about 50 km of dextral strike-slip displacement along the Main Zagros Thrust.

Analysis of spatial autocorrelation patterns of heavy and super-heavy rainfall in Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rousta, Iman; Doostkamian, Mehdi; Haghighi, Esmaeil; Ghafarian Malamiri, Hamid Reza; Yarahmadi, Parvane

2017-09-01

Rainfall is a highly variable climatic element, and rainfall-related changes occur in spatial and temporal dimensions within a regional climate. The purpose of this study is to investigate the spatial autocorrelation changes of Iran's heavy and super-heavy rainfall over the past 40 years. For this purpose, the daily rainfall data of 664 meteorological stations between 1971 and 2011 are used. To analyze the changes in rainfall within a decade, geostatistical techniques like spatial autocorrelation analysis of hot spots, based on the Getis-Ord G i statistic, are employed. Furthermore, programming features in MATLAB, Surfer, and GIS are used. The results indicate that the Caspian coast, the northwest and west of the western foothills of the Zagros Mountains of Iran, the inner regions of Iran, and southern parts of Southeast and Northeast Iran, have the highest likelihood of heavy and super-heavy rainfall. The spatial pattern of heavy rainfall shows that, despite its oscillation in different periods, the maximum positive spatial autocorrelation pattern of heavy rainfall includes areas of the west, northwest and west coast of the Caspian Sea. On the other hand, a negative spatial autocorrelation pattern of heavy rainfall is observed in central Iran and parts of the east, particularly in Zabul. Finally, it is found that patterns of super-heavy rainfall are similar to those of heavy rainfall.

3-D lithospheric structure and regional/residual Bouguer anomalies in the Arabia-Eurasia collision (Iran)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiménez-Munt, I.; Fernãndez, M.; Saura, E.; Vergés, J.; Garcia-Castellanos, D.

2012-09-01

The aim of this work is to propose a first-order estimate of the crustal and lithospheric mantle geometry of the Arabia-Eurasia collision zone and to separate the measured Bouguer anomaly into its regional and local components. The crustal and lithospheric mantle structure is calculated from the geoid height and elevation data combined with thermal analysis. Our results show that Moho depth varies from ˜42 km at the Mesopotamian-Persian Gulf foreland basin to ˜60 km below the High Zagros. The lithosphere is thicker beneath the foreland basin (˜200 km) and thinner underneath the High Zagros and Central Iran (˜140 km). Most of this lithospheric mantle thinning is accommodated under the Zagros mountain belt coinciding with the suture between two different mantle domains on the Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone. The regional gravity field is obtained by calculating the gravimetric response of the 3-D crustal and lithospheric mantle structure obtained by combining elevation and geoid data. The calculated regional Bouguer anomaly differs noticeably from those obtained by filtering or just isostatic methods. The residual gravity anomaly, obtained by subtraction of the regional components to the measured field, is analyzed in terms of the dominating upper crustal structures. Deep basins and areas with salt deposits are characterized by negative values (˜-20 mGal), whereas the positive values are related to igneous and ophiolite complexes and shallow basement depths (˜20 mGal).

Discussion on ``Dextral transpression in Late Cretaceous continental collision, Sanandaj Sirjan Zone, western Iran'' [Journal of Structural Geology, 22(8) (2000) 1125 1139

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Numan, Nazar M. S.

2001-12-01

The NW-SE trending Alpine Zagros Thrust Belt passes from southwest Iran into northeastern Iraq. Mohajjel and Fergusson contend in their work in Iran on the Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone (with a consistent Zagros trend) that collision of the Afro-Arabian continent and the Iranian microcontinent took place in the Late Cretaceous. It seems that tectonostratigraphic evidence from the neighbouring Iraqi territories, namely the Zagros Thrust Belt in the northern part, the Foreland Belt and the Quasiplatform of the north and the Platform in the western and southern deserts (Fig. 1), chronicles the subductional history in this part of the world to a fair degree of accuracy. It rather provides for an Eocene age of the continental collision between Arabia and the Iranian microcontinent.

Crustal structure and evolution of the NW Zagros Mountains (Iran): Insights from numerical modeling of the interplay between surface and tectonic processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saura, Eduard; Garcia-Castellanos, Daniel; Casciello, Emilio; Vergés, Jaume

2014-05-01

Protracted Arabia-Eurasia convergence resulted in the closure of the >2000 km wide Neo-Tethys Ocean from early Late Cretaceous to Recent. This process was controlled by the structure of the NE margin of the Arabian plate, the NE-dipping oceanic subduction beneath Eurasia, the obduction of oceanic lithosphere and the collision of small continental and volcanic arc domains of the SW margin of Eurasia. The evolution of the Zagros Amiran and Mesopotamian foreland basins is studied in this work along a ~700 km long transect in NW Zagros constrained by field, seismic and published data. We use the well-defined geometries and ages of the Amiran and Mesopotamian foreland basins to estimate the elastic thickness of the lithosphere and model the evolution of the deformation to quantitatively link the topographic, tectonic and sedimentary evolution of the system. Modelling results show two major stages of emplacement. The obduction (pre-collision) stage involves the thin thrust sheets of the Kermanshah complex together with the Bisotun basement. The collision stage corresponds to the emplacement of the basement duplex and associated crustal thickening, coeval to the out of sequence emplacement of Gaveh Rud and Imbricated Zone in the hinterland. The geodynamic model is consistent with the history of the foreland basins, with the regional isostasy model, and with a simple scenario for the surface process efficiency. The emplacement of Bisotun basement during obduction tectonically loaded and flexed the Arabian plate triggering deposition in the Amiran foreland basin. The basement units emplaced during the last 10 My, flexed the Arabian plate below the Mesopotamian basin. During this stage, material eroded from the Simply Folded belt and the Imbricated zone was not enough to fill the Mesopotamian basin, which, according to our numerical model results, required a maximum additional sediment supply of 80 m/Myr. This additional supply had to be provided by an axial drainage system

Active accommodation of plate convergence in Southern Iran: Earthquake locations, triggered aseismic slip, and regional strain rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barnhart, William D.; Lohman, Rowena B.; Mellors, Robert J.

2013-10-01

We present a catalog of interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) constraints on deformation that occurred during earthquake sequences in southern Iran between 1992 and 2011, and explore the implications on the accommodation of large-scale continental convergence between Saudi Arabia and Eurasia within the Zagros Mountains. The Zagros Mountains, a salt-laden fold-and-thrust belt involving ~10 km of sedimentary rocks overlying Precambrian basement rocks, have formed as a result of ongoing continental collision since 10-20 Ma that is currently occurring at a rate of ~3 cm/yr. We first demonstrate that there is a biased misfit in earthquake locations in global catalogs that likely results from neglect of 3-D velocity structure. Previous work involving two M ~ 6 earthquakes with well-recorded aftershocks has shown that the deformation observed with InSAR may represent triggered slip on faults much shallower than the primary earthquake, which likely occurred within the basement rocks (>10 km depth). We explore the hypothesis that most of the deformation observed with InSAR spanning earthquake sequences is also due to shallow, triggered slip above a deeper earthquake, effectively doubling the moment release for each event. We quantify the effects that this extra moment release would have on the discrepancy between seismically and geodetically constrained moment rates in the region, finding that even with the extra triggered fault slip, significant aseismic deformation during the interseismic period is necessary to fully explain the convergence between Eurasia and Saudi Arabia.

Elemental geochemistry and strontium-isotope stratigraphy of Cenomanian to Santonian neritic carbonates in the Zagros Basin, Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Navidtalab, Amin; Rahimpour-Bonab, Hossain; Huck, Stefan; Heimhofer, Ulrich

2016-12-01

A Neo-Tethyan upper Cenomanian-Santonian neritic carbonate ramp succession (Sarvak and Ilam formations), drilled in the Zagros Basin in southwest Iran, was investigated via detailed sedimentology, microfacies analysis, elemental geochemistry and Sr-isotope stratigraphy (SIS). The succession contains two exposure surfaces, which are known as the CT-ES and mT-ES (Cenomanian-Turonian and middle Turonian, respectively), and associated prominent negative carbon-isotope excursions that represent important regional stratigraphic marker horizons. Precise knowledge about the onset of platform exposure and the duration of the exposure-related hiatus, however, is currently lacking due to a rather low-resolved shallow-water biostratigraphic framework and a bulk carbonate carbon-isotope pattern that clearly differs from global Late Cretaceous reference curves. Therefore, the existing bio-chemostratigraphic framework was complemented by bulk carbonate strontium-isotope stratigraphy (SIS). As bulk carbonate material is in particular prone to diagenetic alteration, a careful selection of least altered samples has been carried out by means of elemental geochemistry and petrography. In contrast to what could be expected, the meteoric alteration of limestones beneath both exposure surfaces is not clearly expressed by increasing iron and manganese and coeval decreasing strontium contents. On the contrary, the impact of meteoric diagenesis is well illustrated via pronounced increases in Rb concentrations and concomitant prominent positive shifts to radiogenic strontium-isotope values, an observation that clearly reflects the decay of continentally derived 87Rb into 87Sr. Rubidium corrected strontium-isotope values place the CT-ES around the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary and point to an exposure duration of less than 0.4 Myr. This rather short-term CT-ES related hiatus is supported by petrographic evidence, which indicates a youth karstification stage of strata beneath the CT

Structural analysis and tectonic evolution of the eastern Binalud Mountains, NE Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheikholeslami, M. R.; Kouhpeyma, M.

2012-10-01

The Binalud Mountains are situated in the south of the Kopeh Dagh as a transitional zone between the Alborz and Central Iran zones. The Palaeotethys suture of the north Iran is located in this area. The Binalud Mountains consists of relatively thick successions of sedimentary, metamorphic and igneous rocks. The earliest deformation, a polyphase synmetamorphic deformation which occurred entirely in ductile conditions, is distinguished in the metamorphic rocks of the eastern part. D1, D2 and D3 deformation phases are related to this deformation. The D4 deformation affected the area after a period of sedimentation and erosion. The thrust faults of the central and southern part of the eastern Binalud were classified as structures related to the D5 tectonic event. From the geodynamic point of view, in Late Palaeozoic times the studied area formed an oceanic trench generated by the subduction of the Palaeotethys oceanic lithosphere beneath the Turan Plate. In the Late Triassic, the Early Cimmerian Event resulted in a collisional type orogeny generating a transpression polyphase deformation and the metamorphism of Permian and older sediments. Following this collision, granite intrusions were emplaced in the area and caused contact metamorphism. The exhumation and erosion of the rocks deformed and metamorphosed during Early Cimmerian Event caused the formation of molassic type sediments in a Rhaetian-Lias back arc basin. The continuation of convergence between the Turan and Iran Plates caused the metamorphism of these sediments and their transformation to phyllite and meta-sandstone. During Late Mesozoic and Early Cenozoic times, the convergence between Central Iran and Turan Plates continued and a NE compression caused folding of the Cretaceous and older rocks in the Kopeh Dagh area. In the Binalud area this deformation caused the generation of several thrust fault systems with S to SW vergence, resulting in a thrusting of Palaeozoic and Mesozoic successions on each other

Earth Observation taken during the 41G mission

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-06-25

41G-120-163 (5-13 Oct 1984) --- The long, linear parallel ridges of the Zagros Mountains of southwestern Iran. Dark, round salt domes intrude from deep beneath the earth to produce oil, much of which has yet to be exploited in this area.

Growth of the Zagros Fold-Thrust Belt and Foreland Basin, Northern Iraq, Kurdistan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koshnaw, Renas; Horton, Brian; Stockli, Daniel; Barber, Douglas; Ghalib, Hafidh; Dara, Rebwar

2016-04-01

The Zagros orogenic belt in the Middle Eastern segment of the Alpine-Himalayan system is among the youngest seismically active continental collision zones on Earth. However, due to diachronous and incremental collision, the precise ages and kinematics of shortening and deposition remain poorly understood. The Kurdistan region of the Zagros fold-thrust belt and foreland basin contains well-preserved Neogene wedge-top and foredeep deposits that include clastic nonmarine fill of the Upper Fars, Lower Bakhtiari, and Upper Bakhtiari Formations. These deposits record significant information about orogenic growth, fold-thrust dynamics, and advance of the deformation front. Thermochronologic and geochronologic data from thrust sheets and stratigraphic archives combined with local earthquake data provide a unique opportunity to address the linkages between surface and subsurface geologic relationships. This research seeks to constrain the timing and geometry of exhumation and deformation by addressing two key questions: (1) Did the northwestern Zagros fold-thrust belt evolve from initial thin-skinned shortening to later thick-skinned deformation or vice-versa? (2) Did the fold-thrust belt advance steadily under critical/supercritical wedge conditions involving in-sequence thrusting or propagate intermittently under subcritical conditions with out-of-sequence deformation? From north to south, apatite (U-Th)/He ages from the Main Zagros Thrust, the Mountain Front Flexure (MFF), and additional frontal thrusts suggest rapid exhumation by ~10 Ma, ~5 Ma, and ~8 Ma respectively. Field observations and seismic sections indicate progressive tilting and development of growth strata within the Lower Bakhtiari Formation adjacent to the frontal thrusts and within the Upper Bakhtiari Formation near the MFF. In the Kurdistan region of Iraq, a regional balanced cross section constrained by new thermochronometric results, proprietary seismic reflection profiles, and earthquake hypocenters

Numerical modelling of the role of salt in continental collision: An application to the southeast Zagros fold-and-thrust belt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghazian, Reza Khabbaz; Buiter, Susanne J. H.

2014-09-01

The Zagros fold-and-thrust belt formed in the collision of Arabia with Central Iran. Its sedimentary sequence is characterised by the presence of several weak layers that may control the style of folding and thrusting. We use 2-D thermo-mechanical models to investigate the role of salt in the southeast Zagros fold-and-thrust belt. We constrain the crustal and lithospheric thickness, sedimentary stratification, convergence velocity, and thermal structure of the models from available geological and geophysical data. We find that the thick basal layer of Hormuz salt in models on the scale of the upper-mantle decouples the overlying sediments from the basement and localises deformation in the sediments by trench-verging shear bands. In the collision stage of the models, basement dips with + 1° towards the trench. Including the basal Hormuz salt improves the fit of predicted topography to observed topography. We use the kinematic results and thermal structure of this large-scale model as the initial conditions of a series of upper-crustal-scale models. These models aim to investigate the effects of basal and intervening weak layers, salt strength, basal dip, and lateral salt distribution on deformation style of the simply folded Zagros. Our results show that in addition to the Hormuz salt at the base of the sedimentary cover, at least one intervening weak layer is required to initiate fold-dominated deformation in the southeast Zagros. We find that an upper-crustal-scale model, with a basal and three internal weak layers with viscosities between 5 × 1018 and 1019 Pa s, and a basement that dips + 1° towards the trench, best reproduces present-day topography and the regular folding of the sedimentary layers of the simply folded Zagros.

Spatiotemporal patterns of stable isotopes and hydrochemistry in springs and river flow of the upper Karkheh River Basin, Iran.

PubMed

Osati, Khaled; Koeniger, Paul; Salajegheh, Ali; Mahdavi, Mohammad; Chapi, Kamran; Malekian, Arash

2014-06-01

Karst springs of the Zagros Mountains contribute a significant amount to agricultural and human water demands of western and south-western Iran. For an adequate management of available water resources in semi-arid and arid regions, sufficient hydrological monitoring is needed, and hydro-chemical and isotope hydrological data provide important additional information. About 350 water samples were collected from precipitation, river water, and karst springs of the upper part of the Karkheh River Basin (20,895 km(2)) located between 33°35(') and 34°55(') North and 46°22(') and 49°10(') East with elevations ranging from 928 to 3563 m above sea level. Sampling was conducted in monthly time resolution from August 2011 to July 2012. All samples were analysed for hydro-chemical parameters (pH, electrical conductivity, and major ions) and stable isotopes (deuterium, oxygen-18). Isotope values of precipitation indicate a local meteoric water line (Zagros MWL δ(2)H=6.8 δ(18)O+10.1; R(2)=0.99) situated between the Mediterranean MWL and Global MWL. Spring and river water isotope values vary between-7.1 and-4.1 ‰, and-38 and-25 ‰ for δ(18)O and δ(2)H, respectively, responding to winter snowmelt and evaporation. This work implements stable isotopes and hydro-chemical information of springs and river water to understand hydrological and hydro-geological interrelations in karstic semi-arid areas and helps to improve the current water resources management practices of western Iran.

Orogen-Wide InSAR Time Series for Detecting Deformation Sources: The Zagros and Makran of Southern Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lohman, R. B.; Barnhart, W. D.

2011-12-01

We present interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) time series maps that span the eastern Zagros (Fars Arc) collisional belt and western Makran accretionary prism of Southern Iran. Given the upcoming availability of large volumes of SAR data from new platforms, such as Sentinel 1 and potentially DESDynI, we explore computationally efficient approaches for extracting deformation time series when the signal of interest is small compared to the level of noise in individual interferograms. We use 12 descending and 2 ascending multi-frame (2-4 frames) Envisat tracks and 2 ascending ALOS tracks spanning 2003-2010 and 2006-2010. We implement a linear inversion, similar to the Small Baseline Subset (SBaS) technique, to derive surface displacements at individual acquisition dates from trees of interferograms with perpendicular baselines less than 350m for Envisat and 1500m for ALOS pairs. This spatially extensive dataset allows us to investigate several attributes of interferometry that vary spatially and temporally over large distances, including changes in phase coherence relative to elevation and relief as well as land use. Through synthetic tests and observed data, we explore various sources of potential error in calculation of time series, including variable coherence of pixels between interferograms in a single track, ambiguities in phase unwrapping, and orbital ramp estimation over scenes with variable correlated noise structure. We present examples of detected signals with both temporally variable characteristics and small magnitudes, including surface/subsurface salt deformation, aseismic deformation across Minab-Zendan-Palami strike-slip zone, and subsidence due to hydrocarbon extraction.

Controls on size and occurrence of the largest sub-aerial landslide on Earth: Seymareh (Saidmarreh) landslide, Zagros fold-thrust belt, Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roberts, N. J.; Evans, S. G.

2009-12-01

Gigantic (> 1 Gm3) landslides are high-magnitude, low-frequency extremes of mass movements. They are important factors in topographic evolution and hazard in mountain regions due to their magnitude. However, few examples exist for study because of their infrequency. Consequently, controls on the location and size gigantic landslides remain poorly understood. Re-examination of the Seymareh (Saidmarreh) rock avalanche, Zagros fold-thrust belt, shows it to be the largest sub-aerial landslide on Earth (initial failure volume 38 Gm3), thus representing the upper magnitude limit for terrestrial landslides. Detailed examination of the source area (including orbital remote sensing, geotechnical investigation and structural mapping) provides new insights into controls on the size and mobility of gigantic landslides. The gigantic Early Holocene rockslide initiated on the northeast limb of Kabir Kuh, the largest anticline in the Zagros fold-thrust belt, and involved the simultaneous failure of a rock mass measuring 15 km along strike. The rockslide transformed into a rock avalanche that ran-out 19.0 km, filling two adjacent valleys and overtopping an intervening low mountain ridge. The failure involved 220 m of competent jointed limestone (Asmari Formation) underlain by 580 m of weaker mudrock-dominated units. Geologic structure, geomechanical strength and topography of the source slope strongly controlled failure initiation. Extreme landslide dimensions resulted in part from extensive uniform pre-failure stability, produced by structural and topographic features related to the large scale of the Kabir Kuh anticline. High continuity bedding planes determined the large lateral extent along strike. Bedding normal joints, the breached nature of the anticline and fluvial undercutting at the slope toe accommodated expansive lateral, headscarp and toe release, respectively, necessary for extensive failure. Geomechanically weak units at depth aided the penetration of the failure

Structure and evolution of the northern Oman margin: gravity and seismic constraints over the Zagros-Makran-Oman collision zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ravaut, P.; Bayer, R.; Hassani, R.; Rousset, D.; Yahya'ey, A. Al

1997-09-01

The obduction process in Oman during Late Cretaceous time, and continental-to-oceanic subduction along the Zagros-Makran region during the Tertiary are consequences of the Arabian-Eurasian collision, resulting in construction of complex structures composed of the Oman ophiolite belt, the Zagros continental mountain belt and the Makran subduction zone with its associated accretionary wedge. In this paper, we jointly interpret Bouguer anomaly and available petroleum seismic profiles in terms of crustal structures. We show that the gravity anomaly in northern Oman is characterized by a high-amplitude negative-positive couple. The negative anomaly is coincident with Late Cretaceous (Fiqa) and Tertiary (Pabdeh) foreland basins and with the Zagros-Oman mountain belts, whereas the positive anomaly is correlated to the ophiolite massifs. The Bouguer anomaly map indicates the presence of a post-Late Cretaceous sedimentary basin, the Sohar basin, centred north of the Batinah plain. We interpret the negative/positive couple in terms of loading of the elastic Arabian lithosphere. We estimate the different Cretaceous-to-Recent loads, including topography, ophiolite nappes, sedimentary fill and the accretionary prism of the Makran trench. A new method, using Mindlin's elastic plate theory, is proposed to model the 2D deflection of the heterogeneous elastic Arabian plate, taking into account boundary conditions at the ends of the subducted plate. We show that remnant ophiolites are isolated from Tethyan oceanic lithosphere in the Gulf of Oman by a continental basement ridge, a NW prolongation of the Saih-Hatat window. Loading the northward-limited ophiolite blocks explains the deflection of the Fiqa foredeep basin. West of the Musandam Peninsula, the Tertiary Pabdeh foredeep is probably related to the emplacement of a 8-km-thick tectonic prism located on the Musandam Peninsula and in the Strait of Hormuz. Final 2D density models along profiles through the Oman mountain belt and

The rate of rise, fall and gravity spreading at Siahou diapir (Southern Iran)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aftabi, P.; Roustaie, M.

2009-04-01

InSAR imaging can be used for extracting three dimensional information of the diapirs surface by using the phase part of the radar signal. We used InSAR to examine the cumulative surface deformation between 920706 to 060518, in a 10×10 km region surrounding the salt diapir at Kuh-e-Namak Siahou. The interferograms span periods was between 35-70 and 1248 days. Images acquired in 12 increments provided by ESA. This technique used here involves computation and subsequent combinations of interferometric phase gradient maps were used for mapping the salt flow deformation in the Zagros. Kuh-e-Namak Siahou is one of the salt extrusions currently active in the Zagros range in Iran. Salt rises from a mother salt horizon about 4 km deep and extruded as a dome with glacier on the surface. The geometry and inferred flow pattern of the salt changed between the increments, emphasizing that the extrusion rate and gravity spreading is not steady. Elevations in the salt mountain range from 1000 to 1640 meters and the displacements exceed to 20cm per year . Our InSAR study(Fig1) suggest that the dimensions and velocity of the salt movements are changing between 2 to 20mm per year(-0.7 to0.59 mm per day).The rate of surface dissolution changed between 2 to 4 cm a-1, and its rate of rise out of its orifice at 0 to 200 mm per year. The InSAR study suggest that the vigorous salt extrusion in Siahou is probably active.The deep source probably rise at a similar rates in the past but it fall in the time of InSAR study. The rate of fall was 260 mm per year(for 14 years). The InSAR images suggest that salt extrusion in Siahou flow laterally at rate 20-25 mm per year and the namakiers felt at -2 mm per month. The InSAR results indicated concentric and radial flow in the diapir from a central point at summit and spreading glaciers in sideways.Phase differences measured in our interferograms generally in the range of 0-260 mm/yr(-260 mm) within the studied period, with exceptional high rates

Study and comparison of the maximum stress directions and main fault orientations in some active zones in Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forouhid, Khatereh; Faraji, Atefeh; Ghorashi, Manouchehr

2010-05-01

Study and comparison of the maximum stress directions and main fault orientations in some active zones in Iran Khatereh Forouhid, Manouchehr Ghorashi, Atefeh Faraji Institute of Geophysics, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran kforouhid@yahoo.com Farajiatefeh@yahoo.com The Iranian plateau is the widest active zone in Alpine-Himalayan collision system that is located between two stable platforms, the Arabia in southwest and Eurasia in northeast. The convergence of these two platforms towards each other is the main reason for seismicity and different styles of deformation observed in Iran. In this study, the Iranian plateau is divided into 7 regions based on their seismotectonic characteristics. These regions are; Zagros, Makran, East Iran, Alborz, Kopeh Dagh, Central Iran and Azarbayejan (northwest of Iran). In each region, focal mechanism solutions of early and modern instrumental earthquakes (the only source of information suitable to use for stress distribution study in Iran) with magnitudes more than 5.0 and their relations to active faults are considered. By studying each maximum stress direction based on a group of earthquake focal mechanisms and considering main fault orientations, each region is studied individually. According to these data, some of these regions are divided into smaller parts. These sub-divided parts have some characters that make them different from their neighbors in the same region. In this regard, Zagros is studied in detail based on seismotectonic characteristics and divided into three parts, with N-S maximum stress direction (compressional) in one part and two different kind of NE-SW direction in two other. We use this information to investigate the style and distribution of active faulting in the Zagros and the relationships of this activity with shortening of the Arabia-Eurasia collision. It is worth to mention that as the fault slip will almost occur in the direction of maximum resolved shear stress on the fault plane, probably strain

Multiplatform observations of dust vertical distribution during transport over northwest Iran in the summertime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdi Vishkaee, Farhad; Flamant, Cyrille; Cuesta, Juan; Flamant, Pierre; Khalesifard, Hamid R.

2011-03-01

Dynamical processes leading to dust emission over Iran and surrounding countries in the summer as well as the subsequent transport of dust toward northwest Iran are analyzed on the basis of two case studies using a suite of ground-based and spaceborne remote sensing platforms together with modeling tools. Ground-based lidar measurements acquired in Zanjan provide new insight into the vertical distribution of dust linked to transport over northwest Iran and highlight the importance of low-level transport of dust from both Iraq and Iran for air quality issues in Tehran. During the 3-5 August 2007 case, dust emission regions are located in Syria/Iraq and close to Qom, Iran, in a large intermittent salt lake in the western part of the Dasht-e Kavir desert. The visibility in Tehran associated with this event decreases significantly (reaching 7 km) on 5 August 2007 only. During the 11-13 September 2008 case, the dust transported to northwest Iran originates from Syria/Iraq only. The visibility in Tehran during this case is low throughout the period, sometimes less than 5 km due to the transport of dust at low levels. In both cases, emissions in Syria and Iraq occur in response to strong Shamal winds. However, transport of dust toward Iran takes place at different levels: above 700 hPa in August and below 700 hPa in September. This is found to be related to the presence of strong northeasterly winds over the Zagros Mountains as well as in its lee (south of the range) in the August case only. In August also, dust emissions in the Qom region results from strong winds blowing over the Dasht-e Kavir desert.

3D Reconstruction of geological structures based on remote sensing data: example from Anaran anticline, Lurestan province, Zagros folds and thrust belt, Iran.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snidero, M.; Amilibia, A.; Gratacos, O.; Muñoz, J. A.

2009-04-01

This work presents a methodological workflow for the 3D reconstruction of geological surfaces at regional scale, based on remote sensing data and geological maps. This workflow has been tested on the reconstruction of the Anaran anticline, located in the Zagros Fold and Thrust belt mountain front. The used remote sensing data-set is a combination of Aster and Spot images as well as a high resolution digital elevation model. A consistent spatial positioning of the complete data-set in a 3D environment is necessary to obtain satisfactory results during the reconstruction. The Aster images have been processed by the Optimum Index Factor (OIF) technique, in order to facilitate the geological mapping. By pansharpening of the resulting Aster image with the SPOT panchromatic one we obtain the final high-resolution image used during the 3D mapping. Structural data (dip data) has been acquired through the analysis of the 3D mapped geological traces. Structural analysis of the resulting data-set allows us to divide the structure in different cylindrical domains. Related plunge lines orientation has been used to project data along the structure, covering areas with little or no information. Once a satisfactory dataset has been acquired, we reconstruct a selected horizon following the dip-domain concept. By manual editing, the obtained surfaces have been adjusted to the mapped geological limits as well as to the modeled faults. With the implementation of the Discrete Smooth Interpolation (DSI) algorithm, the final surfaces have been reconstructed along the anticline. Up to date the results demonstrate that the proposed methodology is a powerful tool for 3D reconstruction of geological surfaces when working with remote sensing data, in very inaccessible areas (eg. Iran, China, Africa). It is especially useful in semiarid regions where the structure strongly controls the topography. The reconstructed surfaces clearly show the geometry in the different sectors of the structure

Anti-Atlas Mountains, Morocco

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

The Anti-Atlas Mountains of northern Africa and the nearby Atlas mountains were created by the prolonged collision of the African and Eurasian tectonic plates, beginning about 80 million years ago. Massive sandstone and limestone layers have been crumpled and uplifted more than 4,000 meters in the High Atlas and to lower elevations in the Anti-Atlas. Between more continuous major fold structures, such as the Jbel Ouarkziz in the southwestern Anti-Atlas, tighter secondary folds (arrow) have developed. Earlier, the supercontinent of Pangea rifted apart to form precursors to the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean (Beauchamp and others, 1996). In those seas sands, clays, limey sediments, and evaporite layers (gypsum, rock salt) were deposited. Later, during the mountain-building plate collision, the gypsum layers flowed under the pressure and provided a slippery surface on which overlying rigid rocks could glide (Burkhard, 2001). The broad, open style of folds seen in this view is common where evaporites are involved in the deformation. Other examples can be found in the Southern Zagros of Iran and the Sierra Madre Oriental of Mexico. Information Sources: Beauchamp, W., Barazangi, M., Demnati, A., and El Alji, M., 1996, Intracontinental rifting and inversion: Missour Basin and Atlas Mountains, Morocco: Tulsa, American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 80, No. 9, p. 1459-1482. Burkhard, Martin, 2001, Tectonics of the Anti-Atlas of Morocco -- Thin-skin/thick-skin relationships in an atypical foreland fold belt. University of Neuchatel, Switzerland: http://www-geol.unine.ch/Structural/Antiatlas.html (accessed 1/29/02). STS108-711-25 was taken in December, 2001 by the crew of Space Shuttle mission 108 using a Hasselblad camera with 250-mm lens. The image is provided by the Earth Sciences and Image Analysis Laboratory at Johnson Space Center. Additional images taken by astronauts and cosmonauts can be viewed at the NASA-JSC Gateway to Astronaut Photography

The cretaceous source rocks in the Zagros Foothills of Iran: An example of a large size intracratonic basin

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bordenave, M.L.; Huc, A.Y.

1993-02-01

The Zagros orogenic belt of Iran is one of the world most prolific petroleum producing area. However, most of the oil production is originated from a relatively small area, the 60,000 km[sup 2] wide Dezful Embayment which contains approximately 12% of the proven oil global reserves. The distribution of the oil and gas fields results from the area extent of six identified source rock layers, their thermal history and reservoir, cap rock and trap availability. In this paper, the emphasis is three of the layers of Cretaceous sources rocks. The Garau facies was deposited during the Neocomian to Albian intervalmore » over Lurestan, Northeast Khuzestan and extends over the extreme northeast part of Fars, the Kazhdumi source rock which deposited over the Dezful Embayment, and eventually the Senonian Gurpi Formation which has marginal source rock characteristics in limited areas of Khuzestan and Northern Fars. The deposition environment of these source rock layers corresponds to semipermanent depressions, included in an overall shallow water intracratonic basin communicating with the South Tethys Ocean. These depressions became anoxic when climatic oceanographical and geological conditions were adequate, i.e., humid climate, high stand water, influxes of fine grained clastics and the existence of sills separating the depression from the open sea. Distribution maps of these source rock layers resulting from extensive field work and well control are also given. The maturation history of source rocks is reconstructed from a set of isopachs. It was found that the main contributor to the oil reserves is the Kazhdumi source rock which is associated with excellent calcareous reservoirs.« less

2-D Density and Directional Analysis of Fault Systems in the Zagros Region (Iran) on a Regional Scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hashemi, Seyed Naser; Baizidi, Chavare

2018-04-01

In this paper, 2-D spatial variation of the frequency and length density and frequency-length relation of large-scale faults in the Zagros region (Iran), as a typical fold-and-thrust belt, were examined. Moreover, the directional analysis of these faults as well as the scale dependence of the orientations was studied. For this purpose, a number of about 8000 faults with L ≥ 1.0 km were extracted from the geological maps covering the region, and then, the data sets were analyzed. The overall pattern of the frequency/length distribution of the total faults of the region acceptably fits with a power-law relation with exponent 1.40, with an obvious change in the gradient in L = 12.0 km. In addition, maps showing the spatial variation of fault densities over the region indicate that the maximum values of the frequency and length density of the faults are attributed to the northeastern part of the region and parallel to the suture zone, respectively, and the fault density increases towards the central parts of the belt. Moreover, the directional analysis of the fault trends gives a dominant preferred orientation trend of 300°-330° and the assessment of the scale dependence of the fault directions demonstrates that larger faults show higher degrees of preferred orientations. As a result, it is concluded that the evolutionary path of the faulting process in this region can be explained by increasing the number of faults rather than the growth in the fault lengths and also it seems that the regional-scale faults in this region are generated by a nearly steady-state tectonic stress regime.

Environmental factors-ecological species group relationships in the Surash lowland-mountain forests in northern Iran

Treesearch

Fatemeh Bazdid Vahdati; Shahryar Saeidi Mehrvarz; Daniel C. Dey; Alireza Naqinezhad

2016-01-01

Identification of the primary factors that influence the ecological distribution of species groups is important to managers of lowland-mountain forests in northern Iran. The aim of this study was to identify main ecological species groups, describe the site conditions associated with these species groups and the relationships between environmental factors and the...

Computer-based self-organized tectonic zoning: a tentative pattern recognition for Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zamani, Ahmad; Hashemi, Naser

2004-08-01

Conventional methods of tectonic zoning are frequently characterized by two deficiencies. The first one is the large uncertainty involved in tectonic zoning based on non-quantitative and subjective analysis. Failure to interpret accurately a large amount of data "by eye" is the second. In order to alleviate each of these deficiencies, the multivariate statistical method of cluster analysis has been utilized to seek and separate zones with similar tectonic pattern and construct automated self-organized multivariate tectonic zoning maps. This analytical method of tectonic regionalization is particularly useful for showing trends in tectonic evolution of a region that could not be discovered by any other means. To illustrate, this method has been applied for producing a general-purpose numerical tectonic zoning map of Iran. While there are some similarities between the self-organized multivariate numerical maps and the conventional maps, the cluster solution maps reveal some remarkable features that cannot be observed on the current tectonic maps. The following specific examples need to be noted: (1) The much disputed extent and rigidity of the Lut Rigid Block, described as the microplate of east Iran, is clearly revealed on the self-organized numerical maps. (2) The cluster solution maps reveal a striking similarity between this microplate and the northern Central Iran—including the Great Kavir region. (3) Contrary to the conventional map, the cluster solution maps make a clear distinction between the East Iranian Ranges and the Makran Mountains. (4) Moreover, an interesting similarity between the Azarbaijan region in the northwest and the Makran Mountains in the southeast and between the Kopet Dagh Ranges in the northeast and the Zagros Folded Belt in the southwest of Iran are revealed in the clustering process. This new approach to tectonic zoning is a starting point and is expected to be improved and refined by collection of new data. The method is also a useful

Modeling of wind gap formation and development of sedimentary basins during fold growth: application to the Zagros Fold Belt, Iran.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collignon, Marine; Yamato, Philippe; Castelltort, Sébastien; Kaus, Boris

2016-04-01

Mountain building and landscape evolution are controlled by the interactions between river dynamics and tectonic forces. Such interactions have been largely studied but a quantitative evaluation of tectonic/geomorphic feedbacks remains required for understanding sediments routing within orogens and fold-and-thrust belts. Here, we employ numerical simulations to assess the conditions of uplift and river incision necessary to deflect an antecedent drainage network during the growth of one or several folds. We propose that a partitioning of the river network into internal (endorheic) and longitudinal drainage arises as a result of lithological differences within the deforming crustal sedimentary cover. We show with examples from the Zagros Fold Belt (ZFB) that drainage patterns can be linked to the incision ratio R between successive lithological layers, corresponding to the ratio between their relative erodibilities or incision coefficients. Transverse drainage networks develop for uplift rates smaller than 0.8 mm.yr-1 and -10 < R < 10. Intermediate drainage network are obtained for uplift rates up to 2 mm.yr-1 and incision ratios of 20. Parallel drainage networks and formation of sedimentary basins occur for large values of incision ratio (R >20) and uplift rates between 1 and 2 mm.yr-1. These results have implications for predicting the distribution of sediment depocenters in fold-and-thrust belts, which can be of direct economic interest for hydrocarbon exploration.

A remote sensing study of active folding and faulting in southern Kerman province, S.E. Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, Richard Thomas

2006-04-01

Geomorphological observations reveal a major oblique fold-and-thrust belt in Kerman province, S.E. Iran. The active faults appear to link the Sabzevaran right-lateral strike-slip fault in southeast Iran to other strike-slip faults within the interior of the country and may provide the means of distributing right-lateral shear between the Zagros and Makran mountains over a wider region of central Iran. The Rafsanjan fault is manifest at the Earth's surface as right-lateral strike-slip fault scarps and folding in alluvial sediments. Height changes across the anticlines, and widespread incision of rivers, are likely to result from hanging-wall uplift above thrust faults at depth. Scarps in recent alluvium along the northern margins of the folds suggest that the thrusts reach the surface and are active at the present-day. The observations from Rafsanjan are used to identify similar late Quaternary faulting elsewhere in Kerman province near the towns of Mahan and Rayen. No instrumentally recorded destructive earthquakes have occurred in the study region and only one historical earthquake (Lalehzar, 1923) is recorded. In addition GPS studies show that present-day rates of deformation are low. However, fault structures in southern Kerman province do appear to be active in the late Quaternary and may be capable of producing destructive earthquakes in the future. This study shows how widely available remote sensing data can be used to provide information on the distribution of active faulting across large areas of deformation.

The occurrence and origin of celestite in the Abolfares region, Iran: Implications for Sr-mineralization in Zagros fold belt (ZFB)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pourkaseb, Houshang; Zarasvandi, Alireza; Rezaei, Mohsen; Mahdavi, Reyhaneh; Ghanavati, Fatemeh

2017-10-01

The major celestite deposits in Zagros Fold belt are associated with coastal marine carbonate and evaporate sediments of Oligo-Miocene Asmari and Lower Miocene Ghachsaran Formations. In the Abolfares region, celestite mineralization is extended in the western limb of Bangestan anticline in the carbonates of Early Miocene (middle part of Asmari Formation), underlying by dolomitic carbonates of Burdigalian. From bottom to top three main types of mineralization can be distinguished in the study area: (1) layer texture resulting from replacement of algal limestone by celestite minerals with some parts showing idiomorphic crystals (geodes) along the walls of the cavities, (2) celestite occurrence as irregular massive shape interconnected small crystals and nodules, and (3) celestite mineralization associated with steeply dipping veins and open space fracture fillings, resulting from late-stage epigenetic processes. Highlightly, the ore-hosting carbonate rocks were deposited in an intertidal - supratidal protected setting with hypersaline conditions, in accordance with other celestite deposits of the Zagros Fold belt. The abundance of diagenetic crystallization rhythmites, carbonate and anhydrite inclusions as confirmed by Laser Raman spectroscopy analysis, high Sr/Ba values (average; 8726.1) and strong negative correlations between SO3 vs CaO (R2 = 0.98), SrO vs CaO (R2 = 0.96) with positive correlations between Ba vs SrO (R2 = 0.54) and SO3 vs SrO (R2 = 0.98) highlight the role of high Sr late-diagenetic brines in replacement of carbonates with celestite minerals. It seems that the inception of compressional folding during or soon after the deposition of the Asmari Formation in the carbonate platform at the margin of NW-trending basin in the foreland of the Zagros orogenic belt lead to the upward refluxing of penetrated high-Sr diagenetic brines and celestite mineralization.

Tectonic and climatic controls on fan systems: The Kohrud mountain belt, Central Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Stuart J.; Arzani, Nasser; Allen, Mark B.

2014-04-01

Late Pleistocene to Holocene fans of the Kohrud mountain belt (Central Iran) illustrate the problems of differentiating tectonic and climatic drivers for the sedimentary signatures of alluvial fan successions. It is widely recognised that tectonic processes create the topography that causes fan development. The existence and position of fans along the Kohrud mountain belt, NE of Esfahan, are controlled by faulting along the Qom-Zefreh fault system and associated fault zones. These faults display moderate amounts of historical and instrumental seismicity, and so may be considered to be tectonically active. However, fluvial systems on the fans are currently incising in response to low Gavkhoni playa lake levels since the mid-Holocene, producing incised gullies on the fans up to 30 m deep. These gullies expose an interdigitation of lake deposits (dominated by fine-grained silts and clays with evaporites) and coarse gravels that characterise the alluvial fan sediments. The boundaries of each facies are mostly sharp, with fan sediments superimposed on lake sediments with little to no evidence of reworking. In turn, anhydrite-glauberite, mirabilite and halite crusts drape over the gravels, recording a rapid return to still water, shallow ephemeral saline lake sedimentation. Neither transition can be explained by adjustment of the hinterland drainage system after tectonic uplift. The potential influence in Central Iran of enhanced monsoons, the northward drift of the Intertopical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and Mediterranean climates for the early Holocene (~ 6-10 ka) point to episodic rainfall (during winter months) associated with discrete high magnitude floods on the fan surfaces. The fan sediments were deposited under the general influence of a highstand playa lake whose level was fluctuating in response to climate. This study demonstrates that although tectonism can induce fan development, it is the sensitive balance between aridity and humidity resulting from changes in

Stress states in the Zagros fold-and-thrust belt from passive margin to collisional tectonic setting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Navabpour, Payman; Barrier, Eric

2012-12-01

The present-day Zagros fold-and-thrust belt of SW-Iran corresponds to the former Arabian passive continental margin of the southern Neo-Tethyan basin since the Permian-Triassic rifting, undergoing later collisional deformation in mid-late Cenozoic times. In this paper an overview of brittle tectonics and palaeostress reconstructions of the Zagros fold-and-thrust belt is presented, based on direct stress tensor inversion of fault slip data. The results indicate that, during the Neo-Tethyan oceanic opening, an extensional tectonic regime affectedthe sedimentary cover in Triassic-Jurassic times with an approximately N-S trend of the σ3 axis, oblique to the margin, which was followed by some local changes to a NE-SW trend during Jurassic-Cretaceous times. The stress state significantly changed to thrust setting, with a NE-SW trend of the σ1 axis, and a compressional tectonic regime prevailed during the continental collision and folding of the sedimentary cover in Oligocene-Miocene times. This compression was then followed by a strike-slip stress state with an approximately N-S trend of the σ1 axis, oblique to the belt, during inversion of the inherited extensional basement structures in Pliocene-Recent times. The brittle tectonic reconstructions, therefore, highlighted major changes of the stress state in conjunction with transitions between thin- and thick-skinned structures during different extensional and compressional stages of continental deformation within the oblique divergent and convergent settings, respectively.

Paleomagnetism of the Talesh Mountains and implications for the geodynamics of NW Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langereis, C. G.; Kuijper, C. B.; Rezaeian, M.; van der Boon, A.; Cotton, L.; Pastor-Galan, D.; Krijgsman, W.

2017-12-01

Since the late Eocene, convergence and subsequent collision between Arabia and Eurasia was accommodated both in the overriding Eurasian plate - which includes the Iranian plateau - and by subduction and accretion of the Neotethys and Arabian margin. Determining rotations of the Talesh is of crucial importance for estimating crustal shortening in the Arabia-Eurasia collision region. Previously, we quantified how much Arabia-Eurasia convergence was accommodated north of the Talesh mountains of NW Iran (120 km). Since the Eocene, the Talesh and western Alborz Mountains show a 16° net clockwise rotation relative to Eurasia. In our kinematic restoration, we considered the Talesh and western Alborz Mountains as a coherent single block, with a length of 600 km. However, on a smaller scale ( 100 km), the Talesh Mountains show a Z-shaped outcrop pattern of Eocene volcanic rocks. Here, we present new paleomagnetic data from Cretaceous sediments and Eocene volcanics of the Talesh Mountains, which cover a gap in our previous work. We reconstruct vertical axis rotations of the Z-shape. For the Eocene, our results indicate an increasing amount of CW rotation with respect to Eurasia from south to north: 24° in the southeast to 49° in the central Talesh. Cretaceous data show significantly larger rotations of 70-100° CW. This could indicate that curvature in the Talesh is progressive through time. The formation of this orocline must have started after the Eocene at the latest. However, it seems that not all of the outcrop pattern can be explained by the observed vertical axis rotations yet.

Ethnobotanical Study of Medicinal Plants of Hezar Mountain Allocated in South East of Iran

PubMed Central

Rajaei, Peyman; Mohamadi, Neda

2012-01-01

This manuscript is the result of ethnobotany and ethnopharmacology survey on the Hezar Mountain in SE of Iran. Traditional botanical medicine is the primary mode of healthcare for most of the population of this region. The plants were collected in and around Hezar mountain from 2008-2010. The authors have conducted an interview of total 75 informants; The traditional uses of 92 species belonging to 35 vascular plant families and 78 genera have been recorded. The largest number of medicinal species came from Lamiaceae (15.2%). The most common preparations were decoction and infusion. These species are utilized to treat several ailments which the most common of them are digestive disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, (25.4%), renal and genital disorders (13%), respiratory tract system disorders (11.8%), and heart-blood circulatory system disorders (10.2%) respectively. PMID:24250549

Sustainability of wild pistachio (Pistacia atlantica Desf.) in Zagros forests, Iran

Treesearch

Morteza Pourreza; John D. Shaw; Hoshang Zangeneh

2008-01-01

Wild pistachio (Pistacia atlantica Desf.) is the most economically important tree species in many rural areas in the west of Iran. The species produces resin used for a wide variety of traditional uses. Because the resin can be harvested non-destructively, the trees are maintained until mortality occurs from natural causes. The result is that natural...

Role of the Kazerun fault system in active deformation of the Zagros fold-and-thrust belt (Iran)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Authemayou, Christine; Bellier, Olivier; Chardon, Dominique; Malekzade, Zaman; Abassi, Mohammad

2005-04-01

Field structural and SPOT image analyses document the kinematic framework enhancing transfer of strike-slip partitioned motion from along the backstop to the interior of the Zagros fold-and-thrust belt in a context of plate convergence slight obliquity. Transfer occurs by slip on the north-trending right-lateral Kazerun Fault System (KFS) that connects to the Main Recent Fault, a major northwest-trending dextral fault partitioning oblique convergence at the rear of the belt. The KFS formed by three fault zones ended by bent orogen-parallel thrusts allows slip from along the Main Recent Fault to become distributed by transfer to longitudinal thrusts and folds. To cite this article: C. Authemayou et al., C. R. Geoscience 337 (2005).

Timing of atmospheric precipitation in the Zagros Mountains inferred from a multi-proxy record from Lake Mirabad, Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stevens, Lora R.; Ito, Emi; Schwalb, Antje; Wright, Herbert E.

2006-11-01

A sediment core 7.2 m long from Lake Mirabad, Iran, was examined for loss-on-ignition, mineralogy, oxygen-isotopic composition of authigenic calcite, and trace-element composition of ostracodes to complement earlier pollen and ostracode-assemblage studies. Pollen, ostracode-inferred lake level, and high Sr/Ca ratios indicate that the early Holocene (10000 to 6500 cal yr BP) was drier than the late Holocene. Low δ18O values during this interval are interpreted as resulting from winter-dominated precipitation, characteristic of a Mediterranean climate. Increasing δ18O values after 6500 cal yr BP signal a gradual increase in spring rains, which are present today. A severe 600-yr drought occurred at ca. 5500 cal yr BP, shortly after the transition from pistachio-almond to oak forest. During the late Holocene, two milder droughts occurred at about 1500 and 500 cal yr BP. Within the resolution of the record, no drought is evident during the collapse of the Akkadian empire (4200-3900 cal yr BP). Rather, a decrease in δ18O values to early-Holocene levels may indicate the return to a Mediterranean precipitation regime.

Calculation of Confidence Intervals for the Maximum Magnitude of Earthquakes in Different Seismotectonic Zones of Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salamat, Mona; Zare, Mehdi; Holschneider, Matthias; Zöller, Gert

2017-03-01

The problem of estimating the maximum possible earthquake magnitude m_max has attracted growing attention in recent years. Due to sparse data, the role of uncertainties becomes crucial. In this work, we determine the uncertainties related to the maximum magnitude in terms of confidence intervals. Using an earthquake catalog of Iran, m_max is estimated for different predefined levels of confidence in six seismotectonic zones. Assuming the doubly truncated Gutenberg-Richter distribution as a statistical model for earthquake magnitudes, confidence intervals for the maximum possible magnitude of earthquakes are calculated in each zone. While the lower limit of the confidence interval is the magnitude of the maximum observed event,the upper limit is calculated from the catalog and the statistical model. For this aim, we use the original catalog which no declustering methods applied on as well as a declustered version of the catalog. Based on the study by Holschneider et al. (Bull Seismol Soc Am 101(4):1649-1659, 2011), the confidence interval for m_max is frequently unbounded, especially if high levels of confidence are required. In this case, no information is gained from the data. Therefore, we elaborate for which settings finite confidence levels are obtained. In this work, Iran is divided into six seismotectonic zones, namely Alborz, Azerbaijan, Zagros, Makran, Kopet Dagh, Central Iran. Although calculations of the confidence interval in Central Iran and Zagros seismotectonic zones are relatively acceptable for meaningful levels of confidence, results in Kopet Dagh, Alborz, Azerbaijan and Makran are not that much promising. The results indicate that estimating m_max from an earthquake catalog for reasonable levels of confidence alone is almost impossible.

Effects of dust on forest tree health in Zagros oak forests.

PubMed

Moradi, A; Taheri Abkenar, K; Afshar Mohammadian, M; Shabanian, N

2017-10-10

Dust is one of the most devastating factors for the environment threatening all animal and plant species. In many regions, the ecological and economic impact of microdust on scarce species is critical. In the western region of Iran, the Zagros forests have been exposed to dust storms for many years. In this study, the effect of dust on oak trees, the most important trees of Zagros forests, is investigated. For this purpose, 3-year-old seedlings of three species of oak trees under natural conditions were exposed to dust during spring and summer months. Seedlings were divided into two groups; one group was assigned as dust treatment and the other as control that the control group washed regularly to remove dust. Anatomical characteristics of leaves and dust deposits on leaves during the study period were examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The rate of photosynthesis and gas exchange in control and treated plants was examined by IRGA, LCI. SEM images showed that stomata structure, trichome density, and epicuticular waxes of leaves are different in all three species. This difference in micromorphology of species influences the effects of dust deposited on the leaves. A comparison of leaf species images in control and dust treatment showed that in dust treatment the percentage of stomata blocked by dust in three species (per unit area) of Quercus infectoria, Q. libni, and Q. brantii were 61/6, 48/4, and 38/1%, respectively. The results of leaf gas exchange investigation indicated that stomatal occlusion by dust had a negative impact on the examined parameters of three oak species (P ≤ 0.01). Thus, gas exchange and photosynthetic rates of the treated species were significantly reduced. The results of both parts of the study showed the vulnerability of the three species to dust as Q. infectoria > Q. libni > Q. brantii. Therefore, based on these findings, dust can disrupt the physiological activities of the studied species and the continuation of the

Analysis of the stress field and strain rate in Zagros-Makran transition zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghorbani Rostam, Ghasem; Pakzad, Mehrdad; Mirzaei, Noorbakhsh; Sakhaei, Seyed Reza

2018-01-01

Transition boundary between Zagros continental collision and Makran oceanic-continental subduction can be specified by two wide limits: (a) Oman Line is the seismicity boundary with a sizeable reduction in seismicity rate from Zagros in the west to Makran in the east; and (b) the Zendan-Minab-Palami (ZMP) fault system is believed to be a prominent tectonic boundary. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the stress field in the Zagros-Makran transition zone by the iterative joint inversion method developed by Vavrycuk (Geophysical Journal International 199:69-77, 2014). The results suggest a rather uniform pattern of the stress field around these two boundaries. We compare the results with the strain rates obtained from the Global Positioning System (GPS) network stations. In most cases, the velocity vectors show a relatively good agreement with the stress field except for the Bandar Abbas (BABS) station which displays a relatively large deviation between the stress field and the strain vector. This deviation probably reflects a specific location of the BABS station being in the transition zone between Zagros continental collision and Makran subduction zones.

Influence of pre-existing basement faults on the structural evolution of the Zagros Simply Folded belt: 3D numerical modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruh, Jonas B.; Gerya, Taras

2015-04-01

The Simply Folded Belt of the Zagros orogen is characterized by elongated fold trains symptomatically defining the geomorphology along this mountain range. The Zagros orogen results from the collision of the Arabian and the Eurasian plates. The Simply Folded Belt is located southwest of the Zagros suture zone. An up to 2 km thick salt horizon below the sedimentary sequence enables mechanical and structural detachment from the underlying Arabian basement. Nevertheless, deformation within the basement influences the structural evolution of the Simply Folded Belt. It has been shown that thrusts in form of reactivated normal faults can trigger out-of-sequence deformation within the sedimentary stratigraphy. Furthermore, deeply rooted strike-slip faults, such as the Kazerun faults between the Fars zone in the southeast and the Dezful embayment and the Izeh zone, are largely dispersing into the overlying stratigraphy, strongly influencing the tectonic evolution and mechanical behaviour. The aim of this study is to reveal the influence of basement thrusts and strike-slip faults on the structural evolution of the Simply Folded Belt depending on the occurrence of intercrustal weak horizons (Hormuz salt) and the rheology and thermal structure of the basement. Therefore, we present high-resolution 3D thermo-mechnical models with pre-existing, inversively reactivated normal faults or strike-slip faults within the basement. Numerical models are based on finite difference, marker-in-cell technique with (power-law) visco-plastic rheology accounting for brittle deformation. Preliminary results show that deep tectonic structures present in the basement may have crucial effects on the morphology and evolution of a fold-and-thrust belt above a major detachment horizon.

The Post-Eocene Evolution of the Doruneh Fault Region (Central Iran): The Intraplate Response to the Reorganization of the Arabia-Eurasia Collision Zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tadayon, Meisam; Rossetti, Federico; Zattin, Massimiliano; Nozaem, Reza; Calzolari, Gabriele; Madanipour, Saeed; Salvini, Francesco

2017-12-01

The Cenozoic deformation history of Central Iran has been dominantly accommodated by the activation of major intracontinental strike-slip fault zones, developed in the hinterland domain of the Arabia-Eurasia convergent margin. Few quantitative temporal and kinematic constraints are available from these strike-slip deformation zones, hampering a full assessment of the style and timing of intraplate deformation in Iran and the understanding of the possible linkage to the tectonic reorganization of the Zagros collisional zone. This study focuses on the region to the north of the active trace of the sinistral Doruneh Fault. By combing structural and low-temperature apatite fission track (AFT) and (U-Th)/He (AHe) thermochronology investigations, we provide new kinematic and temporal constraints to the deformation history of Central Iran. Our results document a post-Eocene polyphase tectonic evolution dominated by dextral strike-slip tectonics, whose activity is constrained since the early Miocene in response to an early, NW-SE oriented paleo-σ1 direction. A major phase of enhanced cooling/exhumation is constrained at the Miocene/Pliocene boundary, caused by a switch of the maximum paleo-σ1 direction to N-S. When integrated into the regional scenario, these data are framed into a new tectonic reconstruction for the Miocene-Quaternary time lapse, where strike-slip deformation in the intracontinental domain of Central Iran is interpreted as guided by the reorganization of the Zagros collisional zone in the transition from an immature to a mature stage of continental collision.

Petrography, geochemistry, and U-Pb geochronology of pegmatites and aplites associated with the Alvand intrusive complex in the Hamedan region, Sanandaj-Sirjan zone, Zagros orogen (Iran)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sepahi, Ali Asghar; Salami, Sedigheh; Lentz, David; McFarlane, Christopher; Maanijou, Mohammad

2018-04-01

The Alvand intrusive complex in the Hamedan area in Iran is in the Sanandaj-Sirjan zone of the Zagros orogen. It consists of a wide range of plutonic rocks, mainly gabbro, diorite, granodiorite, granite, and leucogranites that were intruded by aplitic and pegmatitic dykes. At least three successive magmatic episodes generated an older gabbro-diorite-tonalite assemblage, followed by a voluminous granodiorite-granite association, which was then followed by minor leucocratic granitoids. Aplitic and pegmatitic dykes and bodies have truncated both plutonic rocks of the Alvand intrusive complex and its metamorphic aureole. Chemically they belong to peraluminous LCT (Li-, Cs-, and Ta-bearing) family of pegmatites. Mineralogically, they resemble Muscovite (MS) and Muscovite Rare Element (MSREL) classes of pegmatites. High amounts of some elements, such as Sn (up to 10,000 ppm), Rb (up to 936 ppm), Ba (up to 706 ppm), and LREE (up to 404 ppm) indicate the highly fractionated nature of some of these aplites and pegmatites. U-Pb dating of monazite, zircon, and allanite by LA-ICPMS indicate the following ages: monazite-bearing aplites of Heydareh-e-Poshteshahr and Barfejin areas, southwest of Hamedan, give an age range of 162-172 Ma; zircon in Heydareh-e-Poshteshar gives an average age of 165 Ma and for allanite-bearing pegmatites of Artiman area, north of Tuyserkan, an age of 154.1 ± 3.7 Ma was determined. These overlap with previously reported ages (ca. 167-153 Ma) for the plutonic rocks of the Alvand complex. Therefore, these data reveal that the Jurassic was a period of magmatism in the Hamedan region and adjacent areas in the Sanandaj-Sirjan zone, which was situated at the southern edge of the central Iranian micro-plate (southern Eurasian plate) at this time. Our results also suggest that advective heating in a continental arc setting has caused melting of fertile supracrustal lithologies, such as meta-pelites. These partial melts were then emplaced at much higher

An integrated taxonomic approach to survey Armillaria in Iran

Treesearch

Saeideh Jafarpour; Khalil-Berdi Fotouhifar; Mohammad Javan-Nikhhah; Mohhamad Reza Asef; Anthony S. Davis; Amy L. Ross-Davis; John W. Hanna; Simona Margaritescu; Jean-Marc Moncalvo; Ned B. Klopfenstein

2016-01-01

Iran's most valuable forests are located on the coast of the Caspian Sea and cover 1.85 million ha in the northern region of the Alborz mountain range, which is the highest mountain range in the Middle East. Dense forests cover two major provinces, Gilan and Mazandaran; however, less than 10% of Iran is forested. These forests comprise temperate,...

Orogenic plateau growth: Expansion of the Turkish-Iranian Plateau across the Zagros fold-and-thrust belt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, M. B.; Saville, C.; Blanc, E. J.-P.; Talebian, M.; Nissen, E.

2013-03-01

This paper shows how the Turkish-Iranian Plateau grows laterally by incrementally incorporating adjacent parts of the Zagros fold-and-thrust belt. The limit of significant, seismogenic, thrusting in the Zagros (Mw > 5) occurs close to the regional 1250 m elevation contour. The seismicity cutoff is not a significant bedrock geology boundary. Elevations increase northward, toward regional plateau elevations of 2 km, implying that another process produced the extra elevation. Between the seismogenic limit of thrusting and the suture, this process is a plausibly ductile thickening of the basement, suggesting depth-dependent strain during compression. Similar depth-dependant crustal strain may explain why the Tibetan plateau has regional elevations 1500 m greater than the elevation limit of seismogenic thrusting at its margins. We estimate 68 km shortening across the Zagros Simply Folded Belt in the Fars region, and 120 km total shortening of the Arabian plate. The Dezful Embayment is a low strain zone in the western Zagros. Deformation is more intense to its northeast, in the Bakhtyari Culmination. The orogenic taper (across strike topographic gradient) across the Dezful Embayment is 0.0004, and across the Bakhtyari Culmination, 0.022. Lateral plateau growth is more pronounced farther east (Fars), where a more uniform structure has a taper of 0.010 up to elevations of 1750 m. A >100 km wide region of the Zagros further northeast has a taper of 0.002 and is effectively part of the Turkish-Iranian Plateau. Internal drainage enhances plateau development but is not a pre-requisite. Aspects of the seismicity, structure, and geomorphology of the Zagros do not support critical taper models for fold-and-thrust belts.

Preliminary investigation of Zagros thrust-fold-belt deformation using SAR interferometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nilforoushan, Faramarz; Talbot, Christopher J.; Fielding, Eric J.

2005-01-01

Most of the Zagros deformation resulting from the convergence of Arabia and Eurasia takes place in the Southeast Zagros. To apply the SAR interferometry geodetic technique, a few ERS 1 & 2 satellite images were used to map this continuing deformation proven by GPS. Interferograms over 7 years show surprisingly high coherence. The unwrapped phases display a high correlation with topography reflecting atmospheric noise in addition to the desired tectonic signal. We estimate two simple linear trends and remove them from interferograms. The preliminary results show local uplift rates with a likely minimum of 1-2 mm/yr. These early crude results will be tested by more data in project No. 3174.

Refinement of stratigraphy according to the first finds of planktonic species of Orbulina and Praeorbulina from the Guri Limestone of the Mishan Formation in northwest of Bandar Abbas, South Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daneshian, J.; Moallemi, S. A.; Derakhshani, M.

2016-05-01

The Zagros Basin is one of the most universal oil and gas basins that is located in the west to south of Iran and in north of the Arabian Plate. The Guri Member at the bottom of the Mishan Formation, in some areas such as Bandar Abbas hinterland, contains a significant amount of gas. The Bandar Abbas hinterland is located in the southeast of Zagros. The Guri Limestone is the youngest hydrocarbon reservoirs of the Zagros Sedimentary Basin. In this study, a total of 178 samples from the Guri Limestone in the Handun section are investigated for foraminiferal biostratigraphy. The study of foraminifers led to a recognition of 43 genera and 57 species of benthic and planktonic foraminifera. For the first time, planktonic foraminiferal species including Praeorbulina glomerosa, Praeorbulina transitoria, Orbulina suturalis, and Orbulina universa are reported, and based on the identified benthic and planktonic foraminifera taxa, the age of the Guri Member at Handun section is estimated as late Burdigalian to Langhian.

Detrital zircon U-Pb and (U-Th)/He double-dating of Upper Cretaceous-Cenozoic Zagros foreland basin strata in the Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barber, D. E.; Stockli, D. F.; Koshnaw, R. I.; Horton, B. K.; Tamar-Agha, M. Y.; Kendall, J. J.

2014-12-01

The NW Zagros orogen is the result of the multistage collisional history associated with Late Cretaceous-Cenozoic convergence of the Arabian and Eurasian continents and final closure of Neotethys. Siliciclastic strata preserved within a ~400 km segment of the NW Zagros fold-thrust belt and foreland basin in the Iraqi Kurdistan Region (IKR) provide a widespread record of exhumation and sedimentation. As a means of assessing NW Zagros foreland basin evolution and chronostratigraphy, we present coupled detrital zircon (DZ) U-Pb and (U-Th)/He geo-thermochronometric data of Upper Cretaceous to Pliocene siliciclastic strata from the Duhok, Erbil, and Suleimaniyah provinces of IKR. LA-ICP-MS U-Pb age analyses reveal that the foreland basin fill in IKR in general was dominantly derived from Pan-African/Arabian-Nubian, Peri-Gondwandan, Eurasian, and Cretaceous volcanic arc terrenes. However, the provenance of these strata varies systematically along strike and through time, with an overall increase in complexity upsection. DZ age distribution of Paleocene-Eocene strata is dominated by a ~95 Ma grain age population, likely sourced from the Late Cretaceous Hassanbag-Bitlis volcanic arc complex along the northern margin of Arabia. In contrast, DZ U-Pb age distributions of Neogene strata show a major contribution derived from various Eurasian (e.g., Iranian, Tauride, Pontide; ~45, 150, 300 Ma) and Pan-African (~550, 950 Ma) sources. The introduction of Eurasian DZ ages at the Paleogene-Neogene transition likely records the onset of Arabian-Eurasian collision. Along strike to the southeast, the DZ U-Pb spectra of Neogene strata show a decreased percentage of Pan-African, Peri-Gondwandan, Tauride, and Ordovician ages, coupled with a dramatic increase in 40-50 Ma DZ ages that correspond to Urumieh-Dokhtar magmatic rocks in Iran. Combined with paleocurrent data, this suggests that Neogene sediments were transported longitudinally southeastward through an unbroken foreland basin

Palaeogeographical peculiarities of the Pabdeh Formation (Paleogene) in Iran: New evidence of global diversity-determined geological heritage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Habibi, Tahereh; Nielsen, Jan K.; Ponedelnik, Alena A.; Ruban, Dmitry A.

2017-11-01

Unique palaeogeographical peculiarities of sedimentary formations are important for geological heritage conservation and use for the purposes of tourism. The heritage value of the Pabdeh Formation (Paleocene-Oligocene) of the Zagros Fold-Thrust Belt in Iran has been investigated. The uniqueness of its palaeogeographical peculiarities has been assessed on the basis of the literature, field studies of three representative sections in the Fars Province (Kavar, Zanjiran, and Shahneshin sections), and comparison with the similar features known in Iran and globally. The Pabdeh Formation reflects the process of mixed siliciclastic-carbonate ramp progradation and the onset of a typical carbonate platform. The other unique features include representation of mesopelagic palaeohabitat, specific trace fossil assemblages, prehistoric bituminous artefacts (production of which was linked to the Pabdeh deposits), etc. It is established that the palaeogeographical type of geological heritage of the Pabdeh Formation is represented by all known subtypes, namely facies, palaeoecosystem, ichnological, taphonomical, event, and geoarchaeological subtypes. Their rank varies between regional and global. The very fact of co-occurrence of these subtypes determines the global importance of the entire palaeogeographical type in the case of this formation. The establishment of geopark in the Zagros Fold-Thrust Belt will facilitate adequate use of the Pabdeh Formation for the purpose of geotourism development. The aesthetic properties (rocks of different colour and striped patterns of outcrops) increase the attractiveness of this geological body to visitors.

Cenozoic intracontinental deformation of the Kopeh Dagh Belt, Northeastern Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Yang; Wan, Bo; Chen, Ling; Talebian, Morteza

2016-04-01

Compressional intracontinental orogens represent large tectonic zones far from plate boundaries. Since intracontinental mountain belts cannot be framed in the conventional plate tectonics theory, several hypotheses have been proposed to account for the formations of these mountain belts. The far-field effect of collision/subduction at plate margins is now well accepted for the origin and evolution of the intracontinental crust thickening, as exemplified by the Miocene tectonics of central Asia. In northern Iran, the Binalud-Alborz mountain belt witnessed the Triassic tectonothermal events (Cimmerian orogeny), which are interpreted as the result of the Paleotethys Ocean closure between the Eurasia and Central Iran blocks. The Kopeh Dagh Belt, located to the north of the Binalud-Alborz Belt, has experienced two significant tectonic phases: (1) Jurassic to Eocene rifting with more than 7 km of sediments; and (2) Late Eocene-Early Oligocene to Quaternary continuous compression. Due to the high seismicity, deformation associated with earthquakes has received more and more attention; however, the deformation pattern and architecture of this range remain poorly understood. Detailed field observations on the Cenozoic deformation indicate that the Kopeh Dagh Belt can be divided into a western zone and an eastern zone, separated by a series of dextral strike-slip faults, i.e. the Bakharden-Quchan Fault System. The eastern zone characterized by km-scale box-fold structures, associated with southwest-dipping reverse faults and top-to-the NE kinematics. In contrast, the western zone shows top-to-the SW kinematics, and the deformation intensifies from NE to SW. In the northern part of this zone, large-scale asymmetrical anticlines exhibit SW-directed vergence with subordinate thrusts and folds, whereas symmetrical anticlines are observed in the southern part. In regard to its tectonic feature, the Kopeh Dagh Belt is a typical Cenozoic intracontinental belt without ophiolites or

Seismic Expression of Fault Related Folding in Southeastern Turkey

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beauchamp, W.; McDonald, D.

2009-12-01

Weldon Beauchamp, and David McDonald,TransAtlantic Petroleum Corp. 5910 N. Central Expressway, Suite 1755, Dallas, TX 75206 weldon@tapcor.com, 214-395-7125 The Zagros fold belt extends northwest from Iran and Iraq into southeastern Turkey. Large scale fault related folds control the topography of this region and the path of the Tigris river. Large surface anticlines in the Zagros Mountains provide traps for giant oil and gas fields in Iran and Iraq. Similar scale folds extend into southeast Turkey. These southward verging fault related folds are believed to detach in the Paleozoic. Borehole data, surface geological maps, satellite data and digital topographic models were used to create models to constrain structure at depth. Structural modeling of these folds was used to design, acquire and process seismic reflection data in the region. The seismic reflection data confirmed the presence of asymmetrical, south verging complex fault related folding. Faults related to these folds detach in the Lower Ordovician to Cambrian age shales. These folds are believed to form doubly plunging structures that fold Tertiary through Paleozoic age rocks forming multiple levels of possible hydrocarbon entrapment.

Late Eocene Uplift of the Al Hajar Mountains, Oman, Supported by Stratigraphy and Low-Temperature Thermochronology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hansman, Reuben J.; Ring, Uwe; Thomson, Stuart N.; den Brok, Bas; Stübner, Konstanze

2017-12-01

Uplift of the Al Hajar Mountains in Oman has been related to either Late Cretaceous ophiolite obduction or the Neogene Zagros collision. To test these hypotheses, the cooling of the central Al Hajar Mountains is constrained by 10 apatite (U-Th)/He (AHe), 15 fission track (AFT), and four zircon (U-Th)/He (ZHe) sample ages. These data show differential cooling between the two major structural culminations of the mountains. In the 3 km high Jabal Akhdar culmination AHe single-grain ages range between 39 ± 2 Ma and 10 ± 1 Ma (2σ errors), AFT ages range from 51 ± 8 Ma to 32 ± 4 Ma, and ZHe single-grain ages range from 62 ± 3 Ma to 39 ± 2 Ma. In the 2 km high Saih Hatat culmination AHe ages range from 26 ± 4 to 12 ± 4 Ma, AFT ages from 73 ± 19 Ma to 57 ± 8 Ma, and ZHe single-grain ages from 81 ± 4 Ma to 58 ± 3 Ma. Thermal modeling demonstrates that cooling associated with uplift and erosion initiated at 40 Ma, indicating that uplift occurred 30 Myr after ophiolite obduction and at least 10 Myr before the Zagros collision. Therefore, this uplift cannot be related to either event. We propose that crustal thickening supporting the topography of the Al Hajar Mountains was caused by a slowdown of Makran subduction and that north Oman took up the residual fraction of N-S convergence between Arabia and Eurasia.

Folding pattern in the Fars province, Zagros folded belt: case study on the Karbasi and Khaftar anticlines, interior Fars, Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maleki, Z.; Arian, M.; Solgi, A.

2015-08-01

The anticlines in Fars region, which are located in Zagros fold-thrust belt, are valuable because they possess several hydrocarbons and this area is easily recognized by the NW-SE trending parallel anticlines that verge to the SW. According to the geological classification, the study area is located in Interior Fars region. Due to increasing complication of structural geometry in Fars region and necessity to explore activities for deeper horizons especially the Paleozoic ones, the analysis of fold style elements, which is known as one of the main parts in structural studies, seems necessary. The Karbasi and Khaftar anticlines are case study anticlines in the interior Fars sub-basin (Fassa area). These anticlines have an asymmetric structure and some faults with large strike separation are observed in these structures. Due to increasing complication of structural geometry in Fars region and necessity to explore activities for deeper horizons especially the Paleozoic ones, the analysis of fold style elements, which is known as one of the main parts in structural studies, seems necessary. Description of fold geometry is important because it allows comparisons within and between folds and also allows us to recognize patterns in the occurrence and distribution of fold systems. The main aim of this paper is to determine fold style elements and folding pattern in the study area. This paper presents a part of the results of a regional study of Fars province in the Zagros Simply folded belt, based on satellite images, geological maps, and well data. In the Interior Fars area, it seems that folding pattern is controlled by structural elements such as the Nezamabad basement fault and Dashtak formation. In fact, as a middle detachment unit, Dashtak formation plays an important role regarding folding geometry and fold in style in the study area.

An improved evaluation of the seismic/geodetic deformation-rate ratio for the Zagros Fold-and-Thrust collisional belt

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palano, Mimmo; Imprescia, Paola; Agnon, Amotz; Gresta, Stefano

2018-04-01

We present an improved picture of the ongoing crustal deformation field for the Zagros Fold-and-Thrust Belt continental collision zone by using an extensive combination of both novel and published GPS observations. The main results define the significant amount of oblique Arabia-Eurasia convergence currently being absorbed within the Zagros: right-lateral shear along the NW trending Main Recent fault in NW Zagros and accommodated between fold-and-thrust structures and NS right-lateral strike-slip faults on Southern Zagros. In addition, taking into account the 1909-2016 instrumental seismic catalogue, we provide a statistical evaluation of the seismic/geodetic deformation-rate ratio for the area. On Northern Zagros and on the Turkish-Iranian Plateau, a moderate to large fraction (˜49 and >60 per cent, respectively) of the crustal deformation occurs seismically. On the Sanandaj-Sirjan zone, the seismic/geodetic deformation-rate ratio suggests that a small to moderate fraction (<40 per cent) of crustal deformation occurs seismically; locally, the occurrence of large historic earthquakes (M ≥ 6) coupled with the high geodetic deformation, could indicate overdue M ≥ 6 earthquakes. On Southern Zagros, aseismic strain dominates crustal deformation (the ratio ranges in the 15-33 per cent interval). Such aseismic deformation is probably related to the presence of the weak evaporitic Hormuz Formation which allows the occurrence of large aseismic motion on both subhorizontal faults and surfaces of décollement. These results, framed into the seismotectonic framework of the investigated region, confirm that the fold-and-thrust-dominated deformation is driven by buoyancy forces; by contrast, the shear-dominated deformation is primary driven by plate stresses.

Evolution of the stress fields in the Zagros Foreland Folded Belt using focal mechanisms and kinematic analyses: the case of the Fars salient, Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarkarinejad, Khalil; Zafarmand, Bahareh; Oveisi, Behnam

2018-03-01

The NW-SE trending Zagros orogenic belt was initiated during the convergence of the Afro-Arabian continent and the Iranian microcontinent in the Late Cretaceous. Ongoing convergence is confirmed by intense seismicity related to compressional stresses collision-related in the Zagros orogenic belt by reactivation of an early extensional faulting to latter compressional segmented strike-slip and dip-slip faulting. These activities are strongly related either to the deep-seated basement fault activities (deep-seated earthquakes) underlies the sedimentary cover or gently dipping shallow-seated décollement horizon of the rheological weak rocks of the infra-Cambrian Hormuz salt. The compressional stress regimes in the different units play an important role in controlling the stress conditions between the different units within the sedimentary cover and basement. A significant set of nearly N-S trending right-lateral strike-slip faults exists throughout the study area in the Fars area in the Zagros Foreland Folded Belt. Fault-slip and focal mechanism data were analyzed using the stress inversion method to reconstruct the paleo and recent stress conditions. The results suggest that the current direction of maximum principal stress averages N19°E, with N38°E that for the past from Cretaceous to Tertiary (although a few sites on the Kar-e-Bass fault yield a different direction). The results are consistent with the collision of the Afro-Arabian continent and the Iranian microcontinent. The difference between the current and paleo-stress directions indicates an anticlockwise rotation in the maximum principle stress direction over time. This difference resulted from changes in the continental convergence path, but was also influenced by the local structural evolution, including the lateral propagation of folds and the presence of several local décollement horizons that facilitated decoupling of the deformation between the basement and the sedimentary cover. The obliquity of

Structural, micro-structural and kinematic analyses of channel flow in the Karmostaj salt diapir in the Zagros foreland folded belt, Fars province, Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarkarinejad, Khalil; Sarshar, Maryam Asadi; Adineh, Sadegh

2018-02-01

One of the main characteristic of the Zagros foreland fold-and-thrust belt and the Zagros foreland folded belt are wide distributions of surface extrusion from the Hormuz salt diapirs. This study examines the structure and kinematic of channel flow in the Karmostaj salt diapir in the southwestern part of the Zagros foreland folded belt. This diapir has reached the surface as a result of the channel flow mechanism and has extruded in the southern limb of the Kuh-Gach anticline which is an asymmetric décollement fold with convergence to the south. Structural and microstructural studies and quantitative finite strain (Rs) and kinematic vorticity number (Wk) analyses were carried out within this salt diapir and its namakier. This was in order to investigate the structural evolution in the salt diapiric system, the characteristics and mechanism of the salt flow and the distribution of flow regimes within the salt diapir and interaction of regional tectonics and salt diaprism. The extruded salt has developed a flow foliation sub-parallel to the remnant bedding recorded by different colors, a variety of internal folds including symmetrical and asymmetrical folds and interference fold patterns, shear zones, and boudins. These structures were used to analyze mechanisms and history of diapiric flow and extrusion. The microstructures, reveal various deformation mechanisms in various parts of salt diapir. The measurements of finite strain show that Rs values in the margin of salt diapir are higher than within its namakier which is consistent with the results of structural studies. Mean kinematic vorticity number (Wm) measured in steady state deformation of diapir and namakier is Wm = 0.45-0.48 ± 0.13. The estimated mean finite deformation (Wm) values indicate that 67.8% pure shear and 32.2% simple shear deformation were involved; the implications of which are discussed. The vorticity of flow indicates that in the early stage of growth, Poiseuille flow was the dominate

A bioclimatic characterization of high elevation habitats in the Alborz mountains of Iran.

PubMed

Noroozi, Jalil; Körner, Christian

2018-01-01

The Alborz mountains in N-Iran at 36° N rise from the Caspian Sea to 5671 m a.s.l., with warm-temperate, winter-deciduous forests in the lower montane belt in northern slopes, and vast treeless terrain at higher elevation. A lack of rainfall (ca. 550 mm at high elevations) cannot explain the absence of trees. Hence, it is an open question, which parts of these mountains belong to the alpine belt. Here we use bioclimatic data to estimate the position of the potential climatic treeline, and thus, define bioclimatologically, what is alpine and what is not. We employed the same miniature data loggers and protocol that had been applied in a Europe-wide assessment of alpine climates and a global survey of treeline temperatures. The data suggest a potential treeline position at ca. 3300 m a.s.l., that is ca. 900 m above the upper edge of the current oak forest, or 450 m above its highest outposts. The alpine terrain above the climatic treeline position shows a temperature regime comparable to sites in the European Alps. At the upper limit of angiosperm life, at 4850 m a.s.l., the growing season lasted 63 days with a seasonal mean root zone temperature of 4.5 °C. We conclude that (1) the absence of trees below 2850 m a.s.l. is clearly due to millennia of land use. The absence of trees between 2850 and 3300 m a.s.l. is either due to the absence of suitable tree taxa, or the only potential regional taxon for those elevations, Juniperus excelsa , had been eradicated by land use as well. (2) These continental mountains provide thermal life conditions in the alpine belt similar to other temperate mountains. (3) Topography and snow melt regimes play a significant role for the structure of the alpine vegetation mosaics.

The Geology of the Persian Gulf-Gulf of Oman Region: A Synthesis (Paper 6R0118)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ross, David A.; Uchupi, Elazar; White, Robert S.

1986-08-01

During the Mesozoic most of the Arabian Peninsula, Persian Gulf, south-western Iran, and eastern Iraq constituted the Arabian platform. Deformation of the Musandam Peninsula in the Late Cretaceous and mid-Tertiary by compression (subduction) from the east and southwest, collision of the Arabian platform and Eurasian plate along the Zagros Crush zone during the Oligocene or early Miocene, and emplacement of the Zagros Mountains by gravitational sliding during the Neogene and Pleistocene have reduced the platform area to the Persian Gulf. Other factors that contributed to the reduction of the Arabian platform include the uplift of the Arabian Peninsula during the opening of the Red Sea in the Tertiary, tectonism of the Infracambrian Hormuz salt, upwarp of the platform sediment cover by basement uplift and/or salt tectonics, and a 600- to 400-m drop in sea level since the Cretaceous. At present, tectonism in the region is restricted to the northern edge of the Gulf of Oman where the Arabian plate is subducting the Eurasian plate from the south and to the Zagros Crush zone where the Arabian and Eurasian plates are colliding with one another.

Late Jurassic low latitude of Central Iran: paleogeographic and tectonic implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mattei, Massimo; Muttoni, Giovanni; Cifelli, Francesca

2014-05-01

The individual blocks forming present-day Central Iran are now comprised between the Zagros Neo-Tethys suture to the south and the Alborz Palaeo-Tethys suture to the north. At the end of the Palaeozoic, the Iranian blocks rifted away from the northern margin of Gondwana as consequence of the opening of the Neo-Tethys, and collided with Eurasia during the Late Triassic, giving place to the Eo-Cimmerian orogeny. From then on, the Iranian block(s) should have maintained European affinity. Modern generations of apparent polar wander paths (APWPs) show the occurrence in North American and African coordinates of a major and rapid shift in pole position (=plate shift) during the Middle-Late Jurassic. This so-called monster polar shift is predicted also for Eurasia from the North Atlantic plate circuit, but Jurassic data from this continent are scanty and problematic. Here, we present paleomagnetic data from the Kimmeridgian-Tithonian (Upper Jurassic) Garedu Formation of Iran. Paleomagnetic component directions of primary (pre-folding) age indicate a paleolatitude of deposition of 10°N ± 5° that is in excellent agreement with the latitude drop predicted for Iran from APWPs incorporating the Jurassic monster polar shift. We show that paleolatitudes calculated from these APWPs, used in conjunction with simple zonal climate belts, better explain the overall stratigraphic evolution of Iran during the Mesozoic.

Comments on “Arc magmatism and subduction history beneath the Zagros Mountains, Iran: A new report of adakites and geodynamic consequences” by J. Omrani, P. Agard, H. Whitechurch, M. Bennoit, G. Prouteau, L. Jolivet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aftabi, Alijan; Atapour, Habibeh

2009-12-01

Based on the imprecise geochemical data for 62 samples from Qom, Anar and Baft regions in central Iranian magmatic arc Omrani et al. (Omrani, J., Agard, P., Witechurch, H., Benoit, M., Prouteau, G., Jolivet, L., 2008. Arc magmatism and subduction history beneath the Zagsros Mountains, Iran: A new report of adakites and geodynamic consequences. Lithos 106, 380-398.), suggested that all studied magmatic rocks display the geochemical affinity of subduction-related calc-alkalic rock suites. Here, we demonstrate that the incorrect altered and variable geochemical data (e.g., Al 2O 3, Sr, Y, Ni, Cr, SiO 2, Na 2O, La/Yb and Th/Ce), show that most of the samples actually display calc-alkaline, shoshonitic and calc-alkalic-adakitic affinities. Furthermore, as a result of alteration, rock samples of similar age (e.g., Qom) indicate both adakitic and non-adakitic compositional signatures, which is misleading. On the basis of more than 400 previously published geochemical analyses, we suggest that, after eliminating the false geochemical signatures, the calc-alkaline and adakitic affinities of the central Iranian magmatic arc are due to flat subduction and might be related to a second phase of Miocene- Pliocene porphyry copper mineralization, which is a considerable exploration target and thus merits further investigation.

Geotechnical Risk Classification for Underground Mines / Klasyfikacja Poziomu Zagrożenia Geotechnicznego W Kopalniach Podziemnych

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mishra, Ritesh Kumar; Rinne, Mikael

2015-03-01

Underground mining activities are prone to major hazards largely owing to geotechnical reasons. Mining combined with the confined working space and uncertain geotechnical data leads to hazards having the potential of catastrophic consequences. These incidents have the potential of causing multiple fatalities and large financial damages. Use of formal risk assessment in the past has demonstrated an important role in the prediction and prevention of accidents in risk prone industries such as petroleum, nuclear and aviation. This paper proposes a classification system for underground mining operations based on their geotechnical risk levels. The classification is done based on the type of mining method employed and the rock mass in which it is carried out. Mining methods have been classified in groups which offer similar geotechnical risk. The rock mass classification has been proposed based on bulk rock mass properties which are collected as part of the routine mine planning. This classification has been subdivided for various stages of mine planning to suit the extent of available data. Alpha-numeric coding has been proposed to identify a mining operation based on the competency of rock and risk of geotechnical failures. This alpha numeric coding has been further extended to identify mining activity under `Geotechnical Hazard Potential (GHP)'. GHP has been proposed to be used as a preliminary tool of risk assessment and risk ranking for a mining activity. The aim of such classification is to be used as a guideline for the justification of a formal geotechnical risk assessment. Górnictwo podziemne pociąga za sobą różnorakie zagrożenia spowodowane przez uwarunkowania geotechniczne. Urabianie złoża w połączeniu z pracą w zamkniętej przestrzeni oraz z niepewnymi danymi geotechnicznymi powodować może zagrożenia, które w konsekwencji prowadzić mogą do wypadków, a te potencjalnie powodować mogą skutki śmiertelne dla osób oraz

Distributed deformation in the Zagros fold-and-thrust belt: insights from geomorphology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Obaid, Ahmed; Allen, Mark

2017-04-01

The Zagros fold-and-thrust belt is part of the active Arabia-Eurasia collision zone, and is an excellent region to study the interactions of tectonics and landscape. In this work we present results of a geomorphic analysis covering the entire range, coupled with more detailed analysis of the Kirkuk Embayment, Iraq. This particular region is a low elevation, low relief region of the Zagros, important for the enormous oil and gas reserves held in late Cenozoic anticlinal traps. Constraints from published earthquake focal mechanisms and hydrocarbon industry sub-surface data are combined with original fieldwork observations in northern Iraq, to produce a new regional cross-section and structural interpretation for the Kirkuk Embayment. We find that overall late Cenozoic shortening across the Embayment is on the order of 5%, representing only a few km. This deformation takes place on a series of anticlines, which are interpreted as overlying steep, planar, basement thrusts. These thrusts are further interpreted as reactivated normal faults, on the basis of (rare) published seismic data. The regional earthquake record confirms the basement involvement, although detachments within the sedimentary succession are also important, especially within the Middle Miocene Fat'ha Formation. Overall, the Zagros is sometimes represented as having a few major thrusts each persistent for 100s of km along the strike of the range. However, these faults are very rarely associated with major structural relief and/or surface fault ruptures during earthquakes. We have analysed the hypsometry of the range and find only gradational changes in the hypsometric integral of drainage basins across strike. This contrasts with regions such as the eastern Tibetan Plateau, where published analysis has revealed abrupt changes, correlating with the surface traces of active thrusts. Our interpretation is that the hypsometry of the Zagros reflects distributed deformation on numerous smaller faults, rather

Early Neogene foreland of the Zagros, implications for the initial closure of the Neo-Tethys and kinematics of crustal shortening

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pirouz, Mortaza; Avouac, Jean-Philippe; Hassanzadeh, Jamshid; Kirschvink, Joseph L.; Bahroudi, Abbas

2017-11-01

We study the transition from passive margin to foreland basin sedimentation now exposed in the High Zagros belt to provide chronological constraints on the initial stage of Arabia-Eurasia collision and closure of the Neo-Tethys. We performed magnetostratigraphy and strontium isotope stratigraphy along two sections near the Zagros suture which expose the oldest preserved foreland deposits: the Shalamzar section in the west and the Dehmoord section in the east. The top of the passive margin Asmari formation has an age of 28-29 Ma in the High Zagros and is overlain by foreland deposits with a major basal unconformity representing 7 Myr of hiatus. The base of the foreland deposits has an age of 21.5 Ma at Dehmoord and ca. 26 Ma at Shalamzar. The sedimentation rate increased from 30 m/Myr in the passive margin to 247 m/Myr in the foreland. Combined with available age constraints across the Zagros, our results show that the unconformity is diachronous and records the southwestward migration of the flexural bulge within the Arabian plate at an average rate of 24 ± 2 mm/yr over the last 27 Ma. The time evolution of sediment accumulation in the Zagros foreland follows the prediction from a flexural model, as the foreland is thrust beneath the orogenic wedge and loaded by the wedge and basin fill. We detect the onset of forebulge formation within the Asmari Formation around 25 Ma. We conclude that closure of the Neo-Tethys formed the Zagros collisional wedge at 27 ± 2 Ma. Hence, the Arabia-Eurasia collision was probably not the main driver of global cooling which started near the Eocene-Oligocene boundary (ca. 33.7 Ma). We estimate 650 km of forebulge migration since the onset of the collision which consists of 350 km of shortening across the orogen, and 300 km of widening of the wedge and increasing flexural rigidity of Arabia. We conclude the average rate of shortening across the Zagros to be ca. 13 mm/yr over the last 27 Myr; a value comparable to the modern rate

Structural modeling of the Zagros fold-and-thrust belt (Iraq) combining field work and remote sensing techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reif, D.; Grasemann, B.; Faber, R.; Lockhart, D.

2009-04-01

The Zagros fold-and-thrust belt is known for its spectacular fold trains, which have formed in detached Phanerozoic sedimentary cover rocks above a shortened crystalline Precambrian basement. Orogeny evolved through the Late Cretaceous to Miocene collision between the Arabian and Eurasian plate, during which the Neotethys oceanic basin was closed. Still active deformation shortening in the order of 2-2.5 cm/yr is partitioned in S-SW directed folding and thrusting of the Zagros fold-and-thrust belt and NW-SE to N-S trending dextral strike slip faults. The sub-cylindrical doubly-plunging fold trains with wavelengths of 5 - 10 km host more than half of the world's hydrocarbon reserves in mostly anticlinal traps. In this work we investigate the three dimensional structure of the Zagros fold-and-thrust belt in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. The mapped region is situated NE from the city of Erbil and comprises mainly Cretaceous to Cenozoic folded sediments consisting of mainly limestones, dolomites, sandstones, siltstones, claystones and conglomerates. Although the overall security situation in Kurdistan is much better than in the rest of Iraq, structural field mapping was restricted to sections along the main roads perpendicular to the strike of the fold trains, mainly because of the contamination of the area with landmines and unexploded ordnance, a problem that dates back to the end of World War Two. Landmines were also used by the central government in the 1960s and 1970s in order to subdue Kurdish groups. During the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War, the north was mined again. In order to extend the structural measurements statistically over the investigated area resulting in a three-dimensional model of the fold trains, we used the Fault Trace module of the WinGeol software (www.terramath.com). This package allows the interactive mapping and visualization of the spatial orientations (i.e. dip and strike) of geological finite planar structures (e.g. faults, lithological

Revised version of the Cenozoic Collision along the Zagros Orogen, Insights from Cr-spinel and Sandstone Modal Analyses.

PubMed

Gholami Zadeh, Parisa; Adabi, Mohammad Hossein; Hisada, Ken-Ichiro; Hosseini-Barzi, Mahboubeh; Sadeghi, Abbas; Ghassemi, Mohammad Reza

2017-09-07

Geoscientists have always considered the Neyriz region, located along the Zagros Suture Zone, an important area of interest because of the outcrops of Neotethys ophiolitic rocks. We carried out a modal analysis of the Cenozoic sandstones and geochemistry of the detrital Cr-spinels at Neyriz region in order to determine their provenance and tectonic evolution in the proximal part of Zagros Basin. Our data shows a clear change in provenance from the Late Cretaceous onwards. As from the Late Cretaceous to Eocene, lithic grains are mostly chert and serpentinite; and higher Cr# values of the detrital Cr-spinel compositions indicate that they originate from the fore-arc peridotites and deposited in an accretionary prism setting during this period. From the Late Oligocene to the Miocene periods, volcaniclastic and carbonate lithic grains show an increasing trend, and in the Miocene, metasedimentary lithic grains appear in the sediments. Ophiolite obduction caused a narrow trough sub-basin to be formed parallel to the general trend of the Zagros Orogeny between the Arabian and Iranian plates in Oligocene. From the Miocene onwards, the axial metamorphic complex belt was uplifted in the upper plate. Therefore, the collision along the Zagros Suture Zone must have occurred in the Late Oligocene.

Conservation Below the Species Level: Suitable Evolutionarily Significant Units among Mountain Vipers (the Montivipera raddei complex) in Iran.

PubMed

Behrooz, Roozbeh; Kaboli, Mohammad; Arnal, Véronique; Nazarizadeh, Masoud; Asadi, Atefeh; Salmanian, Amin; Ahmadi, Mohsen; Montgelard, Claudine

2018-05-11

Northern and western mountains of Iran are among the most important biodiversity and endemism hot spots for reptiles in the Middle East. Among herpetofauna, the montivipers represent an emblematic and fragmented endemic group for which estimating their level of genetic differentiation and defining conservation priorities is urgently needed. Here, we present the most comprehensive phylogenetic study on the Montivipera raddei species group comprising all 5 known taxa, among which 3 are endemic to Iran. Based on 2 mitochondrial genes, phylogenetic and phylogeographic analyses revealed 3 major lineages each presenting very contrasting distribution areas. The Iranian montivipers are highly structured in clades showing low genetic diversity and corresponding to high altitude summits. Molecular dating revealed the role of Quaternary paleo-climatic oscillations and altitudinal movements of montivipers in shaping genetic diversity and differentiation of these sky-island taxa. In addition, the best scenario of historical biogeography allowed identifying 3 possible refugial areas in Iran most likely arising by vicariance. Based on our mitochondrial results and pending additional data, we recognize 3 candidate species among the M. raddei complex: M. raddei, Montivipera latifii, and Montivipera kuhrangica that are coherent with their geographical distribution. We propose that the most appropriate evolutionary significant units for conservation of the montivipers are represented by 13 units among which 6 are recognized as high priority. Finally, we suggest some recommendations to the IUCN as well as to the Iranian conservation policies with respect to conservation prioritization.

Right-lateral shear across Iran and kinematic change in the Arabia-Eurasia collision zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, Mark B.; Kheirkhah, Monireh; Emami, Mohammad H.; Jones, Stuart J.

2011-02-01

be accommodated in new ways and new areas, leading to the present pattern of faulting from eastern Iran to western Turkey, and involving the westward transport (`escape') of Anatolia and the concentration of thrusting in the Zagros and Alborz mountains.

Tectonic geomorphology of the Safeen Anticline (Northern Iraq)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartl, N.; Grasemann, B.; Faber, R.; Lockhart, D.

2009-04-01

The Zagros Fold- and Thrust Belt extends over 1800 km from Kurdistan in N-Iraq to the Strait of Hormuz in Iran and is one of the world most promising regions for the future hydrocarbon exploration. The Zagros Mountains are the result of the collision of the Eurasian and the Arabian Plates starting in the Late Cretaceous. Recent GPS measurements in have shown that the shortening between these two plates is about 2.5 cm/a most of which is distributed within the Zagros collision orogen. Whereas the tectonic structure and the geomorphological response to active deformation is thoroughly studied in the SE part of the Zagros in Iran, there are almost no modern field based studies of the NW part of the Zagros in Iraq. Here we present the first structural field studies, the mechanical stratigraphy and geomorphological investigations of the Safeen anticline in the NE of the city of Erbil in the Kurdistan region, which is a province of Northern Iraq. The sub-cylindrical part of the anticline strikes for about 65 km NW-SE and has a dominant wavelength of about 6 km. Perpendicular to the strike of the anticline Cretaceous to Tertiary sediments are exposed consisting mainly of bedded to massif limestones and sandstones (competent lithologies), intercalated with marl and claystones (incompetent lithologies). Whereas deformation in the competent lithologies is accommodated by diffusive mass transfer processes and mainly fracturing, the incompetent lithologies record distributed plastic deformation. Along the investigated section, the limbs of the anticline dip with 55° towards NE (backlimb) and 60° towards SW (forelimb). Interestingly the drainage pattern of the forelimb differs significantly to the erosional signature along the backlimb. Both limbs are dominated by transverse river segments. The backlimb records straight almost perpendicular to the fold axis with a spacing of the segments of about 200 m. The forelimb, however, is dominated by a more irregular pattern with a

Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources of the Arabian Peninsula and Zagros Fold Belt, 2012

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pitman, Janet K.; Schenk, Christopher J.; Brownfield, Michael E.; Charpentier, Ronald R.; Cook, Troy A.; Klett, Timothy R.; Pollastro, Richard M.

2012-01-01

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated means of 86 billion barrels of oil and 336 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered natural gas resources in the Arabian Peninsula and Zagros Fold Belt. The USGS assessed the potential for undiscovered conventional oil and gas accumulations within the Arabian Peninsula and Zagros Fold Belt as part of the USGS World Petroleum Resources Project. Twenty-three assessment units within seven petroleum systems were quantitatively assessed in this study, which represents a reassessment of this area last published in 2000.

Active tectonics of the Qom region, Central Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hollingsworth, J.; Fattahi, M.; Jackson, J. A.; Talebian, M.; Nazari, H.; Bahroudi, A.

2009-12-01

Between 50-57°E shortening across the Arabian-Eurasian collision zone is accommodated primarily in the Zagros and Alborz mountains of Iran, which bound the relatively aseismic Central Iranian block. Both the lack of seismicity and the minor variation in GPS velocities across Central Iran suggest this region plays a negligible role in accommodating Arabia-Eurasia shortening at the present day. We examine recent deformation in the Qom region, which lies 100 km south of Tehran within the Central Iran block. This region is notable for a number of large earthquakes over the last 30 years: 1980.12.18 (Mw 6.0), 1980.12.22 (Mw 5.7), and 2007.06.18 (Mw 5.4). Body-waveform modeling of these events indicates N-S shortening on a S-dipping thrust fault which projects to the surface along the Qom thrust. Evidence for longer-term uplift is indicated by the increased topography south of the fault, and the exposure of folded Miocene (U. Red Fmtn) and Late Oligocene (Qom Fmtn) deposits. River incision has resulted in numerous river terraces, and in one location an alluvial fan has been offset across the fault. Four samples were collected from the surface of this fan and their ages determined using OSL dating. The results indicate fan abandonment at ~30 kybp. A DEM of the fan was produced using kinematic GPS surveying data, from which 1.0±0.3 m vertical offset was measured. A minimum uplift rate of 0.02 mm/yr and a minimum shortening rate of 0.01 mm/yr are obtained. If the age of the lower (and youngest) terrace is 10 ky, as is typically seen in other locations throughout Iran, the likely range of uplift rates are 0.02-0.2 mm/yr and shortening rates 0.01-0.2 mm/yr. North of Qom city, U. Red Fmtn deposits have been folded into an asymmetric N-verging anticline known as the Alborz anticline. Seismic, well and surface data all indicate this structure has formed as a fault-bend fold above a decollement at 3 km depth which ramps to the surface along the northern limit of the fold. A

Geometric and kinematic analysis of structural elements along north front of Bagharan Kuh Mountain, NE Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samimi, S.; Gholami, E.

2017-03-01

At the end of the western part of Bagharan Kuh Mountain in the northeast of Iran, mountain growth has been stopped toward the west because of the stress having been consumed by the thrusting movements and region rising instead of shear movement. Chahkand fault zone is situated at the western part of this mountain; this fault zone includes several thrust sheets that caused upper cretaceous ophiolite rocks up to younger units, peridotite exposure and fault related fold developing in the surface. In transverse perpendicular to the mountain toward the north, reduction in the parameters like faults dip, amount of deformation, peridotite outcrops show faults growth sequence and thrust sheets growth from mountain to plain, thus structural vergence is toward the northeast in this fault zone. Deformation in the east part of the region caused fault propagation fold with axial trend of WNW-ESE that is compatible with trending of fault plane. In the middle part, two types of folds is observed; in the first type, folding occurred before faulting and folds was cut by back thrust activity; in the second type, faults activity caused fault related folds with N60-90W axial trend. In order to hanging wall strain balance, back thrusts have been developed in the middle and western part which caused popup and fault bend folds with N20-70E trend. Back thrusts activity formed footwall synclines, micro folds, foliations, and uplift in this part of the region. Kinematic analysis of faults show stress axis σ1 = N201.6, 7, σ2 = N292.6, 7.1, σ3 = N64.8, 79.5; stress axis obtained by fold analysis confirm that minimum stress (σ3) is close to vertical so it is compatible with fault analysis. Based on the results, deformation in this region is controlled by compressional stress regime. This stress state is consistent with the direction of convergence between the Arabian and Eurasian plates. Also study of transposition, folded veins, different movements on the fault planes and back thrusts

Earthshots: Satellite images of environmental change – Elburz Mountains, Iran

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2013-01-01

The Elburz Mountains run parallel to the southern coast of the Caspian Sea, and these mountains act as a barrier to rain clouds moving southward; as the clouds rise in altitude to cross the mountains they drop their moisture. This abundant rainfall supports a heavy rainforest (the bright red area) on the northern slopes. The valley to the south receives little precipitation because of this rain-shadow effect of the mountains.

High resolution image of uppermost mantle beneath NE Iran continental collision zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Motaghi, K.; Tatar, M.; Shomali, Z. H.; Kaviani, A.; Priestley, K.

2012-10-01

We invert 3775 relative P wave arrival times using the ACH damped least square method of Aki et al. (1977) to study upper mantle structure beneath the NE Iran continental collision zone. The data for this study were recorded by 17 three component broad-band stations operated from August 2006 to February 2008 along a profile from the center of Iranian Plateau, near Yazd, to the northeastern part of Iran on the Turan Platform just north of the Kopeh Dagh Mountains. The results confirm the previously known low velocity upper mantle beneath Central Iran. Our tomographic model reveals a deep high velocity anomaly. The surficial expressions of this anomaly are between the Ashkabad and Doruneh Faults, where the resolution and ray coverage are good. A transition zone in uppermost mantle is recognized under the Binalud foreland that we interpreted as suture zone between Iran and Turan platform. Our results indicate that Atrak Valley which is the boundary between the Binalud and Kopeh Dagh Mountains can be considered as the northeastern suture of the Iranian Plateau where Eurasia and Turan Platform under-thrust beneath the Binalud range and Central Iran.

Application of a time probabilistic approach to seismic landslide hazard estimates in Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajabi, A. M.; Del Gaudio, V.; Capolongo, D.; Khamehchiyan, M.; Mahdavifar, M. R.

2009-04-01

Iran is a country located in a tectonic active belt and is prone to earthquake and related phenomena. In the recent years, several earthquakes caused many fatalities and damages to facilities, e.g. the Manjil (1990), Avaj (2002), Bam (2003) and Firuzabad-e-Kojur (2004) earthquakes. These earthquakes generated many landslides. For instance, catastrophic landslides triggered by the Manjil Earthquake (Ms = 7.7) in 1990 buried the village of Fatalak, killed more than 130 peoples and cut many important road and other lifelines, resulting in major economic disruption. In general, earthquakes in Iran have been concentrated in two major zones with different seismicity characteristics: one is the region of Alborz and Central Iran and the other is the Zagros Orogenic Belt. Understanding where seismically induced landslides are most likely to occur is crucial in reducing property damage and loss of life in future earthquakes. For this purpose a time probabilistic approach for earthquake-induced landslide hazard at regional scale, proposed by Del Gaudio et al. (2003), has been applied to the whole Iranian territory to provide the basis of hazard estimates. This method consists in evaluating the recurrence of seismically induced slope failure conditions inferred from the Newmark's model. First, by adopting Arias Intensity to quantify seismic shaking and using different Arias attenuation relations for Alborz - Central Iran and Zagros regions, well-established methods of seismic hazard assessment, based on the Cornell (1968) method, were employed to obtain the occurrence probabilities for different levels of seismic shaking in a time interval of interest (50 year). Then, following Jibson (1998), empirical formulae specifically developed for Alborz - Central Iran and Zagros, were used to represent, according to the Newmark's model, the relation linking Newmark's displacement Dn to Arias intensity Ia and to slope critical acceleration ac. These formulae were employed to evaluate

A fossil unicorn crestfish (Teleostei, Lampridiformes, Lophotidae) from the Eocene of Iran.

PubMed

Davesne, Donald

2017-01-01

Lophotidae, or crestfishes, is a family of rare deep-sea teleosts characterised by an enlarged horn-like crest on the forehead. They are poorly represented in the fossil record, by only three described taxa. One specimen attributed to Lophotidae has been described from the pelagic fauna of the middle-late Eocene Zagros Basin, Iran. Originally considered as a specimen of the fossil lophotid † Protolophotus , it is proposed hereby as a new genus and species † Babelichthys olneyi , gen. et sp. nov., differs from the other fossil lophotids by its relatively long and strongly projecting crest, suggesting a close relationship with the modern unicorn crestfish, Eumecichthys . This new taxon increases the diversity of the deep-sea teleost fauna to which it belongs, improving our understanding of the taxonomic composition of the early Cenozoic mesopelagic ecosystems.

Climatology of atmospheric circulation patterns of Arabian dust in western Iran.

PubMed

Najafi, Mohammad Saeed; Sarraf, B S; Zarrin, A; Rasouli, A A

2017-08-28

Being in vicinity of vast deserts, the west and southwest of Iran are characterized by high levels of dust events, which have adverse consequences on human health, ecosystems, and environment. Using ground based dataset of dust events in western Iran and NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data, the atmospheric circulation patterns of dust events in the Arabian region and west of Iran are identified. The atmospheric circulation patterns which lead to dust events in the Arabian region and western Iran were classified into two main categories: the Shamal dust events that occurs in warm period of year and the frontal dust events as cold period pattern. In frontal dust events, the western trough or blocking pattern at mid-level leads to frontogenesis, instability, and air uplift at lower levels of troposphere in the southwest of Asia. Non-frontal is other pattern of dust event in the cold period and dust generation are due to the regional circulation systems at the lower level of troposphere. In Shamal wind pattern, the Saudi Arabian anticyclone, Turkmenistan anticyclone, and Zagros thermal low play the key roles in formation of this pattern. Summer and transitional patterns are two sub-categories of summer Shamal wind pattern. In summer trough pattern, the mid-tropospheric trough leads to intensify the surface thermal systems in the Middle East and causes instability and rising of wind speed in the region. In synthetic pattern of Shamal wind and summer trough, dust is created by the impact of a trough in mid-levels of troposphere as well as existing the mentioned regional systems which are contributed in formation of summer Shamal wind pattern.

New Criteria to Assess Seismic and Rock Burst Hazard in Coal Mines / Nowe Kryteria Dla Oceny Zagrożenia Sejsmicznego I Tąpaniami W Kopalniach Węgla Kamiennego

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mutke, Grzegorz; Dubiński, Józef; Lurka, Adam

2015-09-01

The paper presents new criteria of seismic and rock burst hazard assessment in Polish hard coal mines where longwall mining system is common practice. The presented criteria are based on the results of continuous recording of seismic events and analysis of selected seismological parameters: spatial location of seismic event in relation to mining workings, seismic energy, seismic energy release per unit coal face advance, b-value of Gutenberg-Richter law, seismic energy index EI, seismic moment M0, weighted value of peak particle velocity PPVW. These parameters are determined in a moving daily time windows or time windows with fixed number of seismic tremors. Time changes of these parameters are then compared with mean value estimated in the analyzed area. This is the basis to indicate the zones of high seismic and rock burst hazard in specific moment in time during mining process. Additionally, the zones of high seismic and rock burst hazard are determined by utilization of passive seismic tomography method. All the calculated seismic parameters in moving time windows are used to quantify seismic and rock burst hazard by four level scales. In practice, assessment of seismic and rock burst hazard is used to make daily decision about using rock burst prevention activities and correction of further exploitation of monitored coal panel. Zagrożenie sejsmiczne i związane z nim genetycznie zagrożenie tąpnięciem w dalszym ciągu należą do najgroźniejszych zagrożeń naturalnych występujących w polskich kopalniach węgla kamiennego. W ostatnich latach w kopalniach Górnośląskiego Zagłębia Węglowego (GZW) rocznie rejestrowano 1000÷1500 wstrząsów o energii sejsmicznej Es ≥ 1·105J (magnituda lokalna ML ≥ 1.7), a najsilniejsze z nich osiągały energię Es = 4 ·109J (ML = 4.1). W latach 1991-2010 odnotowano w GZW 101 tąpnięć, z których około 66% miało miejsce w wyrobiskach chodnikowych, powodując ich uszkodzenia lub całkowite zniszczenie, a w

Constraining the Uplift History of the Jabal Akhdar and Saih Hatat Culminations, Al Hajar Mountains, Oman, with Fission Track and (U-Th)/He Ages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hansman, R. J.; Ring, U.; Thomson, S. N.; Den Brok, B.; Stübner, K.

2016-12-01

We constrain the timing of the enigmatic uplift history of the Al Hajar Mountains in Oman by apatite (U-Th)/He and fission-track (AHe and AFT), as well as zircon (U-Th)/He (ZHe) ages. Our data show differential cooling between the two major culminations of the mountain range, which are separated by the Semail gap, a major NNE-oriented depression in the Al Hajar Mountains. In the up to 3 km high Jabal Akhdar Culmination west of the Semail Gap AHe sample mean ages range between 35.5 ± 4.3 Ma and 23.9 ± 8.8 Ma (1σ errors), AFT ages range 51 ± 4 to 32 ± 2 Ma (1σ errors), and ZHe sample mean ages range 50.6 ± 16.7 to 46.1 ± 7.1 Ma (1σ errors). Whereas, in the Saih Hatat Culmination to the east AHe ages range from 23.6 ± 1.7 Ma to 15.7 ± 4.1 Ma, AFT ages range 73 ± 10 to 57 ± 4 Ma, and ZHe ages range 70.6 ± 10.8 Ma through to 58.8 ± 1.8 Ma. These data demonstrate that the uplift initiated at 45 Ma and had ceased by 15 Ma, climaxing between 40 to 35 Ma. In addition, U-Pb dating of calcite tectonics also supports N-S shortening at 40 to 35 Ma. We propose that the Semail gap is a west-dipping thrust, which uplifted the Jabal Akhdar Culmination in the hanging-wall but hardly affected the Saih Hatat Culmination in the footwall. During mountain uplift, the Al Hajar Mountains were located at least 600 km outboard of the current Eurasia-Arabia subduction/collision zone on the continental margin of the downgoing Arabian Plate. We therefore conclude that the uplift of the Al Hajar Mountains preceded the Zagros collisional event by at least 15 Myr and were not causally related to the Zagros collision and Makran subduction.

Analysis of the summertime buildup of tropospheric ozone abundances over the Middle East and North Africa as observed by the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jane J.; Jones, Dylan B. A.; Worden, John R.; Noone, David; Parrington, Mark; Kar, Jay

2009-03-01

We use the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model to interpret observations of tropospheric ozone from the Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer (TES) satellite instrument in summer 2005. Observations from TES reveal elevated ozone in the middle troposphere (500-400 hPa) across North Africa and the Middle East. Observed ozone abundances in the middle troposphere are at a maximum in summer and a minimum in winter, consistent with the previously predicted summertime "Middle East ozone maximum." This summertime enhancement in ozone is associated with the Arabian and Sahara anticyclones, centered over the Zagros and Atlas Mountains, respectively. These anticyclones isolate the middle troposphere over northeast Africa and the Middle East, with westerlies to the north and easterlies to the south, facilitating the buildup of ozone. Over the Middle East, we find that in situ production and transport from Asia provides comparable contributions of 30-35% to the ozone buildup. Over North Africa, in situ production is dominant (at about 20%), with transport from Asia, North America, and equatorial Africa each contributing about 10-15% to the total ozone. We find that although the eastern Mediterranean is characterized by strong descent in the middle and upper troposphere in summer, transport from the boundary layer accounts for about 25% of the local Middle Eastern contribution to the ozone enhancement in the middle troposphere. This upward transport of boundary layer air is associated with orographic lifting along the Zagros Mountains in Iran and the Asir and Hijaz Mountain ranges in Saudi Arabia, and is consistent with TES observations of deuterated water.

The growth of a mountain belt forced by base-level fall: Tectonics and surface processes during the evolution of the Alborz Mountains, N Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ballato, Paolo; Landgraf, Angela; Schildgen, Taylor F.; Stockli, Daniel F.; Fox, Matthew; Ghassemi, Mohammad R.; Kirby, Eric; Strecker, Manfred R.

2015-09-01

The idea that climatically modulated erosion may impact orogenic processes has challenged geoscientists for decades. Although modeling studies and physical calculations have provided a solid theoretical basis supporting this interaction, to date, field-based work has produced inconclusive results. The central-western Alborz Mountains in the northern sectors of the Arabia-Eurasia collision zone constitute a promising area to explore these potential feedbacks. This region is characterized by asymmetric precipitation superimposed on an orogen with a history of spatiotemporal changes in exhumation rates, deformation patterns, and prolonged, km-scale base-level changes. Our analysis suggests that despite the existence of a strong climatic gradient at least since 17.5 Ma, the early orogenic evolution (from ∼36 to 9-6 Ma) was characterized by decoupled orographic precipitation and tectonics. In particular, faster exhumation and sedimentation along the more arid southern orogenic flank point to a north-directed accretionary flux and underthrusting of Central Iran. Conversely, from ∼6 to 3 Ma, erosion rates along the northern orogenic flank became higher than those in the south, where they dropped to minimum values. This change occurred during a ∼3-Myr-long, km-scale base-level lowering event in the Caspian Sea. We speculate that mass redistribution processes along the northern flank of the Alborz and presumably across all mountain belts adjacent to the South Caspian Basin and more stable areas of the Eurasian plate increased the sediment load in the basin and ultimately led to the underthrusting of the Caspian Basin beneath the Alborz Mountains. This underthrusting in turn triggered a new phase of northward orogenic expansion, transformed the wetter northern flank into a new pro-wedge, and led to the establishment of apparent steady-state conditions along the northern orogenic flank (i.e., rock uplift equal to erosion rates). Conversely, the southern mountain front

iss012e18779

NASA Image and Video Library

2006-02-28

ISS012-E-18779 (28 Feb. 2006) --- Winter in the Dasht-e-Lut Desert, eastern Iran is featured in this image photographed by an Expedition 12 crew member on the International Space Station. The image takes advantage of the low angle of illumination to reveal linear geological structures of the Iranian mountain range bordering the western edge of the basin known as Dasht-e-Lut. The range rises 1818 meters (6000 feet) above sea level and lies 750 kilometers (466 miles) north of the Persian Gulf. The convoluted appearance results from erosion of folded and faulted rocks – softer rocks erode away quickly, leaving more resistant rock to form linear ridges perpendicular to the direction of compression. While not a major oil producing region like the Zagros Fold Belt to the southwest, the mountains of east-central Iran contain economically important deposits of copper and other metals. Little vegetation is visible from space in the arid interior basin of the Dasht-e-Lut. Iran is climatically part of the Afro-Asian belt of deserts that stretch from the Cape Verde islands off West Africa all the way to Mongolia near Beijing. The patchy, elongated, light-colored feature in the foreground (parallel to the mountain range) is the northernmost of the Dasht dry lakes that stretch southward 300 kilometers (186 miles). High country is the source of precipitation-derived water in all near-tropical deserts. Agricultural fields (small dark patches in the image) that depend on this precipitation are located down slope near the margin of the dry, salty soils of the lake.

3D joint inversion modeling of the lithospheric density structure based on gravity, geoid and topography data — Application to the Alborz Mountains (Iran) and South Caspian Basin region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Motavalli-Anbaran, Seyed-Hani; Zeyen, Hermann; Ebrahimzadeh Ardestani, Vahid

2013-02-01

We present a 3D algorithm to obtain the density structure of the lithosphere from joint inversion of free air gravity, geoid and topography data based on a Bayesian approach with Gaussian probability density functions. The algorithm delivers the crustal and lithospheric thicknesses and the average crustal density. Stabilization of the inversion process may be obtained through parameter damping and smoothing as well as use of a priori information like crustal thicknesses from seismic profiles. The algorithm is applied to synthetic models in order to demonstrate its usefulness. A real data application is presented for the area of northern Iran (with the Alborz Mountains as main target) and the South Caspian Basin. The resulting model shows an important crustal root (up to 55 km) under the Alborz Mountains and a thin crust (ca. 30 km) under the southernmost South Caspian Basin thickening northward to the Apsheron-Balkan Sill to 45 km. Central and NW Iran is underlain by a thin lithosphere (ca. 90-100 km). The lithosphere thickens under the South Caspian Basin until the Apsheron-Balkan Sill where it reaches more than 240 km. Under the stable Turan platform, we find a lithospheric thickness of 160-180 km.

Investigation of dust storms entering Western Iran using remotely sensed data and synoptic analysis.

PubMed

Boloorani, Ali D; Nabavi, Seyed O; Bahrami, Hosain A; Mirzapour, Fardin; Kavosi, Musa; Abasi, Esmail; Azizi, Rasoul

2014-01-01

One of the natural phenomena which have had considerable impacts on various regions of the world, including Iran, is "dust storm". In recent years, this phenomenon has taken on new dimensions in Iran and has changed from a local problem to a national issue. This study is an attempt to investigate the formation of the dust storms crossing the Western Iran. To find the sources of the dust storms entering Iran, first we examine three determined dust paths in the region and their temporal activities, using MODIS satellite images. Then, four regions were identified as dust sources through soil, land cover and wind data. Finally, atmospheric analyses are implemented to find synoptic patterns inducing dust storms. Source 1 has covered the region between the eastern banks of Euphrates and western banks of Tigris. Source 2 is in desert area of western and south-western Iraq. Finally source 3 is bounded in eastern and south-eastern deserts of Saudi Arabia called Rub-Al-Khali desert, or Empty Quarter. Moreover, south-eastern part of Iraq (source 4) was also determined as a secondary source which thickens the dust masses originating from the above mentioned sources. The study of synoptic circulations suggests that the dust storms originating from source 1 are formed due to the intense pressure gradient between the low-pressure system of Zagros and a high-pressure cell formed on Mediterranean Sea. The dust events in sources 2 and 3 are outcomes of the atmospheric circulations dominant in the cold period of the year in mid-latitudes.

Deformation and kinematic evolution of the subsurface structures: Zagros foreland fold-and-thrust belt, northern Dezful Embayment, Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarkarinejad, Khalil; Pash, Raana Razavi; Motamedi, Hossein; Yazdani, Mohammad

2018-06-01

The Dezful Embayment is located in the foreland part of the Zagros fold-and-thrust belt. Structural style of folding and thrusting vary in the Dezful Embayment. In this study, balanced cross sections and subsurface data including 2D seismic profiles and wells data decoded structural style of the subsurface structures in the northern Dezful Embayment. Presence of the multiple décollement horizons is the main controlling factor of the structural style in this area. The subsurface anticlines have been formed between two main décollement horizons, which include the Miocene Gachsaran Formation as upper decollement and Permian Dashtak evaporites and Lower Cretaceous Garau shales as the middle décollement horizons. Geometry of the subsurface anticlines differs much vertically and horizontally. Growth strata indicate folding is started in Middle Miocene time in this region. Anticlines formed as open, wide and disharmonic structures. Active processes in the evolution of anticlines are limb rotation and hinge migration, which was resulted in increase of inhomogeneous shortening rate. More shortening rate indicates more structural relief in anticlines. These anticlines are formed as a detachment folds in initiation and then during their evolution converted to fault propagation fold and fault-bend fold. Final geometric shape of these anticlines depends on the geometry of thrusts propagation that formed in the forelimb.

The calc-alkaline and adakitic volcanism of the Sabzevar structural zone (NE Iran): Implications for the Eocene magmatic flare-up in Central Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moghadam, Hadi Shafaii; Rossetti, Federico; Lucci, Federico; Chiaradia, Massimo; Gerdes, Axel; Martinez, Margarita Lopez; Ghorbani, Ghasem; Nasrabady, Mohsen

2016-04-01

A major magmatic flare-up is documented along the Bitlis-Zagros suture zone in Eocene-Oligocene times. The Cenozoic magmatism of intraplate Central Iran is an integrant part of this tectono-magmatic scenario. The Cenozoic magmatism of the Sabzevar structural zone consists of mostly intermediate to felsic intrusions and volcanic products. These igneous rocks have calc-alkaline and adakitic geochemical signatures, with nearly coincident zircon U-Pb and mica Ar-Ar ages of ca. 45 Ma. Adakitic rocks have quite low HREE and high Sr/Y ratio, but share most of their geochemical features with the calc-alkaline rocks. The Sabzevar volcanic rocks have similar initial Sr, Nd and Pb isotope ratios, showing their cogenetic nature. Nd model ages cluster tightly around 0.2-0.3 Ga. The geochemistry of the Sabzevar volcanic rocks, along with their isotopic signatures, might strangle that an upper mantle source, metasomatized by slab-derived melts was involved in generating the Sabzevar calc-alkaline rocks. A bulk rock trace element modeling suggests that amphibole-plagioclase-titanite-dominated replenishment-fractional crystallization (RFC) is further responsible for the formation of the middle Eocene Sabzevar adakitic rocks. Extensional tectonics accompanied by lithospheric delamination, possibly assisted by slab break-off and melting at depth was responsible for the Eocene formation of the Sabzevar magmatic rocks and, more in general, for the magmatic "flare-up" in Iran.

A fossil unicorn crestfish (Teleostei, Lampridiformes, Lophotidae) from the Eocene of Iran

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Lophotidae, or crestfishes, is a family of rare deep-sea teleosts characterised by an enlarged horn-like crest on the forehead. They are poorly represented in the fossil record, by only three described taxa. One specimen attributed to Lophotidae has been described from the pelagic fauna of the middle-late Eocene Zagros Basin, Iran. Originally considered as a specimen of the fossil lophotid †Protolophotus, it is proposed hereby as a new genus and species †Babelichthys olneyi, gen. et sp. nov., differs from the other fossil lophotids by its relatively long and strongly projecting crest, suggesting a close relationship with the modern unicorn crestfish, Eumecichthys. This new taxon increases the diversity of the deep-sea teleost fauna to which it belongs, improving our understanding of the taxonomic composition of the early Cenozoic mesopelagic ecosystems. PMID:28674642

A Model Simulation of Mountain Waves in the Middle Atmosphere and Its Comparison with Microwave Limb Sounder Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, J. H.; Eckermann, S. D.; Wu, D. L.; Ma, J.; Wang, D. Y.

2003-04-01

Topography-related wintertime stratospheric gravity waves in both Northern and Southern Hemisphere are simulated using the Naval Research Laboratory Mountain Wave Forecast Model (MWFM). The results agree well with the observations from Upper Atmospheric Research Satellite Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS). Both the MWFM simulation and MLS observations found strong wave activities over the high-latitude mountain ridges of Scandinavia, Central Eurasia, Alaska, southern Greenland in Northern Hemisphere, and Andes, New Zealand, Antarctic rim in Southern Hemisphere. These mountain waves are dominated by wave modes with downward phase progression and horizontal phase velocities opposite to the stratospheric jet-stream. Agreements of minor wave activities are also found at low- to mid-latitudes over Zagros Mountains of Middle East, Colorado Rocky Mountains, Appalachians, and Sierra Madres of Central America. Some differences between the MWFM results and MLS data are explained by different horizontal resolution between the model and observation, and the fact that MLS may also see the non-orographic wave sources, such as mesoscale storms and jet-stream instabilities. The findings from this model-measurement comparison study demonstrate that satellite instruments such as MLS can provide global data needed to characterize mountain wave sources, their inter-annual variations, and to improve gravity wave parameterizations in global climate and forecast models.

Time distribution of heavy rainfall events in south west of Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghassabi, Zahra; kamali, G. Ali; Meshkatee, Amir-Hussain; Hajam, Sohrab; Javaheri, Nasrolah

2016-07-01

Accurate knowledge of rainfall time distribution is a fundamental issue in many Meteorological-Hydrological studies such as using the information of the surface runoff in the design of the hydraulic structures, flood control and risk management, and river engineering studies. Since the main largest dams of Iran are in the south-west of the country (i.e. South Zagros), this research investigates the temporal rainfall distribution based on an analytical numerical method to increase the accuracy of hydrological studies in Iran. The United States Soil Conservation Service (SCS) estimated the temporal rainfall distribution in various forms. Hydrology studies usually utilize the same distribution functions in other areas of the world including Iran due to the lack of sufficient observation data. However, we first used Weather Research Forecasting (WRF) model to achieve the simulated rainfall results of the selected storms on south west of Iran in this research. Then, a three-parametric Logistic function was fitted to the rainfall data in order to compute the temporal rainfall distribution. The domain of the WRF model is 30.5N-34N and 47.5E-52.5E with a resolution of 0.08 degree in latitude and longitude. We selected 35 heavy storms based on the observed rainfall data set to simulate with the WRF Model. Storm events were scrutinized independently from each other and the best analytical three-parametric logistic function was fitted for each grid point. The results show that the value of the coefficient a of the logistic function, which indicates rainfall intensity, varies from the minimum of 0.14 to the maximum of 0.7. Furthermore, the values of the coefficient B of the logistic function, which indicates rain delay of grid points from start time of rainfall, vary from 1.6 in south-west and east to more than 8 in north and central parts of the studied area. In addition, values of rainfall intensities are lower in south west of IRAN than those of observed or proposed by the

U-Pb dating and emplacement history of granitoid plutons in the northern Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone, Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahmoudi, Shahryar; Corfu, Fernando; Masoudi, Fariborz; Mehrabi, Behzad; Mohajjel, Mohammad

2011-05-01

The Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone (SSZ), which runs parallel to the Zagros fold and thrust belt of Iran, underwent a multistage evolution starting with Neotethys initiation, its subsequent subduction below the Iranian continental crust, and eventual closure during convergence of Arabia towards central Iran. Plutonic complexes are well developed in the northern part of the SSZ and we have dated a number of them by ID-TIMS U-Pb on zircon. The new data record the following events: a Mid Jurassic period that formed the Boroujerd Plutonic Complex (169 Ma), the Astaneh Pluton (168 Ma) and the Alvand Pluton (165 Ma); Late Jurassic emplacement of the Gorveh Pluton (157-149 Ma); Mid Cretaceous (109 Ma) formation of a I-type phase in the Hasan Salary Pluton near Saqqez, followed by Early Paleocene (60 Ma) intrusion of A-type granite in the same pluton; and the youngest intrusive event recorded so far in the SSZ with the intrusion of granite in the Gosheh-Tavandasht Complex near Boroujerd at 34.9 Ma. These different events reflect specific stages of subduction-related magmatism prior to the eventual Miocene collision between the two continental blocks.

Crustal Structure of the Middle East from Regional Seismic Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gritto, Roland; Sibol, Matthew; Caron, Pierre; Ghalib, Hafidh; Chen, Youlin

2010-05-01

We present results of crustal studies obtained with seismic data from the Northern Iraq Seismic Network (NISN). NISN has operated ten broadband stations in north-eastern Iraq since late 2005. This network was supplemented by the five-element broadband Iraq Seismic Array (KSIRS) in 2007. More recently, the former Iraq Seismic Network (ISN), destroyed during the war with Iran, was reestablished with the deployment of six broadband stations throughout Iraq. The aim of the present study is to derive models of the local and regional crustal structure of the Middle East, including Eastern Turkey, Iraq and Iran. To achieve this goal, we derive crustal velocity models using receiver function, surface wave and body wave analyses. These refined velocity models will eventually be used to obtain accurate hypocenter locations and event focal mechanisms. Our analysis of preliminary hypocenter locations produced a clearer picture of the seismicity associated with the tectonics of the region. The largest seismicity rate is confined to the active northern section of the Zagros thrust zone, while it decreases towards the southern end, before the intensity increases in the Bandar Abbas region again. Additionally, the rift zones in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden are clearly demarked by high seismicity rates. Surface wave velocity analysis resulted in a clear demarcation of the tectonic features in the region. The Arabian shield, Zagros thrust zone and the Red Sea are apparent through distinct velocity distributions separating them from each other. Furthermore, the shear wave velocity of the crust in North Iraq appears to be 10% higher than that of the Iranian plateau. The velocity anomaly of the Zagros mountains appears to be present into the upper mantle beyond the resolving limit of our model. Analysis of waveform data for obstructed pathways indicates clear propagation paths from the west or south-west across the Arabian shield as well as from the north and east into NISN. Phases

Study on Frequency content in seismic hazard analysis in West Azarbayjan and East Azarbayjan provinces (Iran)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behzadafshar, K.; Abbaszadeh Shahri, A.; Isfandiari, K.

2012-12-01

ABSTRACT: Iran plate is prone to earthquake, occurrence of destructive earthquakes approximately every 5 years certify it. Due to existence of happened great earthquakes and large number of potential seismic sources (active faults) which some of them are responsible for great earthquakes the North-West of Iran which is located in junction of Alborz and Zagros seismotectonic provinces (Mirzaii et al, 1998) is an interesting area for seismologists. Considering to population and existence of large cities like Tabriz, Ardabil and Orumiyeh which play crucial role in industry and economy of Iran, authors decided to focus on study of seismic hazard assessment in these two provinces to achieve ground acceleration in different frequency content and indicate critical frequencies in the studied area. It is important to note that however lots of studies have been done in North -West of Iran, but building code modifications also need frequency content analysis to asses seismic hazard more precisely which has been done in the present study. Furthermore, in previous studies have been applied free download softwares which were provided before 2000 but the most important advantage of this study is applying professional industrial software which has been written in 2009 and provided by authors. This applied software can cover previous software weak points very well such as gridding potential sources, attention to the seismogenic zone and applying attenuation relationships directly. Obtained hazard maps illustrate that maximum accelerations will be experienced in North West to South East direction which increased by frequency reduction from 100 Hz to 10 Hz then decreased by frequency reduce (to 0.25 Hz). Maximum acceleration will be occurred in the basement in 10 HZ frequency content. Keywords: hazard map, Frequency content, seismogenic zone, Iran

Genomic insights into the origin of farming in the ancient Near East.

PubMed

Lazaridis, Iosif; Nadel, Dani; Rollefson, Gary; Merrett, Deborah C; Rohland, Nadin; Mallick, Swapan; Fernandes, Daniel; Novak, Mario; Gamarra, Beatriz; Sirak, Kendra; Connell, Sarah; Stewardson, Kristin; Harney, Eadaoin; Fu, Qiaomei; Gonzalez-Fortes, Gloria; Jones, Eppie R; Roodenberg, Songül Alpaslan; Lengyel, György; Bocquentin, Fanny; Gasparian, Boris; Monge, Janet M; Gregg, Michael; Eshed, Vered; Mizrahi, Ahuva-Sivan; Meiklejohn, Christopher; Gerritsen, Fokke; Bejenaru, Luminita; Blüher, Matthias; Campbell, Archie; Cavalleri, Gianpiero; Comas, David; Froguel, Philippe; Gilbert, Edmund; Kerr, Shona M; Kovacs, Peter; Krause, Johannes; McGettigan, Darren; Merrigan, Michael; Merriwether, D Andrew; O'Reilly, Seamus; Richards, Martin B; Semino, Ornella; Shamoon-Pour, Michel; Stefanescu, Gheorghe; Stumvoll, Michael; Tönjes, Anke; Torroni, Antonio; Wilson, James F; Yengo, Loic; Hovhannisyan, Nelli A; Patterson, Nick; Pinhasi, Ron; Reich, David

2016-08-25

We report genome-wide ancient DNA from 44 ancient Near Easterners ranging in time between ~12,000 and 1,400 bc, from Natufian hunter-gatherers to Bronze Age farmers. We show that the earliest populations of the Near East derived around half their ancestry from a 'Basal Eurasian' lineage that had little if any Neanderthal admixture and that separated from other non-African lineages before their separation from each other. The first farmers of the southern Levant (Israel and Jordan) and Zagros Mountains (Iran) were strongly genetically differentiated, and each descended from local hunter-gatherers. By the time of the Bronze Age, these two populations and Anatolian-related farmers had mixed with each other and with the hunter-gatherers of Europe to greatly reduce genetic differentiation. The impact of the Near Eastern farmers extended beyond the Near East: farmers related to those of Anatolia spread westward into Europe; farmers related to those of the Levant spread southward into East Africa; farmers related to those of Iran spread northward into the Eurasian steppe; and people related to both the early farmers of Iran and to the pastoralists of the Eurasian steppe spread eastward into South Asia.

Genomic insights into the origin of farming in the ancient Near East

PubMed Central

Lazaridis, Iosif; Nadel, Dani; Rollefson, Gary; Merrett, Deborah C.; Rohland, Nadin; Mallick, Swapan; Fernandes, Daniel; Novak, Mario; Gamarra, Beatriz; Sirak, Kendra; Connell, Sarah; Stewardson, Kristin; Harney, Eadaoin; Fu, Qiaomei; Gonzalez-Fortes, Gloria; Jones, Eppie R.; Roodenberg, Songül Alpaslan; Lengyel, György; Bocquentin, Fanny; Gasparian, Boris; Monge, Janet M.; Gregg, Michael; Eshed, Vered; Mizrahi, Ahuva-Sivan; Meiklejohn, Christopher; Gerritsen, Fokke; Bejenaru, Luminita; Blüher, Matthias; Campbell, Archie; Cavalleri, Gianpiero; Comas, David; Froguel, Philippe; Gilbert, Edmund; Kerr, Shona M.; Kovacs, Peter; Krause, Johannes; McGettigan, Darren; Merrigan, Michael; Merriwether, D. Andrew; O'Reilly, Seamus; Richards, Martin B.; Semino, Ornella; Shamoon-Pour, Michel; Stefanescu, Gheorghe; Stumvoll, Michael; Tönjes, Anke; Torroni, Antonio; Wilson, James F.; Yengo, Loic; Hovhannisyan, Nelli A.; Patterson, Nick; Pinhasi, Ron; Reich, David

2016-01-01

We report genome-wide ancient DNA from 44 ancient Near Easterners ranging in time between ~12,000-1,400 BCE, from Natufian hunter-gatherers to Bronze Age farmers. We show that the earliest populations of the Near East derived around half their ancestry from a ‘Basal Eurasian’ lineage that had little if any Neanderthal admixture and that separated from other non-African lineages prior to their separation from each other. The first farmers of the southern Levant (Israel and Jordan) and Zagros Mountains (Iran) were strongly genetically differentiated, and each descended from local hunter-gatherers. By the time of the Bronze Age, these two populations and Anatolian-related farmers had mixed with each other and with the hunter-gatherers of Europe to drastically reduce genetic differentiation. The impact of the Near Eastern farmers extended beyond the Near East: farmers related to those of Anatolia spread westward into Europe; farmers related to those of the Levant spread southward into East Africa; farmers related to those from Iran spread northward into the Eurasian steppe; and people related to both the early farmers of Iran and to the pastoralists of the Eurasian steppe spread eastward into South Asia. PMID:27459054

Balancing cross-sections combining field work and remote sensing data using LithoTect software in the Zagros fold-and-thrust belt, N Iraq.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reif, Daniel; Grasemann, Bernhard; Lockhart, Duncan

2010-05-01

The Zagros fold-and-thrust belt has formed in detached Phanerozoic sedimentary cover rocks above a shortened crystalline Precambrian basement and evolved through the Late Cretaceous to Miocene collision between the Arabian and Eurasian plate, during which the Neotethys oceanic basin was closed. Deformation is partitioned in SW directed folding and thrusting of the sediments and NW-SE to N-S trending dextral strike slip faults. The sub-cylindrical doubly-plunging fold trains with wavelengths of 5 - 10 km host more than half of the world's hydrocarbon reserves in mostly anticlinal traps. Generally the Zagros is divided into three NW-SE striking tectonic units: the Zagros Imbricate Zone, the Zagros Simply Folded Belt and the Zagros Foredeep. This work presents a balanced cross-section through the Simply Folded Belt, NE of the city of Erbil (Kurdistan, Iraq). The regional stratigraphy comprises mainly Cretaceous to Cenozoic folded sediments consisting of massive, carbonate rocks (limestones, dolomites), reacting as competent layers during folding compared to the incompetent behavior of interlayered siltstones, claystones and marls. Although the overall security situation in Kurdistan is much better than in the rest of Iraq, structural field mapping was restricted to asphalt streets, mainly because of the contamination of the area with landmines and unexploded ordnance. In order to extend the structural measurements statistically over the investigated area, we used a newly developed software tool (www.terramath.com) for interactive structural mapping of spatial orientations (i.e. dip direction and dip angles) of the sedimentary beddings from digital elevation models. Structural field data and computed measurements where integrated and projected in NE-SW striking balanced cross-sections perpendicular to the regional trend of the fold axes. We used the software LithoTect (www.geologicsystems.com) for the restoration of the cross-sections. Depending on the interpretation

Assessment of brittleness and empirical correlations between physical and mechanical parameters of the Asmari limestone in Khersan 2 dam site, in southwest of Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lashkaripour, Gholam Reza; Rastegarnia, Ahmad; Ghafoori, Mohammad

2018-02-01

The determination of brittleness and geomechanical parameters, especially uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) and Young's modulus (ES) of rocks are needed for the design of different rock engineering applications. Evaluation of these parameters are time-consuming processes, tedious, expensive and require well-prepared rock cores. Therefore, compressional wave velocity (Vp) and index parameters such as point load index and porosity are often used to predict the properties of rocks. In this paper, brittleness and other properties, physical and mechanical in type, of 56 Asmari limestones in dry and saturated conditions were analyzed. The rock samples were collected from Khersan 2 dam site. This dam with the height of 240 m is being constructed and located in the Zagros Mountain, in the southwest of Iran. The bedrock and abutments of the dam site consist of Asemari and Gachsaran Formations. In this paper, a practical relation for predicting brittleness and some relations between mechanical and index parameters of the Asmari limestone were established. The presented equation for predicting brittleness based on UCS, Brazilian tensile strength and Vp had high accuracy. Moreover, results showed that the brittleness estimation based on B3 concept (the ratio of multiply compressive strength in tensile strength divided 2) had more accuracy as compared to the B2 (the ratio of compressive strength minus tensile strength to compressive strength plus tensile strength) and B1 (the ratio of compressive strength to tensile strength) concepts.

Fasciola hepatica eggs in paleofaeces of the Persian onager Equus hemionus onager, a donkey from Chehrabad archaeological site, dating back to the Sassanid Empire (224-651 AD), in ancient Iran.

PubMed

Askari, Zeynab; Mas-Coma, Santiago; Bouwman, Abigail S; Boenke, Nicole; Stöllner, Thomas; Aali, Abolfazl; Rezaiian, Mostafa; Mowlavi, Gholamreza

2018-04-24

Fascioliasis is a highly pathogenic zoonotic disease caused by the liver trematodes Fasciola hepatica and F. gigantica. Within the multidisciplinary initiative against this disease, there is the aim of understanding how this disease reached a worldwide distribution, with important veterinary and medical repercussions, by elucidating the spreading steps followed by the two fasciolids from their paleobiogeograhical origins. Fasciola eggs were detected in paleofaeces of a donkey, probably the present-day endangered Persian onager Equus hemionus onager, found in the Chehrabad salt mine archaeological site, Zanjan province, northwestern Iran. The biological remains dated back to the Sassanid period, 224-651 AD. Egg characteristics allowed for their specific ascription to F. hepatica. The interest of this finding relies on the fact of being the first archaeological finding of Fasciola in Asia and the Near East. Moreover, it allows to reach many conclusions about historical, epidemiological and spreading aspects of the disease. The finding in Chehrabad indicates that, at that time, this fasciolid had already spread through the Zagros mountains eastward from the Fertile Crescent. In that region and in ancient Egypt, livestock domestication played a crucial role in facilitating the disease spread during the postdomestication period. Donkeys appear at present to be usually infected by fasciolids in countries of the Fertile Crescent - Ancient Egypt region or neighbouring that region, with prevalences from low to very high. The high pathogenicity and mortality induced by Fasciola in these equines should be considered as an additional potential factor among the causes of the extinctions of E. h. hemippus in Syria, E. h. hydruntinus in the Anatolia-Balkans area, E. h. onager in the Caucasus and maybe also its decline in Iran. Indeed, Eurasiatic wild asses were present in the region and neighbourhood of the Fertile Crescent when the domestication of the livestock reservoirs of

Revealing the significance and polyphase tectonothermal evolution of a major metamorphic unit in an orogen: the central Sanandaj-Sirjan zone, Zagros Mts., Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shakerardakani, Farzaneh; Neubauer, Franz; Genser, Johann; Liu, Xiaoming; Dong, Yunpeng; Monfaredi, Behzad; Benroider, Manfred; Finger, Fritz; Waitzinger, Michael

2016-04-01

The Dorud-Azna region in the central Sanandaj-Sirjan metamorphic belt plays a key role in promoting the tectonic evolution of Zagros orogen, within the frame of the Arabia-Eurasia collision zone. From footwall to hangingwall, structural data combined with the U-Pb zircon and extensive 40Ar-39Ar mineral dating survey demonstrate three metamorphosed tectonic units, which include: (1) The Triassic June complex is metamorphosed within greenschist facies conditions, overlain by (2) the amphibolite-grade metamorphic Galeh-Doz orthogneiss, which is intruded by mafic dykes, and (3) the Amphibolite-Metagabbro unit. To the east, these units were intruded by the Jurassic Darijune gabbro. We present U-Pb detrital zircon ages of a garnet-micaschist from the Amphibolite-Metagabbro unit, which yield six distinctive age groups, including a previously unrecognized Late Grenvillian age population at ~0.93 to 0.99 Ga. We speculate that this unique Late Grenvillian group coupled with biogeographic evidence suggests either relationship with the South China craton or to the "Gondwana superfan". The laser ablation ICP-MS U-Pb zircon ages of 608 ± 18 Ma and 588 ± 41 Ma of the granitic Galeh-Doz orthogneiss reveals a Panafrican basement same as known from the Yazd block of Central Iran. Geochemistry and Sr-Nd isotopes of alkaline and subalkaline mafic dykes within the Galeh-Doz orthogneiss show OIB-type to MORB-type and indicate involvement of both depleted and enriched sources for its genesis. The new 40Ar-39Ar amphibole age of ca. 322.2 ± 3.9 Ma from the alkaline mafic dyke implies Carboniferous cooling age after intrusion. The metagabbros (including the Dare-Hedavand metagabbro with a 206Pb/238U age of 314.6 ± 3.7 Ma) and amphibolites with E-MORB geochemical signature of the Amphibolite-Metagabbro unit represent an Upper Paleozoic rift. The geochemical composition of the Triassic greenschist facies metamorphosed June complex, implying formation in a same, but younger tectonic

Provenance of the Walash-Naopurdan back-arc-arc clastic sequences in the Iraqi Zagros Suture Zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ali, Sarmad A.; Sleabi, Rajaa S.; Talabani, Mohammad J. A.; Jones, Brian G.

2017-01-01

Marine clastic rocks occurring in the Walash and Naopurdan Groups in the Hasanbag and Qalander areas, Kurdistan region, Iraqi Zagros Suture Zone, are lithic arenites with high proportions of volcanic rock fragments. Geochemical classification of the Eocene Walash and Oligocene Naopurdan clastic rocks indicates that they were mainly derived from associated sub-alkaline basalt and andesitic basalt in back-arc and island arc tectonic settings. Major and trace element geochemical data reveal that the Naopurdan samples are chemically less mature than the Walash samples and both were subjected to moderate weathering. The seaway in the southern Neotethys Ocean was shallow during both Eocene and Oligocene permitting mixing of sediment from the volcanic arcs with sediment derived from the Arabian continental margin. The Walash and Naopurdan clastic rocks enhance an earlier tectonic model of the Zagros Suture Zone with their deposition occurring during the Eocene Walash calc-alkaline back-arc magmatism and Early Oligocene Naopurdan island arc magmatism in the final stages of intra-oceanic subduction before the Miocene closure and obduction of the Neotethys basin.

New insights into the active deformation of accretionary prisms: examples from the Western Makran, Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Penney, Camilla; Copley, Alex; Oveisi, Benham

2016-04-01

The Makran subduction zone, along the southern coasts of Iran and Pakistan, hosts one of the largest exposed accretionary wedges in the world. The western Makran has been characterised by a lack of shallow and thrust seismicity in both the instrumental and historical periods. The Mw 6.1 2013 Minab earthquake thus provides a rare opportunity to study the deformation of the accretionary wedge in the transition region between continent-continent collision, in the Zagros, and oceanic subduction, in the Makran. We study the source parameters and slip distribution of this earthquake using seismology, geodesy and field observations. We observe left-lateral strike-slip motion on a fault striking ENE-WSW; approximately perpendicular to the faults of the Minab-Zendan-Palami fault zone, the main structure previously thought to accommodate the right-lateral shear between the Zagros and the Makran. The fault that ruptured in 2013 is one of a series of approximately E-W striking left-lateral faults visible in the geology and geomorphology. These accommodate a velocity field equivalent to right-lateral shear on N-S striking planes by clockwise rotations about vertical axes. The longitudinal range of shear in the western Makran is likely to be controlled by the distance over which the underthrusting Arabian lithosphere deepens in the transition from continent-continent collision to oceanic subduction. The lack of observed megathrust seismicity in the western Makran has led to assertions that the convergence in this region may be aseismic, in contrast to the eastern Makran, which experienced an Mw8.1 earthquake in 1945. The right-lateral Sistan Suture Zone, which runs ~N-S along the Iran-Afghanistan border to the north of the Makran, appears to separate these regimes. However, right-lateral faulting is not observed south of ~27°N, within the wedge. The Minab earthquake and the 2013 Balochistan earthquake show that the Makran accretionary wedge is dominated by strike-slip faulting

Earth observation

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-08-31

ISS040-E-113700 (31 Aug. 2014) --- This panorama view, photographed by an Expedition 40 crew member on the International Space Station, shows tan-colored dust of a major dust storm obscuring the Persian Gulf and the its northern shoreline. Strong north winds often blow in summer, churning up dust from the entire length of the desert surfaces of the Tigris and Euphrates valleys (top left). Dust partly obscures the hundreds of kilometers of Iraq’s light-green agricultural lands along these rivers (left). A line of thunderstorms is being set off by the Zagros Mountains of Iran (right), with the setting sun casting long shadows from the thunderheads. Space station crews see sixteen sunrises and sunsets every day from low Earth orbit. Here the crew captured dusk in a darkening Iranian landscape (right).

Fracture patterns in the Zagros fold-and-thrust belt, Kurdistan Region of Iraq

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reif, Daniel; Decker, Kurt; Grasemann, Bernhard; Peresson, Herwig

2012-11-01

Fracture data have been collected in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, which is a poorly accessible and unexplored area of the Zagros. Pre to early folding NE-SW striking extensional fractures and NW-SE striking contractive elements represent the older set affecting the exposed multilayer of the area. These latter structures are early syn-folding and followed by folding-related mesostructural assemblages, which include elements striking parallel to the axial trend of major folds (longitudinal fractures). Bedding perpendicular joints and veins, and extensional faults belonging to this second fracture set are located in the outer arc of exposed anticlines, whilst longitudinal reverse faults locate in the inner arcs. Consistently, these elements are associated with syn-folding tangential longitudinal strain. The younger two sets are related to E-W extension and NNE-SSW to N-S shortening, frequently displaying reactivation of the older sets. The last shortening event, which is described along the entire Zagros Belt, probably relates with the onset of N-S compression induced by the northward movement of the Arabian plate relative to the Eurasian Plate. In comparison between the inferred palaeostrain directions and the kinematics of recent GPS measurements, we conclude that the N-S compression and the partitioning into NW-SE trending folds and NW to N trending strike-slip faults likely remained unchanged throughout the Neogene tectonic history of the investigated area.

Effect of fire severity on physical and biochemical soil properties in Zagros oak (Quercus brantii Lindl.) forests in Iran

Treesearch

M. Heydari; A. Rostamy; F. Najafi; D. C. Dey

2017-01-01

Fire affects the physical and chemical properties and soil biological activity of natural ecosystems. This study was conducted in the Miyan Tang region, Ilam Province in western Iran. The study site was 110 hectares, where we sampled soils in areas that were classified by fire severity: low (LS), high (HS) and medium severity (MS), and unburned (UB), which served as...

Earthquakes, geodesy, and the structure of mountain belts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, Mark; Walters, Richard; Nissen, Ed

2015-04-01

Most terrestrial mountain belts are the topographic expression of thrust faulting and folding, which are how the continents deform in compression. Fold-and-thrust belts are therefore a global phenomenon, in existence since at least the onset of plate tectonics. They are typically described as wedge-shaped zones of deformation, overlying a basal low-angle thrust fault (≤10o dip). Here we use earthquake focal mechanisms and geodetic data from active continental fold-and-thrust belts worldwide, to test these concepts. We find that widespread, seismogenic, low-angle thrusting at the base of a wedge occurs only in the Himalayas, New Guinea, Talesh and far-eastern Zagros, which are plausibly underthrust by strong plates. In other ranges there is no focal mechanism evidence for a basal low-angle thrust, and well-constrained hypocentre depths are typically <20 km. Available geodetic data show that active deformation is focussed on a single, low-angle thrust in the Himalayas and New Guinea, but distributed in other ranges for which there are sufficient observations. We suggest that the more common style of deformation approximates to pure shear, with a brittle lid overlying the rest of the plate, where ductile or plastic deformation predominates. Interpretations of both active and ancient mountain belts will need re-evaluation in the light of these results.

Data on morphotectonic indices of Dashtekhak district, Iran.

PubMed

Fadaie Kermani, Ali; Derakhshani, Reza; Shafiei Bafti, Shahram

2017-10-01

Morphotectonic indices by representing the longer period of time than recorded earthquake data, are useful in evaluating the tectonic activity of a region. Dashtkhak area is located in Kerman province of Iran, where one of the most active faults, Kouhbanan strike slip fault, passes through. This data article provides a precise level data on mountain fronts and valleys of Dashtkhak region that is fundamental for morphotectonic investigations of the relationship among geomorphology and tectonic activity. This data is valuable in the field of geology and geography. Mountain fronts and valleys data is more relevant in the field of tectonics and geomorphology. It helps to evaluate a region from the viewpoint of tectonic activity. The data which are presented for 31 mountain fronts and 61 valleys, is taken by processing of remotely sensed Landsat satellite data, photogeology of areal photographs, measuring on topographic maps and controlled by field checking. This data is useful for calculating of some morphotectonic indices such as sinuosity of mountain fronts ( s mf ), mountain front faceting percentage (Facet%), the ratio of valley floor width to valley height ( V f ) and the valley ratio ( V ).

Structural Analysis of Active North Bozgush Fault Zone (NW Iran)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saber, R.; Isik, V.; Caglayan, A.

2013-12-01

NW Iran is one of the seismically active regions between Zagros Thrust Belt at the south and Caucasus at the north. Not only large magnitude historical earthquakes (Ms>7), but also 1987 Bozgush, 1997 Ardebil (Mw 6.1) and 2012 Ahar-Varzagan (Mw 6.4) earthquakes reveal that the region is seismically active. The North Bozgush Fault Zone (NBFZ) in this region has tens of kilometers in length and hundreds of meters in width. The zone has produced some large and destructive earthquakes (1593 M:6.1 and 1883 M:6.2). The NBFZ affects the Cenozoic units and along this zone Eocene units thrusted over Miocene and/or Plio-Quaternary sedimentary units. Together with morphologic features (stream offsets and alluvial fan movements) affecting the young unites reveal that the zone is active. The zone is mainly characterized by strike-slip faults with reverse component and reverse faults. Reverse faults striking N55°-85°E and dip of 40°-50° to the SW while strike-slip faults show right lateral slip with N60°-85°W and N60°-80°E directions. Our structural data analysis in NBFZ indicates that the axis direction of σ2 principal stress is vertical and the stress ratio (R) is 0.12. These results suggest that the tectonic regime along the North Bozgush Fault Zone is transpressive. Obtained other principal stresses (σ1, σ3) results are compatible with stress directions and GPS velocity suggested for NW Iran.

An investigation on thermal patterns in Iran based on spatial autocorrelation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fallah Ghalhari, Gholamabbas; Dadashi Roudbari, Abbasali

2018-02-01

The present study aimed at investigating temporal-spatial patterns and monthly patterns of temperature in Iran using new spatial statistical methods such as cluster and outlier analysis, and hotspot analysis. To do so, climatic parameters, monthly average temperature of 122 synoptic stations, were assessed. Statistical analysis showed that January with 120.75% had the most fluctuation among the studied months. Global Moran's Index revealed that yearly changes of temperature in Iran followed a strong spatially clustered pattern. Findings showed that the biggest thermal cluster pattern in Iran, 0.975388, occurred in May. Cluster and outlier analyses showed that thermal homogeneity in Iran decreases in cold months, while it increases in warm months. This is due to the radiation angle and synoptic systems which strongly influence thermal order in Iran. The elevations, however, have the most notable part proved by Geographically weighted regression model. Iran's thermal analysis through hotspot showed that hot thermal patterns (very hot, hot, and semi-hot) were dominant in the South, covering an area of 33.5% (about 552,145.3 km2). Regions such as mountain foot and low lands lack any significant spatial autocorrelation, 25.2% covering about 415,345.1 km2. The last is the cold thermal area (very cold, cold, and semi-cold) with about 25.2% covering about 552,145.3 km2 of the whole area of Iran.

The Crust and Upper Mantle Structure of the Iranian Plateau from Joint Waveform Tomography Imaging of Body and Surface Waves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roecker, S. W.; Priestley, K. F.; Tatar, M.

2014-12-01

The Iranian Plateau forms a broad zone of deformation between the colliding Arabian and Eurasian plates. The convergence is accommodated in the Zagros Mountains of SW Iran, the Alborz Mountains of northern Iran, and the Kopeh Dagh Mountains of NE Iran. These deforming belts are separated by relatively aseismic depressions such as the Lut Block. It has been suggested that the Arabia-Eurasia collision is similar to the Indo-Eurasia collision but at a early point of development and therefore, it may provide clues to our understanding of the earlier stages of the continent-continent collision process. We present results of the analysis of seismic data collected along two NE-SW trending transects across the Iranian Plateau. The first profile extends from near Bushere on the Persian Gulf coast to near to the Iran-Turkmenistan border north of Mashad, and consists of seismic recordings along the SW portion of the line in 2000-2001 and recording along the NE portion of the line in 2003 and 2006-2008. The second profile extends from near the Iran-Iraq border near the Dezfel embayment to the south Caspian Sea coast north of Tehran. We apply the combined 2.5D finite element waveform tomography algorithm of Baker and Roecker [2014] to jointly invert teleseismic body and surface waves to determine the elastic wavespeed structures of these areas. The joint inversion of these different types of waves affords similar types of advantages that are common to combined surface wave dispersion/receiver function inversions in compensating for intrinsic weaknesses in horizontal and vertical resolution capabilities. We compare results recovered from a finite difference approach to document the effects of various assumptions related to their application, such as the inclusion of topography, on the models recovered. We also apply several different inverse methods, starting with simple gradient techniques to the more sophisticated pseudo-Hessian or L-BFGS approach, and find that the latter are

Structural analysis of the Hasan-Robat marbles as traces of folded basement in the Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone, Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nadimi, Alireza

2015-11-01

Cherty marbles of Hasan-Robat area, northwest of Isfahan, in the Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone of Iran preserves evidences of multiple deformational events. The Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone is the inner crystalline zone of the Zagros Orogen, which has been highly deformed and exhumed during continental collision between the Arabian Plate and Central Iran. The Hasan-Robat area is an example of the exposed Precambrian-Paleozoic basement rocks that stretched along two NW-SE-trending faults and located in the inner part of the HasanRobat positive flower strcuture. The Hasan-Robat marbles record a complex shortening and shearing history. This lead to the development of disharmonic ptygmatic folds with vertical to sub-vertical axes and some interference patterns of folding that may have been created from deformations during the Pan-African Orogeny and later phases. Based on this research, tectonic evolution of the Hasan-Robat area is interpreted as the product of three major geotectonic events that have been started after Precambrian to Quaternary: (1) old deformation phases (2) contractional movements and (3) strike-slip movements. Different sets and distributions of joints, faults and folds are confirmed with effect of several deformational stages of the area and formation of the flower structure.

Stress state and movement potential of the Kar-e-Bas fault zone, Fars, Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarkarinejad, Khalil; Zafarmand, Bahareh

2017-08-01

The Kar-e-Bas or Mengharak basement-inverted fault is comprised of six segments in the Zagros foreland folded belt of Iran. In the Fars region, this fault zone associated with the Kazerun, Sabz-Pushan and Sarvestan faults serves as a lateral transfer zone that accommodates the change in shortening direction from the western central to the eastern Zagros. This study evaluates the recent tectonic stress regime of the Kar-e-Bas fault zone based on inversion of earthquake focal mechanism data, and quantifies the fault movement potential of this zone based on the relationship between fault geometric characteristics and recent tectonic stress regimes. The trend and plunge of σ 1 and σ 3 are S25°W/04°-N31°E/05° and S65°E/04°-N60°W/10°, respectively, with a stress ratio of Φ = 0.83. These results are consistent with the collision direction of the Afro-Arabian continent and the Iranian microcontinent. The near horizontal plunge of maximum and minimum principle stresses and the value of stress ratio Φ indicate that the state of stress is nearly strike-slip dominated with little relative difference between the value of two principal stresses, σ 1 and σ 2. The obliquity of the maximum compressional stress into the fault trend reveals a typical stress partitioning of thrust and strike-slip motion in the Kar-e-Bas fault zone. Analysis of the movement potential of this fault zone shows that its northern segment has a higher potential of fault activity (0.99). The negligible difference between the fault-plane dips of the segments indicates that their strike is a controlling factor in the changes in movement potential.

Microendemicity in the northern Hajar Mountains of Oman and the United Arab Emirates with the description of two new species of geckos of the genus Asaccus (Squamata: Phyllodactylidae)

PubMed Central

Jayasinghe, Sithum; Wilms, Thomas; Els, Johannes

2016-01-01

Background The Hajar Mountains of Oman and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is the highest mountain range in Eastern Arabia. As a result of their old geological origin, geographical isolation, complex topography and local climate, these mountains provide an important refuge for endemic and relict species of plants and animals with strong Indo-Iranian affinities. Among vertebrates, the rock climbing nocturnal geckos of the genus Asaccus represent the genus with the highest number of endemic species in the Hajar Mountains. Recent taxonomic studies on the Zagros populations of Asaccus have shown that this genus is much richer than it was previously thought and preliminary morphological and molecular data suggest that its diversity in Arabia may also be underestimated. Methods A total of 83 specimens originally classified as Asaccus caudivolvulus (including specimens of the two new species described herein), six other Asaccus species from the Hajar and the Zagros Mountains and two representatives of the genus Haemodracon were sequenced for up to 2,311 base pairs including the mitochondrial 12S and cytb and the nuclear c-mos, MC1R and ACM4 genes. Phylogenetic relationships were inferred using both Bayesian and maximum-likelihood approaches and the former method was also used to calibrate the phylogenetic tree. Haplotype networks and phylogenetic trees were inferred from the phased nuclear genes only. Sixty-one alcohol-preserved adult specimens originally classified as Asaccus caudivolvulus from the northern Hajar Mountains were examined for 13 morphometric and the five meristic variables using multivariate methods and were also used to diagnose and describe the two new species. Results The results of the molecular and morphological analyses indicate that the species originally classified as Asaccus caudivolvulus is, in fact, an assemblage of three different species that started diversifying during the Mid-Miocene. The molecular phylogenies consistently recovered the Hajar

Structural Analysis and Evolution of the Kashan (Qom-Zefreh) Fault, Central Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Safaei, H.; Taheri, A.; Vaziri-Moghaddam, H.

The main objectives of this research were to identify the geometry and structure of the Qom-Zefreh fault and to determine the extent of its effects on stratigraphy and facies changes. The identification of movement mechanism of major faults in basement, extent and time of their activities are important effects for evaluation of paleogeography of the Iran plateau. In the Orumieh-Dokhtar volcanic band, there are nearly parallel faults to the Zagros Zone. These faults were formed during closure of the Neothetys and collision of the Arabic plate with crust of Iran. The Qom-Zefreh fault is one of these faults, which is known as having four different trend faults. The result indicates that, this fault is not divided in four segments with different trends but the major trend is of Central section, which is the Kashan segment with AZ140 trend and other segments are just related faults. Thus the name of the Kashan fault is recommended for this fault. The mechanism of the Kashan fault is dextral transpression and other related faults in the region are in good correlation with fractures in a dextral transpression system. The stratigraphic studies conducted on the present formations show the effect of fault movements in Upper Cretaceous sedimentary basin. Lack of noticeable changes in Lower Cretaceous sediments and before that indicates that, the fault system activity has been started from the Upper Cretaceous. Thus, based upon these results, the effect of the Neothetys sea closure in this region could be considered at least from the Upper Cretaceous.

Petroleum generation and migration in the Mesopotamian Basin and Zagros fold belt of Iraq: Results from a basin-modeling study

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pitman, Janet K.; Steinshouer, D.; Lewan, M.D.

2004-01-01

A regional 3-D total petroleum-system model was developed to evaluate petroleum generation and migration histories in the Mesopotamian Basin and Zagros fold belt in Iraq. The modeling was undertaken in conjunction with Middle East petroleum assessment studies conducted by the USGS. Regional structure maps, isopach and facies maps, and thermal maturity data were used as input to the model. The oil-generation potential of Jurassic source-rocks, the principal known source of the petroleum in Jurassic, Cretaceous, and Tertiary reservoirs in these regions, was modeled using hydrous pyrolysis (Type II-S) kerogen kinetics. Results showed that oil generation in source rocks commenced in the Late Cretaceous in intrashelf basins, peak expulsion took place in the late Miocene and Pliocene when these depocenters had expanded along the Zagros foredeep trend, and generation ended in the Holocene when deposition in the foredeep ceased. The model indicates that, at present, the majority of Jurassic source rocks in Iraq have reached or exceeded peak oil generation and most rocks have completed oil generation and expulsion. Flow-path simulations demonstrate that virtually all oil and gas fields in the Mesopotamian Basin and Zagros fold belt overlie mature Jurassic source rocks (vertical migration dominated) and are situated on, or close to, modeled migration pathways. Fields closest to modeled pathways associated with source rocks in local intrashelf basins were charged earliest from Late Cretaceous through the middle Miocene, and other fields filled later when compression-related traps were being formed. Model results confirm petroleum migration along major, northwest-trending folds and faults, and oil migration loss at the surface.

Multi-phase inversion tectonics related to the Hendijan-Nowrooz-Khafji Fault activity, Zagros Mountains, SW Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kazem Shiroodi, Sadjad; Ghafoori, Mohammad; Faghih, Ali; Ghanadian, Mostafa; Lashkaripour, Gholamreza; Hafezi Moghadas, Naser

2015-11-01

Distinctive characteristics of inverted structures make them important criteria for the identification of certain structural styles of folded belts. The interpretation of 3D seismic reflection and well data sheds new light on the structural evolution and age of inverted structures associated to the Hendijan-Nowrooz-Khafji Fault within the Persian Gulf Basin and northeastern margin of Afro-Arabian plate. Analysis of thickness variations of growth strata using "T-Z plot" (thickness versus throw plot) method revealed the kinematics of the fault. Obtained results show that the fault has experienced a multi-phase evolutionary history over six different extension and compression deformation events (i.e. positive and negative inversion) between 252.2 and 11.62 Ma. This cyclic activity of the growth fault was resulted from alteration of sedimentary processes during continuous fault slip. The structural development of the study area both during positive and negative inversion geometry styles was ultimately controlled by the relative motion between the Afro-Arabian and Central-Iranian plates.

Mechanical versus kinematical shortening reconstructions of the Zagros High Folded Zone (Kurdistan region of Iraq)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frehner, Marcel; Reif, Daniel; Grasemann, Bernhard

2012-06-01

This paper compares kinematical and mechanical techniques for the palinspastic reconstruction of folded cross sections in collision orogens. The studied area and the reconstructed NE-SW trending, 55.5 km long cross section is located in the High Folded Zone of the Zagros fold-and-thrust belt in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. The present-day geometry of the cross section has been constructed from field as well as remote sensing data. In a first step, the structures and the stratigraphy are simplified and summarized in eight units trying to identify the main geometric and mechanical parameters. In a second step, the shortening is kinematically estimated using the dip domain method to 11%-15%. Then the same cross section is used in a numerical finite element model to perform dynamical unfolding simulations taking various rheological parameters into account. The main factor allowing for an efficient dynamic unfolding is the presence of interfacial slip conditions between the mechanically strong units. Other factors, such as Newtonian versus power law viscous rheology or the presence of a basement, affect the numerical simulations much less strongly. If interfacial slip is accounted for, fold amplitudes are reduced efficiently during the dynamical unfolding simulations, while welded layer interfaces lead to unrealistic shortening estimates. It is suggested that interfacial slip and decoupling of the deformation along detachment horizons is an important mechanical parameter that controlled the folding processes in the Zagros High Folded Zone.

Mechanical versus kinematical shortening reconstructions of the Zagros High Folded Zone (Kurdistan Region of Iraq)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frehner, M.; Reif, D.; Grasemann, B.

2012-04-01

Our study compares kinematical and mechanical techniques for the palinspastic reconstruction of folded cross-sections in collision orogens. The studied area and the reconstructed NE-SW-trending, 55.5 km long cross-section is located in the High Folded Zone of the Zagros fold-and-thrust belt in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The present-day geometry of the cross-section has been constructed from field, as well as remote sensing data. In a first step, the structures and the stratigraphy are simplified and summarized in eight units trying to identify the main geometric and mechanical parameters. In a second step, the shortening is kinematically estimated using the dip-domain method to 11%-15%. Then the same cross-section is used in a numerical finite-element model to perform dynamical unfolding simulations taking various rheological parameters into account. The main factor allowing for an efficient dynamic unfolding is the presence of interfacial slip conditions between the mechanically strong units. Other factors, such as Newtonian vs. power-law viscous rheology or the presence of a basement affect the numerical simulations much less strongly. If interfacial slip is accounted for, fold amplitudes are reduced efficiently during the dynamical unfolding simulations, while welded layer interfaces lead to unrealistic shortening estimates. It is suggested that interfacial slip and decoupling of the deformation along detachment horizons is an important mechanical parameter that controlled the folding processes in the Zagros High Folded Zone.

Slope gradient and shape effects on soil profiles in the northern mountainous forests of Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fazlollahi Mohammadi, M.; Jalali, S. G. H.; Kooch, Y.; Said-Pullicino, D.

2016-12-01

In order to evaluate the variability of the soil profiles at two shapes (concave and convex) and five positions (summit, shoulder, back slope, footslope and toeslope) of a slope, a study of a virgin area was made in a Beech stand of mountain forests, northern Iran. Across the slope positions, the soil profiles demonstrated significant changes due to topography for two shape slopes. The solum depth of the convex slope was higher than the concave one in all five positions, and it decreased from the summit to shoulder and increased from the mid to lower slope positions for both convex and concave slopes. The thin solum at the upper positions and concave slope demonstrated that pedogenetic development is least at upper slope positions and concave slope where leaching and biomass productivity are less than at lower slopes and concave slope. A large decrease in the thickness of O and A horizons from the summit to back slope was noted for both concave and convex slopes, but it increased from back slope toward down slope for both of them. The average thickness of B horizons increased from summit to down slopes in the case of the concave slope, but in the case of convex slope it decreased from summit to shoulder and afterwards it increased to the down slope. The thicknesses of the different horizons varied in part in the different positions and shape slopes because they had different plant species cover and soil features, which were related to topography.

Influence of southern oscillation on autumn rainfall in Iran (1951-2011)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roghani, Rabbaneh; Soltani, Saeid; Bashari, Hossein

2016-04-01

This study aimed to investigate the relationships between southern oscillation and autumn (October-December) rainfall in Iran. It also sought to identify the possible physical mechanisms involved in the mentioned relationships by analyzing observational atmospheric data. Analyses were based on monthly rainfall data from 50 synoptic stations with at least 35 years of records up to the end of 2011. Autumn rainfall time series were grouped by the average Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) and SOI phase methods. Significant differences between rainfall groups in each method were assessed by Kruskal-Wallis and Kolmogorov-Smirnov non-parametric tests. Their relationships were also validated using the linear error in probability space (LEPS) test. The results showed that average SOI and SOI phases during July-September were related with autumn rainfall in some regions located in the west and northwest of Iran, west coasts of the Caspian Sea and southern Alborz Mountains. The El Niño (negative) and La Niña (positive) phases were associated with increased and decreased autumn rainfall, respectively. Our findings also demonstrated the persistence of Southern Pacific Ocean's pressure signals on autumn rainfall in Iran. Geopotential height patterns were totally different in the selected El Niño and La Niña years over Iran. During the El Niño years, a cyclone was formed over the north of Iran and an anticyclone existed over the Mediterranean Sea. During La Niña years, the cyclone shifted towards the Mediterranean Sea and an anticyclone developed over Iran. While these El Niño conditions increased autumn rainfall in Iran, the opposite conditions during the La Niña phase decreased rainfall in the country. In conclusion, development of rainfall prediction models based on the SOI can facilitate agricultural and water resources management in Iran.

Quantification of fold growth of frontal antiforms in the Zagros fold and thrust belt (Kurdistan, NE Iraq)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bretis, Bernhard; Bartl, Nikolaus; Graseman, Bernhard; Lockhart, Duncan

2010-05-01

The Zagros fold and thrust belt is a seismically active orogen, where actual kinematic models based on GPS networks suggest a north-south shortening between Arabian and Eurasian in the order of 1.5-2.5 cm/yr. Most of this deformation is partitioned in south-southwest oriented folding and thrusting with northwest-southeast to north-south trending dextral strike slip faults. The Zagros fold and thrust belt is of great economic interest because it has been estimated that this area contains about 15% of the global recoverable hydrocarbons. Whereas the SE parts of the Zagros have been investigated by detailed geological studies, the NW extent being part of the Republic of Iraq have experienced considerably less attention. In this study we combine field work and remote sensing techniques in order to investigate the interaction of erosion and fold growth in the area NE of Erbil (Kurdistan, Iraq). In particular we focus on the interaction of the transient development of drainage patterns along growing antiforms, which directly reflects the kinematics of progressive fold growth. Detailed geomorphological studies of the Bana Bawi-, Permam- and Safeen fold trains show that these anticlines have not developed from subcylindrical embryonic folds but they have merged from different fold segments that joined laterally during fold amplification. This fold segments with length between 5 and 25 km have been detected by mapping ancient and modern river courses that initially cut the nose of growing folds and eventually got defeated leaving behind a wind gap. Fold segments, propagating in different directions force rivers to join resulting in steep gorges, which dissect the merging fold noses. Along rapidly lateral growing folds (e.g. at the SE end of the Bana Bawi Anticline) we observed "curved wind gaps", a new type of abandoned river course, where form of the wind gap mimics a formed nose of a growing antiform. The inherited curved segments of uplifted curved river courses strongly

A new species of Hemidactylus (Squamata: Gekkota: Gekkonidae)  from Qara Dagh Mountains, Kurdistan Region, with a key to the genus in Iraq.

PubMed

Safaei-Mahroo, Barbod; Ghaffari, Hanyeh; Ghafoor, Aram; Amini, Saywan

2017-12-12

We describe a new species of gecko of the genus Hemidactylus from the oak woodlands of Zagros Forest Steppe of Qara Dagh Mountains, Sulaimani, northeastern Iraq, based on morphological and molecular characteristics. Hemidactylus kurdicus sp. nov. is distinguished from all other related Arid clade Hemidactylus species in the Middle East by having a single pair of postmental scales; it differs H. turcicus, H. robustus, H. ulii, H. sinaitus, H. shihraensis and H. yerburii based on the number of lamellae under the first and fourth toes of pes. Mitochondrial DNA including CytB and 12S identify a consistent divergence between H. kurdicus and H. persicus. An identification key to the genus Hemidactylus in Iraq is presented.

Deformation Mechanisms of Darreh Sary Metapelites, Sanandaj‒Sirjan Zone, Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hemmati, O.; Tabatabaei Manesh, S. M.; Nadimi, A. R.

2018-03-01

The Darreh Sary metapelitic rocks are located in the northeast of Zagros orogenic belt and Sanandaj-Sirjan structural zone. The lithological composition of these rocks includes slate, phyllite, muscovitebiotite schist, garnet schist, staurolite-garnet schist and staurolite schist. The shale is the protolith of these metamorphic rocks, which was originated from the continental island arc tectonic setting and has been subjected to processes of Zagros orogeny. The deformation mechanisms in these rocks include bulging recrystallization (BLG), subgrain rotation recrystallization (SGR) and grain boundary migration recrystallization (GBM), which are considered as the key to estimate the deformation temperature of the rocks. The estimated ranges of deformation temperature and depth in these rocks show the temperatures of 275-375, 375-500, and >500°C and the depths of 10 to 17 km. The observed structures in these rocks such as faults, fractures and folds, often with the NW-SE direction coordinate with the structural trends of Zagros orogenic belt structures. The S-C mylonite fabrics is observed in these rocks with other microstructures such as mica fish, σ fabric and garnet deformation indicate the dextral shear deformation movements of study area. Based on the obtained results of this research, the stages of tectonic evolution of Darreh Sary area were developed.

Factors affecting Iran`s future. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sinai, J.

1993-05-28

This study examines the factors affecting Iran`s future by focusing on the demographic, economic, and military trends in Iran and their impact on the country`s national security objectives in the next decade. The paper also assesses the implications of an economic embargo on Iran and potential Iranian threats to regional and United States national interests.

Soil erosion in Iran: Issues and solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamidreza Sadeghi, Seyed; Cerdà, Artemi

2015-04-01

Iran currently faces many soil erosion-related problems (see citations below). These issues are resulted from some inherent characteristic and anthropogenic triggering forces. Nowadays, the latter plays more important rule to accelerate the erosion with further emphasis on soil erosion-prone arid and semi arid regions of the country. This contribution attempts to identify and describe the existing main reasons behind accelerated soil erosion in Iran. Appropriate solutions viz. structural and non-structural approaches will be then advised to combat or minimise the problems. Iran can be used as a pilot research site to understand the soil erosion processes in semiarid, arid and mountainous terrain and our research will review the scientific literature and will give an insight of the soil erosion rates in the main factors of the soil erosion in Iran. Key words: Anthropogenic Erosion, Land Degradation; Sediment Management; Sediment Problems Acknowledgements The research projects GL2008-02879/BTE, LEDDRA 243857 and PREVENTING AND REMEDIATING DEGRADATION OF SOILS IN EUROPE THROUGH LAND CARE (RECARE)FP7-ENV-2013- supported this research. References Aghili Nategh, N., Hemmat, A., & Sadeghi, M. (2014). Assessing confined and semi-confined compression curves of highly calcareous remolded soil amended with farmyard manure. Journal of Terramechanics, 53, 75-82. Arekhi, S., Bolourani, A. D., Shabani, A., Fathizad, H., Ahamdy-Asbchin, S. 2012. Mapping Soil Erosion and Sediment Yield Susceptibility using RUSLE, Remote Sensing and GIS (Case study: Cham Gardalan Watershed, Iran). Advances in Environmental Biology, 6(1), 109-124. Arekhi, S., Shabani, A., Rostamizad, G. 2012. Application of the modified universal soil loss equation (MUSLE) in prediction of sediment yield (Case study: Kengir Watershed, Iran). Arabian Journal of Geosciences, 5(6), 1259-1267.Sadeghi, S. H., Moosavi, V., Karami, A., Behnia, N. 2012. Soil erosion assessment and prioritization of affecting factors at plot

Molecular phylogeny and historical biogeography of the Anatolian lizard Apathya (Squamata, Lacertidae).

PubMed

Kapli, Paschalia; Botoni, Dimitra; Ilgaz, Cetin; Kumlutaş, Yusuf; Avcı, Aziz; Rastegar-Pouyani, Nasrullah; Fathinia, Behzad; Lymberakis, Petros; Ahmadzadeh, Faraham; Poulakakis, Nikos

2013-03-01

Apathya is a lacertid genus occurring mainly in south-east Turkey and its adjacent regions (part of Iran and Iraq). So far two morphological species have been attributed to the genus; A. cappadocica (with five subspecies, A. c.cappadocica, A. c.muhtari, A. c.schmidtlerorum, A. c. urmiana and A. c.wolteri) and A.yassujica. The first species occupies most of the genus' distribution range, while A. yassujica is endemic of the Zagros Mountains. Here, we explored Apathya's taxonomy and investigated the evolutionary history of the species by employing phylogenetic and phylogeographic approaches and using both mitochondrial (mtDNA) and nuclear markers. The phylogenetic relationships and the genetic distances retrieved, revealed that Apathya is a highly variable genus, which parallels its high morphological variation. Such levels of morphological and genetic differentiation often exceed those between species of other Lacertini genera that are already treated as full species, suggesting the necessity for a taxonomic revision of Apathya. The phylogeographical scenario emerging from the genetic data suggests that the present distribution of the genus was determined by a combination of dispersal and vicariance events between Anatolia and Southwest Asia dating back to the Miocene and continuing up to the Pleistocene. Key geological events for the understanding of the phylogeography of the genus are the movement of the Arabian plate that led to the configuration of Middle East (orogenesis of the mountain ranges of Turkey and Iran) and the formation of Anatolian Diagonal. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

MT data inversion and sensitivity analysis to image electrical structure of Zagros collision zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Layegh Haghighi, T.; Montahaei, M.; Oskooi, B.

2018-01-01

Magnetotelluric (MT) data from 46 stations on a 470-km-long profile across the Zagros fold-thrust belt (ZFTB) that marks the Arabia-Eurasia collision zone were inverted to derive 2-D electrical resistivity structure between Busher on the coast of Persian Gulf and Posht-e-Badam, 160 km north east of Yazd. The model includes prominent anomalies in the upper and lower crust, beneath the brittle-ductile transition depth and mostly related to the fluid distribution and sedimentary layers beneath the profile. The conductivities and dimensions of the fault zone conductors (FZCs) and high conductivity zones (HCZs) as the major conductive anomalies in a fault zone conceptual model vary significantly below the different faults accommodated in this region. The enhanced conductivity below the site Z30 correlates well with the main Zagros thrust (MZT), located at the western boundary of Sanandaj-Sirjan zone (SSZ) and known as the transition between the two continents. The depth extent of the huge conductor beneath the south west of the profile, attributed to the thick sedimentary columns of the Arabian crust, cannot be resolved due to the smearing effect of the smoothness constraint employed in the regularized inversion procedure and the sensitivity of MT data to the conductance of the subsurface. We performed different tests to determine the range of 2-D models consistent with the data. Our approach was based on synthetic studies, comprising of hypothesis testing and the use of a priori information throughout the inversion procedure as well as forward modeling. We conclude that the minimum depth extent of the conductive layer beneath the southwest of the profile can be determined as approximately deeper than 15 km and also the screening effect of the conductive overburden is highly intense in this model and prevents the deep structures from being resolved properly.

Desert and desertification in Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bahrami, M.

2009-04-01

One of the greatest environmental concerns in Iran as in other arid and semiarid countries is the transformation of once productive, or marginally productive, land to deteriorated land and soil unable to support plants and animals. Because the land becomes barren and dry, the process is described as desertification, which occurs as a sequence of events. The area of deserts in Iran is about 340,000 Km2 (less than one fifth of its total area), of which 100,000 Km2 is being used for some cultivation, 120,000 Km2 is subjected to moving sands about 40 % of which is active sand dunes. Most of features and processes usual in world famous deserts are also observed in Iran: low precipitation, high evaporation, poor or lack of vegetation, saline and alkaline soils, low population and small and sparse oases. The deserts of Iran are generally classified in the subtropical, warm, arid and semiarid group, but the effect and presence of some geographical and geoclimatical factors such as height, vicinity to Indian Ocean and so on do some changes in climatic conditions and geographical features causing some local and regional differences in them. Geographically, two groups of deserts have been known in Iran: (1) Coastal deserts which, like a ribbon with variable width, stretch from extreme southeast to extreme southwest, at the north parts of Oman Sea and Persian Gulf. One important feature of these deserts is relatively high humidity which differentiates them from other deserts. This causes an increase in vegetation coverage and hence a decrease in eolian erosion and also a dominance of chemical weathering to that of physical. (2) internal deserts, which rest in central, eastern and southeastern plateau of the country and in independent and semi dependent depressions. This situation, which is due to the surrounding high mountains, blocks humidity entry and causes the aridity of these deserts. Wind as a dominant process in the area causes deflated features such as Reg (desert

The Kharapeh orogenic gold deposit: Geological, structural, and geochemical controls on epizonal ore formation in West Azerbaijan Province, Northwestern Iran

USGS Publications Warehouse

Niroomand, Shojaeddin; Goldfarb, Richard J.; Moore, Farib; Mohajjel, Mohammad; Marsh, Erin E.

2011-01-01

The Kharapeh gold deposit is located along the northwestern margin of the Sanandaj–Sirjan Zone (SSZ) in the West Azerbaijan province, Iran. It is an epizonal orogenic gold deposit formed within the deformed zone between central Iran and the Arabian plate during the Cretaceous–Tertiary Zagros orogeny. The deposit area is underlain by Cretaceous schist and marble, as well as altered andesite and dacite dikes. Structural analysis indicates that the rocks underwent tight to isoclinal recumbent folding and were subsequently co-axially refolded to upright open folds during a second deformation. Late- to post-tectonic Cenozoic granites and granodiorites occur northeast of the deposit area. Mineralization mainly is recognized within NW-trending extensional structures as veins and breccia zones. Normal faults, intermediate dikes, and quartz veins, oriented subparallel to the axial surface of the Kharapeh antiform, indicate synchronous extension perpendicular to the fold axis during the second folding event. The gold-bearing quartz veins are >1 km in length and average about 6 m in width; breccia zones are 10–50 m in length and ≤1 m in width. Hydrothermal alteration mainly consists of silicification, sulfidation, chloritization, sericitization, and carbonatization. Paragenetic relationships indicate three distinct stages—replacement and silicification, brecciation and fracture filling, and cataclastic brecciation—with the latter two being gold-rich. Fluid inclusion data suggest mineral deposition at temperatures of at least 220–255°C and depths of at least 1.4–1.8 km, from a H2O–CO2±CH4 fluid of relatively high salinity (12–14 wt.% NaCl equiv.), which may reflect metamorphism of passive margin carbonate sequences. Ore fluid δ18O values between about 7‰ and 9‰ suggest no significant meteoric water input, despite gold deposition in a relatively shallow epizonal environment. Similarities to other deposits in the SSZ suggest that the deposit formed as

A-type granitoid in Hasansalaran complex, northwestern Iran: Evidence for extensional tectonic regime in northern Gondwana in the Late Paleozoic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azizi, Hossein; Kazemi, Tahmineh; Asahara, Yoshihiro

2017-07-01

The Hasansalaran plutonic complex is one of the main intrusive bodies with a wide range of granite, monzonite, diorite and syenite that crop out in northwest Iran. This body includes Paleozoic granitoids that are surrounded and cut by Cretaceous granitoids. Zircon U-Pb age dating shows that the crystallization of this body occurred at 360 Ma ago in the Early Carboniferous. Whole rock compositions of the investigated intrusive body, show high contents of Ga (11.1-76.3 ppm), Zr (73.5-1280 ppm), Zn (43.7-358 ppm), Y(17.9-177 ppm), enrichment of rare earth elements (REEs) together with high Ga/Al ratios and a strong Eu negative anomaly, fairly consistent with typical A-type signature. The low εNd(t = 360 Ma) value (< + 3) and high variation of 87Sr/86Sr(initial) ratios are evidence of the role of the continental component for the evolution of A-type granitoids in the Hasansalaran area. Because of the high contents of Ta, Yb, Nb and Y, all samples are plotted in the within-plate tectonic regime without interfering oceanic released fluids in the subduction zone. These high Nb content rocks (37.2-342 ppm without one sample) are classified as A1-type granitoids. Based on the distribution of A1- and A2-type granitoids in the Late Paleozoic in northwest Iran, the existence of some gabbroic rocks with tholeiitic to alkali composition and a long gap for magmatic activities in the area from 550 to 360 Ma (approximately 180 my.a.) between the Zagros and Tabriz faults, we suggest a new thematic model for evolution of northwest Iran in the Late Paleozoic. Based on our model, the upwelling of a mantle plume, probably due to the proto-Tethys oceanic rollback activity beneath northern Gondwana, had a crucial role in the uplifting of the continental crust and resulted in the crystallization of A-type granitoids with some gabbroic rocks in northwest Iran.

Seismicity of the Earth 1900–2010 Middle East and vicinity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jenkins, Jennifer; Turner, Bethan; Turner, Rebecca; Hayes, Gavin P.; Davies, Sian; Dart, Richard L.; Tarr, Arthur C.; Villaseñor, Antonio; Benz, Harley M.

2013-01-01

No fewer than four major tectonic plates (Arabia, Eurasia, India, and Africa) and one smaller tectonic block (Anatolia) are responsible for seismicity and tectonics in the Middle East and surrounding region. Geologic development of the region is a consequence of a number of first-order plate tectonic processes that include subduction, large-scale transform faulting, compressional mountain building, and crustal extension. In the east, tectonics are dominated by the collision of the India plate with Eurasia, driving the uplift of the Himalaya, Karakorum, Pamir and Hindu Kush mountain ranges. Beneath the Pamir‒Hindu Kush Mountains of northern Afghanistan, earthquakes occur to depths as great as 200 km as a result of remnant lithospheric subduction. Along the western margin of the India plate, relative motions between India and Eurasia are accommodated by strike-slip, reverse, and oblique-slip faulting, resulting in the complex Sulaiman Range fold and thrust belt, and the major translational Chaman Fault in Afghanistan. Off the south coasts of Pakistan and Iran, the Makran trench is the surface expression of active subduction of the Arabia plate beneath Eurasia. Northwest of this subduction zone, collision between the two plates forms the approximately 1,500-km-long fold and thrust belts of the Zagros Mountains, which cross the whole of western Iran and extend into northeastern Iraq. Tectonics in the eastern Mediterranean region are dominated by complex interactions between the Africa, Arabia, and Eurasia plates, and the Anatolia block. Dominant structures in this region include: the Red Sea Rift, the spreading center between the Africa and Arabia plates; the Dead Sea Transform, a major strike-slip fault, also accommodating Africa-Arabia relative motions; the North Anatolia Fault, a right-lateral strike-slip structure in northern Turkey accommodating much of the translational motion of the Anatolia block westwards with respect to Eurasia and Africa; and the Cyprian

Active tectonics of the Binalud Mountains, a key puzzle segment to describe Quaternary deformations at the northeastern boundary of the Arabia-Eurasia collision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shabanian, Esmaeil; Bellier, Olivier; Siame, Lionel L.; Abbassi, Mohammad R.; Leanni, Laetitia; Braucher, Régis; Farbod, Yassaman; Bourlès, Didier L.

2010-05-01

In northeast Iran, the Binalud Mountains accommodate part of active convergence between the Arabian and Eurasian plates. This fault-bounded mountain range has been considered a key region to describe Quaternary deformations at the northeastern boundary of the Arabia-Eurasia collision. But, the lack of knowledge on active faulting hampered evaluating the geological reliability of tectonic models describing the kinematics of deformation in northeast Iran. Morphotectonic investigations along both sides of the Binalud Mountains allowed us to characterize the structural and active faulting patterns along the Neyshabur and Mashhad fault systems on the southwest and northeast sides of the mountain range, respectively. We applied combined approaches of morphotectonic analyses based on satellite imageries (SPOT5 and Landsat ETM+), STRM and site-scale digital topographic data, and field surveys complemented with in situ-produced 10Be exposure dating to determine the kinematics and rate of active faulting. Three regional episodes of alluvial surface abandonments were dated at 5.3±1.1 kyr (Q1), 94±5 kyr (Q3), and 200±14 kyr (S3). The geomorphic reconstruction of both vertical and right-lateral fault offsets postdating these surface abandonment episodes yielded Quaternary fault slip rates on both sides of the Binalud Mountains. On the Neyshabur Fault System, thanks to geomorphic reconstructions of cumulative offsets recorded by Q3 fan surfaces, slip rates of 2.7±0.8 mm/yr and 2.4±0.2 mm/yr are estimated for right-lateral and reverse components of active faulting, respectively. Those indicate a total slip rate of 3.6±1.2 mm/yr for the late Quaternary deformation on the southwest flank of the Binalud Mountains. Reconstructing the cumulative right-lateral offset recorded by S3 surfaces, a middle-late Quaternary slip rate of 1.6±0.1 mm/yr is determined for the Mashhad Fault System. Altogether, our geomorphic observations reveal that, on both sides of the Binalud Mountains

Cenozoic topographic build-up of the Iranien plateau: first constraints from low-temperature thermochronology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

François, Thomas; Agard, Philippe; Meyer, Bertrand; Zarrinkoub, Mohammad; Chung, Sun-Lin; Bernet, Matthias; Burov, Evgueni

2013-04-01

The Iranian plateau is a smooth topographic high at the rear of the Zagros mountains, with average elevation of c. 1.5 km. Its formation is thought to result from the collision between the Arabian and Eurasian plates since ~35 Myrs, following a long-standing subduction, and represents an interesting analogue to the so far better documented Tibetan plateau. Yet, while the Zagros orogeny was reappraised by numerous authors over the past few years, the topographic build-up of both the Zagros and the Iranian plateau remains ill-constrained. We herein present (U-Th)/He and fission track (FT) thermochronology results to reconstruct the Cenozoic tectonic evolution of the Iranien plateau and quantify the age and amount of vertical movements. Apatite and zircon single grain cooling age data were collected on plutonic rocks (for which crystallization ages were already available: Chiu et al., 2010) from the internal domains of Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone (SSZ), Urumieh-Doktar magmatic arc (UDMA), Central Iran and, for comparison, Kopet Dagh. We stress that an important milestone for topographic build-up is the presence of the marine Qom formation (coeval with the external Asmari formation) in the UDMA and part of the SSZ, indicating that the plateau was at or near sea level at 20 Ma. Temperature time paths inferred from low temperature thermochronology suggest a spatial and temporal separation of exhumation processes. The results show that the SSZ was exhumed very early in the collision process (essentially before 20 Ma), with a likely acceleration around the Oligocene (i.e., at the onset of continental collision) from 0.05 to 0.3 mm/yr. Post-collision cooling along the UDMA is marked by an average, constant exhumation rate of 0.3-0.4 mm/yr, which suggests that no significant increase or decrease of erosion occurred since continental collision. In Central Iran, the overlap (within error) of ZrFT, AFT and AHe ages from gneissic samples points to their rapid cooling during the upper

First-order control of syntectonic sedimentation on crustal-scale structure of mountain belts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erdős, Zoltán.; Huismans, Ritske S.; van der Beek, Peter

2015-07-01

The first-order characteristics of collisional mountain belts and the potential feedback with surface processes are predicted by critical taper theory. While the feedback between erosion and mountain belt structure has been fairly extensively studied, less attention has been given to the potential role of synorogenic deposition. For thin-skinned fold-and-thrust belts, recent studies indicate a strong control of syntectonic deposition on structure, as sedimentation tends to stabilize the thin-skinned wedge. However, the factors controlling basement deformation below fold-and-thrust belts, as evident, for example, in the Zagros Mountains or in the Swiss Alps, remain largely unknown. Previous work has suggested that such variations in orogenic structure may be explained by the thermotectonic "age" of the deforming lithosphere and hence its rheology. Here we demonstrate that sediment loading of the foreland basin area provides an additional control and may explain the variable basement involvement in orogenic belts. When examining the role of sedimentation, we identify two end-members: (1) sediment-starved orogenic systems with thick-skinned basement deformation in an axial orogenic core and thin-skinned deformation in the bordering forelands and (2) sediment-loaded orogens with thick packages of synorogenic deposits, derived from the axial basement zone, deposited on the surrounding foreland fold-and-thrust belts, and characterized by basement deformation below the foreland. Using high-resolution thermomechanical models, we demonstrate a strong feedback between deposition and crustal-scale thick-skinned deformation. Our results show that the loading effects of syntectonic sediments lead to long crustal-scale thrust sheets beneath the orogenic foreland and explain the contrasting characteristics of sediment-starved and sediment-loaded orogens, showing for the first time how both thin- and thick-skinned crustal deformations are linked to sediment deposition in these

Historical explanation of genetic variation in the Mediterranean horseshoe bat Rhinolophus euryale (Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae) inferred from mitochondrial cytochrome-b and D-loop genes in Iran.

PubMed

Najafi, Nargess; Akmali, Vahid; Sharifi, Mozafar

2018-04-26

Molecular phylogeography and species distribution modelling (SDM) suggest that late Quaternary glacial cycles have portrayed a significant role in structuring current population genetic structure and diversity. Based on phylogenetic relationships using Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood of 535 bp mtDNA (D-loop) and 745 bp mtDNA (Cytb) in 62 individuals of the Mediterranean Horseshoe Bat, Rhinolophus euryale, from 13 different localities in Iran we identified two subspecific populations with differing population genetic structure distributed in southern Zagros Mts. and northern Elburz Mts. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) obtained from D-loop sequences indicates that 21.18% of sequence variation is distributed among populations and 10.84% within them. Moreover, a degree of genetic subdivision, mainly attributable to the existence of significant variance among the two regions is shown (θCT = 0.68, p = .005). The positive and significant correlation between geographic and genetic distances (R 2  = 0.28, r = 0.529, p = .000) is obtained following controlling for environmental distance. Spatial distribution of haplotypes indicates that marginal population of the species in southern part of the species range have occupied this section as a glacial refugia. However, this genetic variation, in conjunction with results of the SDM shows a massive postglacial range expansion for R. euryale towards higher latitudes in Iran.

Using P-wave Triplications to Constrain the Mantle Transition Zone beneath Central Iranian Plateau and Surrounding Area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chi, H. C.; Tseng, T. L.

2014-12-01

The Iranian Plateau is a tectonically complex region resulting from the continental collision between the African and Eurasian plates. The convergence of the two continents created the Zagros Mountains, the high topography southwest of Iran, and active seismicity along the Zagros-Bitlis suture. Tomographic studies in Iran reveal low seismic speeds and high attenuation of Sn wave in the uppermost mantle beneath the Iranian Plateau relative to adjacent regions. The deeper structure, however, remains curiously inconclusive. By contrast, a prominent fast seismic anomaly is found under central Tibet near depth of 600 km in the mantle transition zone (TZ), and it is speculated to be the remnant of lithosphere detached during the continental collision. We conduct a comparative study that utilizes triplicate arrivals of high-resolution P waveforms to investigate the velocity structure of mantle beneath the central Iranian Plateau and surroundings. Due to the abrupt increase in seismic wave speeds and density across the 410- and 660-km discontinuities, seismic waves at epicentral distances of 15-30 degrees would form multiple arrivals and the relative times and amplitudes between them are most sensitive to the variations in seismic speeds near the TZ. We combine several broadband arrays to construct 8 seismic profiles, each about 800 km long, that mainly sample the TZ under central Iranian Plateau, Turan shield and part of South Caspian basin. Move-outs between arrivals are clear in the profiles. Relative timings suggest a slightly smaller 660-km contrast under stable Turan shield. In the next stage, it is necessary to model waveforms after the source effect being removed properly. Our preliminary tests show that the F-K method can efficiently calculate the synthetic seismograms. We will determine the 1D velocity model for each sampled sector by minimizing the overall misfits between observed and predicted waveforms. The lateral variations may be further explored by

Oil, power, and principle: Iran`s oil nationalizaation and its aftermath

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Elm, M.

1992-12-31

This book provides a concise and well documented analysis of events leading to Iran`s oil nationalization and its aftermath. It also helps to understand Iran`s 1979 revolution and its current situation. The book, at 413 pages, is divided into twenty-two chapters, beginning with a review of the historical background of Iran`s oil industry from the late 19th century throught the mid-1900s. The book interlaces energy, economic, and political factors of not only Iran, but other important players such as the United States and Great Britian. Also included is a well-documented analysis of the Anglo-American coup to overthrow the Mossadeq government,more » which helps the reader understand why there is so much anti-U.S. sentiment in Iran.« less

Iran Sanctions

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-05-18

Manufacturing Group (Iran, missile prog.) Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO) (Iran) September 2007 Korea Mining and Development Corp. ( N . Korea... Vitaly Sokolenko (general manager of Ferland) April 29, 2014 (for connections to deceptive oil dealings for Iran) Saeed Al Aqili (co-owner of Al

Strain analysis in the Sanandaj-Sirjan HP-LT Metamorphic Belt, SW Iran: Insights from small-scale faults and associated drag folds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarkarinejad, Khalil; Keshavarz, Saeede; Faghih, Ali

2015-05-01

This study is aimed at quantifying the kinematics of deformation using a population of drag fold structures associated with small-scale faults in deformed quartzites from Seh-Ghalatoun area within the HP-LT Sanandaj-Sirjan Metamorphic Belt, SW Iran. A total 30 small-scale faults in the quartzite layers were examined to determine the deformation characteristics. Obtained data revealed α0 (initial fault angle) and ω (angle between flow apophyses) are equal to 83° and 32°, respectively. These data yield mean kinematic vorticity number (Wm) equal to 0.79 and mean finite strain (Rs) of 2.32. These results confirm the relative contribution of ∼43% pure shear and ∼57% simple shear components, respectively. The strain partitioning inferred from this quantitative analysis is consistent with a sub-simple or general shear deformation pattern associated with a transpressional flow regime in the study area as a part of the Zagros Orogen. This type of deformation resulted from oblique convergence between the Afro-Arabian and Central-Iranian plates.

Iran Sanctions

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-12-07

resolutions. November 21, 2011: Treasury Department names Iranian financial sector as a jurisdiction of primary money laundering concern. December...imposes sanctions on several key sectors of Iran’s economic infrastructure. For a broader analysis of policy on Iran, see CRS Report RL32048, Iran...1 Energy Sector Sanctions: The Iran

Early Neolithic genomes from the eastern Fertile Crescent

PubMed Central

Broushaki, Farnaz; Thomas, Mark G; Link, Vivian; López, Saioa; van Dorp, Lucy; Kirsanow, Karola; Hofmanová, Zuzana; Diekmann, Yoan; Cassidy, Lara M.; Díez-del-Molino, David; Kousathanas, Athanasios; Sell, Christian; Robson, Harry K.; Martiniano, Rui; Blöcher, Jens; Scheu, Amelie; Kreutzer, Susanne; Bollongino, Ruth; Bobo, Dean; Davudi, Hossein; Munoz, Olivia; Currat, Mathias; Abdi, Kamyar; Biglari, Fereidoun; Craig, Oliver E.; Bradley, Daniel G; Shennan, Stephen; Veeramah, Krishna; Mashkour, Marjan

2016-01-01

We sequenced Early Neolithic genomes from the Zagros region of Iran (eastern Fertile Crescent), where some of the earliest evidence for farming is found, and identify a previously uncharacterized population that is neither ancestral to the first European farmers nor has contributed significantly to the ancestry of modern Europeans. These people are estimated to have separated from Early Neolithic farmers in Anatolia some 46-77,000 years ago and show affinities to modern day Pakistani and Afghan populations, but particularly to Iranian Zoroastrians. We conclude that multiple, genetically differentiated hunter-gatherer populations adopted farming in SW-Asia, that components of pre-Neolithic population structure were preserved as farming spread into neighboring regions, and that the Zagros region was the cradle of eastward expansion. PMID:27417496

31 CFR 561.329 - Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Iran. 561.329 Section 561.329 Money... Iran. The term Iran means the Government of Iran and the territory of Iran and any other territory or... Iran claims sovereignty, sovereign rights, or jurisdiction, provided that the Government of Iran...

31 CFR 561.329 - Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Iran. 561.329 Section 561.329 Money... Iran. The term Iran means the Government of Iran and the territory of Iran and any other territory or... Iran claims sovereignty, sovereign rights, or jurisdiction, provided that the Government of Iran...

A new species of Acanthodactylus Fitzinger 1834 (Sauria: Lacertidae) from southern Iran.

PubMed

Nastaran, Heidari; Nasrullah Rastegar, Pouyani; Eskandar, Rastegar-Pouyani; Mehdi, Rajabizadeh

2013-01-01

A new and distinctive species of lacertid genus Acanthodactylus Fitzinger, 1834 is described from 7 km east of Khamir Port, Hormozgan Province, southern Iran at an elevation of 30-40m above sea level (asl). Analyses of morphological characters and the comparison with other formerly known species of this genus have proven the status of this taxon as a new, distinct species. Combinations of scalation characters and distinct morphology, coloration and habitat peculiarities in calcareous mountains distinguish Acanthodactylus khamirensis sp.nov from all remaining species of the genus in the area. In order to show the validity of the new species, we carried out a comparative statistical analysis using 13 metric and six meristic morphological characters on all of the neighboring congeners of the new species using descriptive (one-way ANOVA) as well as multivariate analyses (PCA and DFA). The results confirm the specific status of the new taxon. Detailed information and an updated identification key for the genus A canthodactylus in Iran are presented.

A train of kink folds in the surficial salt of Qom Kuh, Central Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cosgrove, John W.; Talbot, Christopher J.; Aftabi, Pedram

2009-11-01

The many subaerial extrusions of salt current in Iran are smaller and faster versions of steady state extrusions of metamorphic rocks from crustal channels in mountain chains. The extruded salt develops a variety of internal folds as the salt accumulates ductile displacements that can reach metres a year. Weather-induced elastic strains de-stress the outer layers of salt extrusions to a brittle carapace of broken dilated salt. Qom Kuh, situated in Central Iran, is a comparatively small and slow example of a viscous salt fountain and, as a result, its brittle elastic carapace may be thicker than most. This may account for Qom Kuh being the only salt fountain known to have a train of 10 m scale kink folds in its surficial salt. We attribute these folds to lateral shortening and back-shear of a surface-parallel planar mechanical anisotropy in the surficial salt induced by gravitationally driven ductile flow of the underlying salt. When it is dry, the elastic carapace is relatively strong and acts as a stiff corset impeding gravity spreading of the underlying confined salt. However, the carapace weakens and kinks on wetting, allowing the underlying salt to gravity spread. These folds illustrate how the weather can affect gravity spreading of surficial salt masses and how complex the interplay of tectonic and climatic signals can be in "steady state" mountains.

Seismic behaviour of mountain belts controlled by plate convergence rate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dal Zilio, Luca; van Dinther, Ylona; Gerya, Taras V.; Pranger, Casper C.

2018-01-01

The relative contribution of tectonic and kinematic processes to seismic behaviour of mountain belts is still controversial. To understand the partitioning between these processes we developed a model that simulates both tectonic and seismic processes in a continental collision setting. These 2D seismo-thermo-mechanical (STM) models obtain a Gutenberg-Richter frequency-magnitude distribution due to spontaneous events occurring throughout the orogen. Our simulations suggest that both the corresponding slope (b value) and maximum earthquake magnitude (MWmax) correlate linearly with plate convergence rate. By analyzing 1D rheological profiles and isotherm depths we demonstrate that plate convergence rate controls the brittle strength through a rheological feedback with temperature and strain rate. Faster convergence leads to cooler temperatures and also results in more larger seismogenic domains, thereby increasing both MWmax and the relative number of large earthquakes (decreasing b value). This mechanism also predicts a more seismogenic lower crust, which is confirmed by a transition from uni- to bi-modal hypocentre depth distributions in our models. This transition and a linear relation between convergence rate and b value and MWmax is supported by our comparison of earthquakes recorded across the Alps, Apennines, Zagros and Himalaya. These results imply that deformation in the Alps occurs in a more ductile manner compared to the Himalayas, thereby reducing its seismic hazard. Furthermore, a second set of experiments with higher temperature and different orogenic architecture shows the same linear relation with convergence rate, suggesting that large-scale tectonic structure plays a subordinate role. We thus propose that plate convergence rate, which also controls the average differential stress of the orogen and its linear relation to the b value, is the first-order parameter controlling seismic hazard of mountain belts.

Interference of lithospheric folding in western Central Asia by simultaneous Indian and Arabian plate indentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smit, J. H. W.; Cloetingh, S. A. P. L.; Burov, E.; Tesauro, M.; Sokoutis, D.; Kaban, M.

2013-08-01

Large-scale intraplate deformation of the crust and the lithosphere in Central Asia as a result of the indentation of India has been extensively documented. In contrast, the impact of continental collision between Arabia and Eurasia on lithosphere tectonics in front of the main suture zone, has received much less attention. The resulting Neogene shortening and uplift of the external Zagros, Alborz, Kopeh Dagh and Caucasus Mountain belts in Iran and surrounding areas is characterised by a simultaneous onset of major topography growth at ca. 5 Ma. At the same time, subsidence accelerated in the adjacent Caspian, Turan and Amu Darya basins. We present evidence for interference of lithospheric folding patterns induced by the Arabian and Indian collision with Eurasia. Wavelengths and spatial patterns are inferred from satellite-derived topography and gravity models. The observed interference of the patterns of folding appears to be primarily the result of spatial orientation of the two indenters, differences in their convergence velocities and the thermo-mechanical structure of the lithosphere west and east of the Kugitang-Tunka Line.

Retrodeforming the Arabia-Eurasia collision zone : Age of collision and magnitude of continental subduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McQuarrie, N.; van Hinsbergen, D. J. J.

2012-04-01

When did continents collide, and how is convergence partitioned after collision are first order questions that seem to defy consensus along the Alpine-Himalyan orogen. Estimates on the age of collision for Arabia and Eurasia range from late Cretaceous to Pliocene, based on a wide variety of presumed geologic responses. Both lower Miocene synorgenic strata with growth structures adjacent to the main Zagros fault and upper Oligocene to lower Miocene overlap strata over post-collisional thrusts are derived from Eurasia and require that collision was underway at least by ~25-24 Ma. However, upper plate deformation, exhumation and sedimentation are used to argue for an older, 35 Ma collision age. Africa-North America-Eurasia plate circuit rotations, combined with Red Sea rotations provides precise estimates of the relative positions between the northern Arabian margin and the southern Eurasia margin. Plate circuits indicate, from NW to SE along the collision zone 490-650 km of post-25 Ma Arabia-Eurasia convergence and 810-1070 km since 35 Ma. To assess the consequences of these collision ages for the amount of Arabian continental subduction, we compile all documented shortening within the orogen. The Zagros fold-thrust belt consists of thrusted upper crust that was offscraped from subducted Arabian continental lithosphere. Balanced cross-sections give 105-180 km of Zagros shortening (including estimates from the Zagros proper, 45-90 km, and the Zagros "crush" zone, 60-90 km). Shortening within Eurasia is estimated to be 53-75 km through the Kopet Dagh and Alborz Mountains, plus 38 km across Central Iran. These estimates suggest that the orogen has shortened 200 to 300 km since the early Miocene. Both a 25 and a 35 Ma collision estimate thus requires that a considerable portion of the Arabian plate subducted without recognized accretion of its upper crust. To balance plate circuits and documented shortening requires whole-sale subduction of ~500-800 km of continental

Landscape maturity, fold growth sequence and structural style in the Kirkuk Embayment of the Zagros, northern Iraq

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Obaid, Ahmed K.; Allen, Mark B.

2017-10-01

The Kirkuk Embayment is located in the southwest of the Zagros fold-and-thrust belt of Iraq. Like fold-and-thrust belts worldwide, the Zagros is conventionally understood to have grown sequentially towards the foreland. Here we use landscape maturity analysis to understand anticline growth in the embayment. Digital Elevation Model (DEM)-based geomorphic indices Hypsometric Integral (HI), Surface Roughness (SR) and their combination Surface Index (SI) have been applied to quantify landscape maturity. The results inform new ideas for the sequence of anticline growth. Maturity indices are highest for the QaraChauq Anticline in the center of the Embayment, then Makhool/Himreen to the south and lastly, the Kirkuk Anticline to the north. The pattern suggests the growth sequence is not classical 'piggy back' thrusting. This result fits the exhumation record, which is loosely constrained by the stratigraphic exposure level. Favored hypotheses for fold growth order are either i) the folds have grown at different times and out of sequence (QaraChauq first, then Makhool/Himreen, and Kirkuk last), or, ii) the growth occurred with different rates of exhumation but at broadly the same time. There are few constraints from available data on syn-tectonic sedimentation patterns. Fold growth across much of the Embayment might have begun within a limited timeframe in the late Miocene-Pliocene, during the deposition of the Mukdadiyah Formation. Another hypothesis is that folds grew in sequence towards the foreland with different rates of exhumation, but we consider this less likely. We also construct a new cross-section for the Embayment, which indicates limited Cenozoic strain: 5% shortening. Analysis of topography and drainage patterns shows two previously-undescribed anticlines with hydrocarbon trap potential, between the Makhool and QaraChauq anticlines.

Iran Sanctions

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-04-04

Proliferation Act) authorizes sanctions on foreign persons (individuals or corporations , not countries or governments ) that are determined by the...the German government to order it closed.43 Foreign Companies Exiting the Iran Market Neither the U.S. ban on trade and investment with Iran, nor...and should try to isolate Iran from the international financial system. The energy sector provides about 80% of government revenues. Iran’s large

Iran Sanctions

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-07

funds the sale to Iran of Indian wheat, pharmaceuticals, rice, sugar , soybeans, auto parts, and other products. Still, there is a large trade...the Persian Gulf coast Sinopec up to $6 billion if new refinery is built Oct. 2009 South Pars Gas Field—Phases 6-8, Gas Sweetening Plant...petrochemical products from Iran. - Niksima Food and Beverage JLT for receiving payments on behalf of Jam Petrochemical Iran Sanctions Congressional

Iran Sanctions

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-03-18

That local account funds the sale to Iran of Indian wheat, pharmaceuticals, rice, sugar , soybeans, auto parts, and other products. Still, there is a...Gas Field—Phases 6-8, Gas Sweetening Plant CRS conversation with Embassy of S. Korea in Washington, D.C, July 2010 Contract signed but then...Company for purchasing petrochemical products from Iran. - Niksima Food and Beverage JLT for receiving payments on behalf of Jam Petrochemical Iran

Evolution of arched roofs in salt caves: Role of gravity-induced stress and relative air humidity and temperature changes (Zagros Mts., Iran)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruthans, Jiri; Filippi, Michal; Zare, Mohammad

2016-04-01

In salt caves in the halite karst in SE Iran the disintegration of rock salt into individual grains can be observed. Highly disintegrated blocks and individual grains form a major volume of debris in many caves on islands in the Persian Gulf. Larger cave rooms have often perfectly arched roof. The perfect geometry of rooms and interlocking of salt grains indicate that evolution of room cross-sections in these caves is controlled by feedback between gravity-induced stress and rock salt disintegration in similar way as in evolution of sandstone landforms (Bruthans et al. 2014). Those portions of rock salt, which are under compressional stress, disintegrate much slower than portions under tensile stress. Important question is the kind of weathering mechanism responsible for intergranular disintegration of rock salt. The relationship between disintegration, its rate and cave climate was studied. Clearly the fastest disintegration rate was found in caves with strong air circulation (i.e, short caves with large cross-sections, open on both ends). Temperature and air humidity changes are considerable in these caves. On the other hand the disintegration is very slow in the inner parts of long caves with slow air circulation or caves with one entrance. The best example of such caves is the inner part of 3N Cave on Namakdan salt diapir with nearly no air circulation and stable temperature and humidity, where disintegration of rock salt into grains is missing. Strong effect of cave climate on disintegration rate can be explained by deliquescence properties of halite. Halite is absorbing air moisture forming NaCl solution if relative humidity (RH) exceeds 75 % (at 20-30 oC). In the Persian Gulf region the RH of the air is passing the 75 % threshold in case of 91% days (Qeshm Island, years 2002-2005), while in mountainous areas in mainland this threshold is less commonly reached. In most of nights (91 %) in Persian Gulf the air with RH >75 % is entering the salt caves and air

Physical and chemical properties of soils under some wild Pistachio (Pistacia atlantica Desf) canopies in a semi-arid ecosystem, southwestern Iran.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Owliaie, Hamidreza

2010-05-01

Pistacia atlantica Desf. is one of the most important wild species in Zagros forests which is of high economical and environmental value. Sustainability of these forests primarily depends on soil quality and water availability. Study the relationships between trees and soil is one of the basic factors in management and planning of forests. Hence, this study was undertaken with the objective of assessing the effect of tree species on soil physical and chemical properties in a semi-arid region (Kohgilouye Province) in the southwestern part of Iran. The experimental design was a factorial 4×2 (4 depths and 2 distances) in a randomized complete block design with six replications. Soil samples (0-20, 20-40, 40-60 and 60-80 cm depth) were taken from beneath the tree crowns and adjacent open areas. Soil samples were analyzed for physical and chemical properties. The results showed that wild pistachio canopy increased mostly organic carbon, hydraulic conductivity, total N, SP, available K+, P (olsen), EC, EDTA extractable Fe2+ and Mn2+, while bulk density, CCE and DTPA extractable Cu2+ were decreased. Pistachio canopy had no significant effect on soil texture, Zn2+ and pH.

Multiscale Local Forcing of the Arabian Desert Daytime Boundary Layer, and Implications for the Dispersion of Surface-Released Contaminants.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Warner, Thomas T.; Sheu, Rong-Shyang

2000-05-01

Four 6-day simulations of the atmospheric conditions over the Arabian Desert during the time of the 1991 detonation and release of toxic material at the Khamisiyah, Iraq, weapons depot were performed using a mesoscale model run in a data-assimilation mode. These atmospheric simulations are being employed in a forensic analysis of the potential contribution of the toxic material to so-called Gulf War illness. The transport and concentration of such surface-released contaminants are related strongly to the planetary boundary layer (PBL) depth and the horizontal wind speed in the PBL. The product of the PBL depth and the mean wind speed within it is referred to as the ventilation and is used as a metric of the horizontal transport within the PBL. Thus, a corollary study to the larger forensic analysis involves employing the model solutions and available data in an analysis of the multiscale spatial variability of the daytime desert PBL depth and ventilation as they are affected by surface forcing from terrain elevation variations, coastal circulations, and contrasts in surface physical properties.The coarsest computational grid spanned the entire northern Arabian Desert and surrounding areas of the Middle East, and represented the large-scale PBL modulation by the orography. The PBL depths were greatest over the high elevations of the western Arabian Peninsula and over the Zagros Mountains in western Iran and were shallowest over water bodies and the lower elevations in the Tigris-Euphrates Valley. Higher-resolution grids in the nest (the smallest grid increment was 3.3 km) showed that the PBL depth minimum in the Tigris-Euphrates Valley was likely a consequence of compensating subsidence associated with the thermally forced daytime upward motion over the Zagros Mountains to the east in Iran, with possible contributions from an elevated mixed layer. Further local modulation of the daytime desert PBL occurred as a result of the inland penetration of the coastal sea

Plio-Quaternary stress states in NE Iran: Kopeh Dagh and Allah Dagh-Binalud mountain ranges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shabanian, Esmaeil; Bellier, Olivier; Abbassi, Mohammad R.; Siame, Lionel; Farbod, Yassaman

2010-01-01

NE Iran, including the Kopeh Dagh and Allah Dagh-Binalud deformation domains, comprises the northeastern boundary of the Arabia-Eurasia collision zone. This study focuses on the evolution of the Plio-Quaternary tectonic regimes of northeast Iran. We present evidence for drastic temporal changes in the stress state by inversion of both geologically and seismically determined fault slip vectors. The inversions of fault kinematics data reveal distinct temporal changes in states of stress during the Plio-Quaternary (since ˜ 5 Ma). The paleostress state is characterized by a regional transpressional tectonic regime with a mean N140 ± 10°E trending horizontal maximum stress axis ( σ1). The youngest (modern) state of stress shows two distinct strike-slip and compressional tectonic regimes with a regional mean of N030 ± 15°E trending horizontal σ1. The change from the paleostress to modern stress states has occurred through an intermediate stress field characterized by a mean regional N trending σ1. The inversion analysis of earthquake focal mechanisms reveals a homogeneous, transpressional tectonic regime with a regional N023 ± 5°E trending σ1. The modern stress state, deduced from the youngest fault kinematics data, is in close agreement with the present-day stress state given by the inversions of earthquake focal mechanisms. According to our data and the deduced results, in northeast Iran, the Arabia-Eurasia convergence is taken up by strike-slip faulting along NE trending left-lateral and NNW trending right-lateral faults, as well as reverse to oblique-slip reverse faulting along NW trending faults. Such a structural assemblage is involved in a mechanically compatible and homogeneous modern stress field. This implies that no strain and/or stress partitioning or systematic block rotations have occurred in the Kopeh Dagh and Allah Dagh-Binalud deformation domains. The Plio-Quaternary stress changes documented in this paper call into question the extrapolation

Pre-folding fracture development in the Lurestan region of the Zagros Fold and Thrust Belt: constraints from early fracture sets in the Shabazan and Asmari Formations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corradetti, Amerigo; Tavani, Stefano; D'Assisi Tramparulo, Francesco; Prinzi, Ernesto Paolo; Vitale, Stefano; Parente, Mariano; Morsalnejad, Davoud; Mazzoli, Stefano

2017-04-01

In the Zagros Fold and Thrust Belt (FTB), the timing of fracture development with respect to folding is debated. Multiple fracture systems occur in the area. These include "typical" fracture systems that are oriented parallel and orthogonal to the NW-SE strike of the belt, as well as sets oriented N-S and E-W. The interpretation of the N-S and E-W sets is controversial. Despite the general consensus about the first-order relationship between these fractures and inherited N-S striking basement faults, their timing and kinematic significance is not yet fully understood. The ambiguous crosscutting/abutting relationships with the NE-SW and NW-SE sets, together with the difficulty of framing them into the classical scenario of fracturing in foreland basin systems, has led to the development of different hypotheses about the timing of N-S and E-W sets. For the generation of these structures, both pre- and syn-thrusting interpretations have been proposed. In this work, we report on the occurrence of bed-perpendicular fracture sets in the upper part of the Shabazan (Eocene) and in the Asmari (Oligo-Miocene) Formations of the Zagros FTB. These fractures have the peculiarity of being filled with karst material. Such filled fractures are preserved in beds showing variable angles of dip, ranging from horizontal to vertical. Their homogeneous distribution in variably dipping beds around folds undoubtedly point to an origin of these fracture sets predating the tilting of the strata in which they are contained. Therefore, fracture development and related infilling occurred at an early stage, in still flat lying strata, following the deposition of the top Shabazan and Asmari Formations. Such a deposition took place within the general framework of ongoing shortening in the Zagros. This process, occurring since the Late Cretaceous, progressively led to folding of the syn-orogenic Shabazan and Asmari Formations subsequently to the development of the studied filled fractures.

Two new mountainous species of Lactuca (Cichorieae, Asteraceae) from Iran, one presenting a new, possibly myrmecochorous achene variant.

PubMed

Kilian, Norbert; Djavadi, Seyyedeh Bahereh; Eskandari, Majid

2012-01-01

It is shown that the concept of the Iranian endemic Lactuca polyclada in the sense of both its original author Boissier and its current use actually admixes two entirely different species, as was first noted by Beauverd a hundred years ago but has been neglected by later workers. One is a putative relative of Lactuca rosularis, the other was recognised by Beauverd as a member of the genus Cicerbita. The name Lactuca polyclada Boiss. is lectotypified here, maintaining its use as established by Beauverd for the Cicerbita species. Both species are morphologically delimited and mature achenes of Cicerbita polyclada are illustrated for the first time. The putative relative of Lactuca rosularis, a rare local endemic of the summit area of Kuh e-Dena, which has remained without a valid name by now, is described as a new species, Lactuca denaensis N. Kilian & Djavadi, and illustrated. A third member of the Lactuca rosularis group, Lactuca hazaranensis Djavadi & N. Kilian, discovered among a recent collection and apparently being a rare chasmophyte of the Hazaran mountain massif in the province of Kerman, Iran, is described as a species new to science, illustrated and delimited from the other two species. This new species has peculiar achenes representing a hitherto unknown variant: the body of the beaked achenes is divided into two segments by a transversal constriction in the distal third. The proximal segment contains the embryo, the distal segment is solid with a lipid-containing yellow tissue. The easily detachable pappus and the equally easily detachable beak potentially obstruct dispersal by wind. Since detachment of the beak also exposes the lipid-containing tissue of the distal segment, its potential as an elaiosome and myrmecochory as a possible mode of dispersal are discussed.

Two new mountainous species of Lactuca (Cichorieae, Asteraceae) from Iran, one presenting a new, possibly myrmecochorous achene variant

PubMed Central

Kilian, Norbert; Djavadi, Seyyedeh Bahereh; Eskandari, Majid

2012-01-01

Abstract It is shown that the concept of the Iranian endemic Lactuca polyclada in the sense of both its original author Boissier and its current use actually admixes two entirely different species, as was first noted by Beauverd a hundred years ago but has been neglected by later workers. One is a putative relative of Lactuca rosularis, the other was recognised by Beauverd as a member of the genus Cicerbita. The name Lactuca polyclada Boiss. is lectotypified here, maintaining its use as established by Beauverd for the Cicerbita species. Both species are morphologically delimited and mature achenes of Cicerbita polyclada are illustrated for the first time. The putative relative of Lactuca rosularis, a rare local endemic of the summit area of Kuh e-Dena, which has remained without a valid name by now, is described as a new species, Lactuca denaensis N. Kilian & Djavadi, and illustrated. A third member of the Lactuca rosularis group, Lactuca hazaranensis Djavadi & N. Kilian, discovered among a recent collection and apparently being a rare chasmophyte of the Hazaran mountain massif in the province of Kerman, Iran, is described as a species new to science, illustrated and delimited from the other two species. This new species has peculiar achenes representing a hitherto unknown variant: the body of the beaked achenes is divided into two segments by a transversal constriction in the distal third. The proximal segment contains the embryo, the distal segment is solid with a lipid-containing yellow tissue. The easily detachable pappus and the equally easily detachable beak potentially obstruct dispersal by wind. Since detachment of the beak also exposes the lipid-containing tissue of the distal segment, its potential as an elaiosome and myrmecochory as a possible mode of dispersal are discussed. PMID:22577334

Iran.

PubMed

1987-05-01

Iran's population stood at 49.8 million in 1986, 1 1/2-2 million of which were Afghan refugees. The annual population growth rate was 4%. The infant mortality rate was 10/1000 and life expectancy was 54 years. 40% of the labor force is engaged in agriculture, 33% are employed in industry and commerce, and 27% work in services. Iran is an Islamic republic dominated by the Islamic Republican Party. By the 1970s, Iran has achieved significant industrialization and economic modernization. However, economic activity was disrupted by the 1979 revolution and more recently by the war with Iraq and the sharp decline in oil prices. All major business and industrial growth indicators are significantly below prerevolutionary levels and unemployment is over 30%. Political infighting has hampered the formulation of coherent economic policies, and purges in the civil service in the postrevolutionary phase eliminated many qualified personnel. The petroleum, mining, utilities, and transportation sectors have been nationalized, but there is dissension within the Khomeni's regime as to how to proceed with land reform. Iran's gross national product was US$75 billion in 1986, with a per capita income of $1667. Inflation is about 25-40%.

Iran Sanctions

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-08-19

September 2007 Korea Mining and Development Corp. ( N . Korea) September 2007 Iran Sanctions Congressional Research Service 70 October 21, 2007...designated under other E.O.) - Vitaly Sokolenko (general manager of Ferland) April 29, 2014, (for connections to deceptive oil dealings for Iran

31 CFR 560.303 - Iran; Iranian.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Iran; Iranian. 560.303 Section 560.303... Definitions § 560.303 Iran; Iranian. The term Iran means the territory of Iran and any other territory or... Iran claims sovereignty, sovereign rights, or jurisdiction, provided that the Government of Iran...

31 CFR 560.303 - Iran; Iranian.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Iran; Iranian. 560.303 Section 560.303... Definitions § 560.303 Iran; Iranian. The term Iran means the territory of Iran and any other territory or... Iran claims sovereignty, sovereign rights, or jurisdiction, provided that the Government of Iran...

Fold-and-thrust belt curvature in the Fars region, eastern Zagros, achieved by variable thrust slip vectors and fault block rotations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Edey, Alex; Allen, Mark B.

2017-04-01

Many fold-and-thrust belts are curved in plan view, but the origins of this curvature are debated. Understanding which mechanism(s) is appropriate is important to constrain the behaviour of the lithosphere during compressional deformation. Here we analyse the active deformation of the Fars Arc region in the eastern part of the Zagros, Iran, including slip vectors of 92 earthquakes, published GPS and palaeomagnetism data, and the distributions of young and/or active folds. The fold-and-thrust belt in the Fars Arc shows pronounced curvature, convex southwards. Folds trends vary from NW-SE in the west to ENE-WSW in the east. The GPS-derived velocity field shows NNE to SSW convergence, towards the foreland on the Arabian Plate, without dispersion. Earthquake slip vectors are highly variable, spanning a range of azimuths from SW to SSE in an Arabian Plate reference frame. The full variation of azimuths occurs within small (10s of km) sub-regions, but this variation is superimposed on a radial pattern, whereby slip vectors tend to be parallel to the regional topographic gradient. Given the lack of variation in the GPS vectors, we conclude that the Fars Arc is not curved as a result of gravitational spreading over the adjacent foreland, but as a result of deformation being restricted at tectonic boundaries at the eastern and western margins of the Arc. Fault blocks and folds within the Fars Arc, each 20-40 km long, rotate about vertical axes to achieve the overall curvature, predominantly clockwise in the west and counter-clockwise in the east. Active folds of different orientations may intersect and produce dome-and-basin interference patterns, without the need for a series of separate deformation phases of different stress orientations. The Fars Arc clearly contrasts with the Himalayas, where both GPS and earthquake slip vectors display radial patterns towards the foreland, and gravitational spreading is a viable mechanism for producing fold-and-thrust belt curvature.

Iran Sanctions

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-21

Iran); Korea Mining and Development Corp. ( N . Korea). October 21, 2007 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC); Ministry of Defense and Armed...designated under other E.O.); Vitaly Sokolenko (general manager of Ferland) April 29, 2014 (for connections to deceptive oil dealings for Iran) Saeed Al

Iran Sanctions

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-03-12

imports).9 • Petroleos de Venezuela (reportedly reached a September 2009 deal to supply Iran with gasoline). The cessation of supplies to Iran by the...Pars gas field (September 2009) Petroleos de Venezuela S.A.; 10% stake in venture $760 million Abadan refinery upgrade and expansion; building

Detrital Record of Phanerozoic Tectonics in Iran: Evidence From U-Pb Zircon Geochronology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Horton, B. K.; Gillis, R. J.; Stockli, D. F.; Hassanzadeh, J.; Axen, G. J.; Grove, M.

2004-12-01

Ion-microprobe U-Pb ages of 91 detrital zircon grains supplement ongoing investigations of the tectonic history of Iran, a critical region bridging the gap between the Alpine and Himalayan orogenic belts. These data improve understanding of the distribution of continental blocks during a complex history of Late Proterozoic (Pan-African) crustal growth, Paleozoic passive-margin sedimentation, early Mesozoic collision with Eurasia, and Cenozoic collision with Arabia. U-Pb analyses of detrital zircon grains from four sandstone samples (two Lower Cambrian, one uppermost Triassic-Lower Jurassic, one Neogene) collected from the Alborz mountains of northern Iran reveal a spectrum of ages ranging from 50 to 2900 Ma. Most analyses yield concordant to moderately discordant ages. The Lower Cambrian Lalun and Barut sandstones yield age distribution peaks at approximately 550-650, 1000, and 2500 Ma, consistent with a Gondwanan source area presently to the south and west in parts of Iran and the Arabian-Nubian shield (Saudi Arabia and northwestern Africa). The uppermost Triassic-Lower Jurassic Shemshak Formation exhibits a broad range of U-Pb ages, including peaks of approximately 200-260, 330, 430, 600, and 1900 Ma, requiring a Eurasian source area presently to the north and east in the Turan plate (Turkmenistan and southwestern Asia). Neogene strata display both the youngest and oldest ages (approximately 50 and 2900 Ma) of any samples, a result of substantial sedimentary recycling of older Phanerozoic cover rocks. Because the youngest zircon ages for three of the four samples are indistinguishable from their stratigraphic (depositional) ages, these data suggest rapid exhumation and help constrain the termination age of Late Proterozoic-Early Cambrian (Pan-African) orogenesis and the timing of the Iran-Eurasia collision.

The Fleas (Siphonaptera) in Iran: Diversity, Host Range, and Medical Importance.

PubMed

Maleki-Ravasan, Naseh; Solhjouy-Fard, Samaneh; Beaucournu, Jean-Claude; Laudisoit, Anne; Mostafavi, Ehsan

2017-01-01

infested by 11 flea subfamilies in the arid, rocky, mountainous regions and Xenopsyllinae were hosted by at least 43 mammal species. These findings place the Persian jird (M. persicus) and the Xenopsyllinae as the major vertebrate and vector hosts of flea-borne diseases in Iran including Yersinia pestis, the etiological agent of plague. We found records of at least seven vector-borne pathogenic agents that can potentially be transmitted by the 117 flea species (or subspecies) of Iran. Herein, we performed a thorough inventary of the flea species and their associated hosts, their medical importance and geographic distribution throughout Iran. This exercise allowed assessing the diversity of flea species with the potential flea-borne agents transmission risk in the country by arranging published data on flea-host associations. This information is a first step for issuing public health policies and rodent-flea control campaigns in Iran as well as those interested in the ecology/epidemiology of flea-borne disease.

The Fleas (Siphonaptera) in Iran: Diversity, Host Range, and Medical Importance

PubMed Central

Maleki-Ravasan, Naseh; Solhjouy-Fard, Samaneh; Beaucournu, Jean-Claude; Laudisoit, Anne

2017-01-01

Amphipsyllinae (n = 17). Meriones persicus was infested by 11 flea subfamilies in the arid, rocky, mountainous regions and Xenopsyllinae were hosted by at least 43 mammal species. These findings place the Persian jird (M. persicus) and the Xenopsyllinae as the major vertebrate and vector hosts of flea-borne diseases in Iran including Yersinia pestis, the etiological agent of plague. We found records of at least seven vector-borne pathogenic agents that can potentially be transmitted by the 117 flea species (or subspecies) of Iran. Conclusions/Significance Herein, we performed a thorough inventary of the flea species and their associated hosts, their medical importance and geographic distribution throughout Iran. This exercise allowed assessing the diversity of flea species with the potential flea-borne agents transmission risk in the country by arranging published data on flea-host associations. This information is a first step for issuing public health policies and rodent-flea control campaigns in Iran as well as those interested in the ecology/epidemiology of flea-borne disease. PMID:28068343

Iran’s Economy

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-06-12

Agriculture Iran’s agriculture sector is substantial. Iran is a major source of caviar and pistachio nuts, which constitute significant non-oil exports for Iran...prepared meat and fish, and edible nuts and foods ( pistachios ). There is evidence that Iran is able to obtain embargoed U.S. goods through the re

31 CFR 560.303 - Iran; Iranian.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Iran; Iranian. 560.303 Section 560.303... Iran; Iranian. The term Iran means the territory of Iran, and any other territory or marine area, including the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, over which the Government of Iran claims...

31 CFR 560.303 - Iran; Iranian.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Iran; Iranian. 560.303 Section 560... § 560.303 Iran; Iranian. The term Iran means the territory of Iran, and any other territory or marine area, including the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, over which the Government of Iran...

31 CFR 560.303 - Iran; Iranian.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Iran; Iranian. 560.303 Section 560.303... Iran; Iranian. The term Iran means the territory of Iran, and any other territory or marine area, including the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, over which the Government of Iran claims...

Remote sensing and GIS approach for water-well site selection, southwest Iran

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rangzan, K.; Charchi, A.; Abshirini, E.; Dinger, J.

2008-01-01

The Pabdeh-Lali Anticline of northern Khuzestan province is located in southwestern Iran and occupies 790 km2. This structure is situated in the Zagros folded belt. As a result of well-developed karst systems in the anticlinal axis, the water supply potential is high and is drained by many peripheral springs. However, there is a scarcity of water for agriculture and population centers on the anticlinal flanks, which imposes a severe problem in terms of area development. This study combines remotely sensed (RS) data and a geographical information system (GIS) into a RSGIS technique to delineate new areas for groundwater development and specific sites for drilling productive water wells. Toward these goals, RS data were used to develop GIS layers for lithology, structural geology, topographic slope, elevation, and drainage density. Field measurements were made to create spring-location and groundwater-quality GIS layers. Subsequently, expert choice and relational methods were used in a GIS environment to conjunctively analyze all layers to delineate preferable regions and 43 individual sites in which to drill water wells. Results indicate that the most preferred areas are, in preferential order, within recent alluvial deposits, the Bakhtiyari Conglomerates, and the Aghajari Sandstone. The Asmari Limestone and other units have much lower potential for groundwater supplies. Potential usefulness of the RSGIS method was indicated when six out of nine producing wells recently drilled by the Khozestan Water and Power Authority (which had no knowledge of this study) were located in areas preferentially selected by this technique.

Tropospheric Enhancement of Ozone over the UAE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbasi, Naveed Ali; Majeed, Tariq; Iqbal, Mazhar; Kaminski, Jacek; Struzewska, Joanna; Durka, Pawel; Tarasick, David; Davies, Jonathan

2015-04-01

We use the Global Environmental Multiscale - Air Quality (GEM-AQ) model to interpret the vertical profiles of ozone acquired with ozone sounding experiments at the meteorological site located at the Abu Dhabi airport. The purpose of this study is to gain insight into the chemical and dynamical structures in the atmosphere of this unique subtropical location (latitude 24.45N; longitude 54.22E). Ozone observations for years 2012 - 2013 reveal elevated ozone abundances in the range from 70 ppbv to 120 ppbv near 500-400 hPa during summer. The ozone abundances in other seasons are much lower than these values. The preliminary results indicate that summertime enhancement in ozone is associated with the Arabian anticyclones centered over the Zagros Mountains in Iran and the Asir and Hijaz Mountain ranges in Saudi Arabia, and is consistent with TES observations of deuterated water. The model also shows considerable seasonal variation in the tropospheric ozone which is transported from the stratosphere by dynamical processes. The domestic production of ozone in the middle troposphere is estimated and compared GEM-AQ model. It is estimated that about 40-50% of ozone in the UAE is transported from the neighbouring petrochemical industries in the Gulf region. We will present ozone sounding data and GEM-AQ results including a discussion on the high levels of the tropospheric ozone responsible for contaminating the air quality in the UAE. This work is supported by National Research Foundation, UAE.

31 CFR 560.427 - Exportation, reexportation, sale or supply of financial services to Iran or the Government of Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... supply of financial services to Iran or the Government of Iran. 560.427 Section 560.427 Money and Finance..., reexportation, sale or supply of financial services to Iran or the Government of Iran. (a) The prohibition on the exportation, reexportation, sale or supply of financial services to Iran or the Government of Iran...

31 CFR 560.427 - Exportation, reexportation, sale or supply of financial services to Iran or the Government of Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... supply of financial services to Iran or the Government of Iran. 560.427 Section 560.427 Money and Finance..., reexportation, sale or supply of financial services to Iran or the Government of Iran. (a) The prohibition on the exportation, reexportation, sale or supply of financial services to Iran or the Government of Iran...

Exhumation of the Deylaman fault trend and its effects on the deformation style of the western Alborz belt in Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hakimi Asiabar, Saeid; Bagheriyan, Siyamak

2018-03-01

The Alborz range in northern Iran stretches along the southern coast of the Caspian Sea and finally runs northeast and merges into the Pamir mountains in Afghanistan. Alborz mountain belt is a doubly vergent orogen formed along the northern edge of the Iranian plateau in response to the closure of the Neo-Tethys ocean and continental collision between Arabia and Eurasia. The south Caspian depression—the Alborz basin of Mesozoic age (with W-E trend) in northern Iran—inverted in response to the Arabia-Eurasia collision. Pre-existing extensional faults of the south Caspian-Alborz system preferentially reactivated as contractional faults because of tectonic inversion. These contractional structures tend to run parallel to the trends of pre-existing extensional faults and acquire W and WNW-ESE orientations across the previous accommodation zones that were imposed by the reactivation of adjacent extensional faults with different directions. The NNE to N dipping faults show evidences of reactivation. The Deylaman fault is one of the important faults of western Alborz in Iran and is an example of inversion tectonic style of deformation in the western Alborz mountain range. The Deylaman fault, with an E-W trend, contains three discontinuous fault segments in the area under investigation. These fault segments have evidence of oblique right-lateral reverse motion and links eastward to the dextral Kandavan thrust. The importance of this fault is due to its effect on sedimentation of several rock units from the Jurassic to Neogene in western Alborz; the rock facies on each side of this fault are very different and illustrate different parts of tectonic history.

[History of acupuncture in Iran].

PubMed

Bai, Xinghua

2015-10-01

Iran is the neighbor of western China, and is a key transport junction on ancient Silk Road. The medical communication between China and Iran dates back to the 10th century, however, according to current evidences, it is indicated that acupuncture has not been introduced to Iran until the early 1970s. Unfortunately over the last 40 years, the acupuncture in Iran has not presented great development. The history of acupuncture development in Iran implies that geographical advantage and personnel exchanges are not essential to the international exchange of acupuncture, while language and cultural background may hinder the spread of acupuncture in foreign countries.

Iran Country Analysis Brief

EIA Publications

2015-01-01

Iran holds the world's fourth-largest proved crude oil reserves and the world's second-largest natural gas reserves. Despite the country's abundant reserves, Iran's crude oil production has substantially declined, and natural gas production growth has been slower than expected over the past few years. International sanctions have profoundly affected Iran's energy sector and have prompted a number of cancellations or delays of upstream oil and gas projects.

Iran Sanctions

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-31

sale to Iran of Indian wheat, pharmaceuticals, rice, sugar , soybeans, auto parts, and other products. Still, there is a large trade imbalance...Value Output/Goal Oct. 2009 South Pars Gas Field—Phases 6-8, Gas Sweetening Plant CRS conversation with Embassy of S. Korea in Washington, D.C, July...Company for purchasing petrochemical products from Iran. - Niksima Food and Beverage JLT for receiving payments on behalf of Jam Petrochemical Entities

Interaction between active tectonics, erosion and diapirism, a case study from Habble-Rud in Southern Central Alborz (Northern Iran)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaberi, Maryam; Ghassemi, Mohammad R.; Shayan, Siavosh; Yamani, Mojtaba; Zamanzadeh, Seyed Mohammad

2018-01-01

The Alborz mountain chain is a region of active deformation within the Arabia-Eurasia continental collision zone. The southern part of central Alborz Mountains, in the north of Iran, represents complex tectonics because it is located at the border of two developing continental sedimentary basins between southern central Alborz and Central Iran. An arid and semi-arid climate, a large extent of Quaternary sediments, rugged topography, salt domes and faults with historical seismicity influence the Habble-Rud River catchment. In the present research, a number of tectonic geomorphologic indices were extracted from satellite imagery and 10 m DEM (digital elevation model) data in order to identify relative tectonic activity within the basin. The indices include: stream length-gradient index (Sl), drainage basin asymmetry (Af), index of mountain front sinuosity (Smf), hypsometric integral (Hi), index of drainage basin shape (Bs), ratio of valley-floor width to valley height (Vf), and fault density (Fd). Due to the presence of heterogeneous indices for all sections of the catchment causing large extension of Habble-Rud (3260 km2), all of the variables such as extremely erodible formations, faults and folds and salt tectonics on the Southern part; were put into a matrix table. As a new approach, the variables were put into the SAW (simple additive model) model as one of MADM (multi-attribute decision-making models) techniques. The study area was divided into four regions according to the values of SAW. These classes include very high (%11), high (48.3%), moderate (34.7%), and low activity (3.4%). The result of the model suggests that the study area is located on a changing tectonic trend in central Alborz from NW-SE to NE-SW. The regions with high relative tectonic activity in HR catchment correspond to the active Garmsar and Sorkhe-Kalout faults and diapirs.

Iran diabetes research roadmap (IDRR) study: a preliminary study on diabetes research in the world and Iran.

PubMed

Nasli-Esfahani, Ensieh; Farzadfar, Farshad; Kouhnavard, Marjan; Ghodssi-Ghassemabadi, Robabeh; Khajavi, Alireza; Peimani, Maryam; Razmandeh, Rezvan; Vala, Mahboobeh; Shafiee, Gita; Rambod, Camelia; Sanjari, Mahnaz; Aalaa, Maryam; Ghodsi, Maryam; Razi, Farideh; Bandarian, Fatemeh; Larijani, Bagher

2017-01-01

Diabetes is one of the most common metabolic disorders worldwide. This study aim was to provide detail analysis of diabetes research output and its trend in Iran as well as in the world and compare them. Data was retrieved from PubMed database using a suitable search strategy and application of proper operator "AND", "OR" and "NOT". All English documents published from 2008 to 2012 were included. Meeting abstract, letter to the editor, guidelines, consensus and reviews were excluded. Obtained documents for Iran and world were categorized in eleven groups including diabetes management, education, paediatrics, nutrition, epidemiology, diabetes complications, stem cells, gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), psychiatrics, genetics and prevention and were compared. Total number of DM publications was 59513 for world and 648 for Iran. Trend of DM publications was increasing during the 5 years with a growth rate of 22.5% for world and 23.4% for Iran. Contribution of Iran in the world diabetes output reached 1.08 in 2012. The most and the least number of DM documents were related to complications and preventions, respectively both in Iran and the world. Three leading countries with highest proportion of RCTs (randomized clinical trial) to their total DM publications were Italy, Germany and Iran. The most number of diabetes research was in the field of diabetes complication, management and genetics in the world as well as in Iran. During the 5-year period, despite of the world sanctions against Iran, diabetes research trend was increasing in Iran relatively parallel to the world research and sanction had no significant effect on Iran.

Iran’s Security Dilemma

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-06-01

reasoning." Despite its ’For an example of a capabilities-driven analysis see Michael Eisenstadt, " Deja Vu All Over Again? An Assessment of Iran’s Military...Sancton, "No Longer Fenced In," Time, 23 May 1994, pp. 36-38. ’Michael Eisenstadt, " Deja Vu All Over Again? An Assessment of Iran’s Military Buildup...Eisenstadt, " Deja Vu All Over Again? An Assessment Of Iran’s Military Buildup," Iran’s Strategic Intentions and Capabilities, ed., Patrick Clawson

15 CFR 746.7 - Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Iran. 746.7 Section 746.7 Commerce and... § 746.7 Iran. The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) administers a comprehensive trade and investment embargo against Iran. This embargo includes prohibitions on exports and...

15 CFR 746.7 - Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Iran. 746.7 Section 746.7 Commerce and... § 746.7 Iran. The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) administers a comprehensive trade and investment embargo against Iran. This embargo includes prohibitions on exports and...

Iran Sanctions

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-02-02

status. BP has told CRS in e-mail conversation in late 2009 that it is not selling gasoline to Iran. Petroleos de Venezuela reportedly reached a...might ignore a U.S. law, and possibly even a U.N. resolutions along these lines. Iran and Venezuela ( Petroleos de Venezuela S.A.) signed a gasoline...September 2009) Petroleos de Venezuela S.A.; 10% stake in venture $760 million Abadan refinery upgrade and expansion; building a new refinery

Iran Sanctions

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-24

outcast international status. Petroleos de Venezuela might be affected because of its September 2009 deal to supply Iran with gasoline, as would state...gasoline suppliers who might ignore a U.S. law, and possibly even a U.N. resolutions along these lines. Iran and Venezuela ( Petroleos de Venezuela...LNG annually by 2012 South Pars gas field (September 2009) Petroleos de Venezuela S.A.; 10% stake in venture $760 million Abadan refinery upgrade

15 CFR 746.7 - Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... certain reexport transactions involving Iran, including transactions dealing with items subject to the EAR... addition, BIS maintains licensing requirements on exports and reexports to Iran under the EAR as described in paragraph (a)(1) of this section or elsewhere in the EAR (See, e.g., § 742.8—Anti-terrorism: Iran...

Natural Gas Exports from Iran

EIA Publications

2012-01-01

This assessment of the natural gas sector in Iran, with a focus on Iran’s natural gas exports, was prepared pursuant to section 505 (a) of the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights Act of 2012 (Public Law No: 112-158). As requested, it includes: (1) an assessment of exports of natural gas from Iran; (2) an identification of the countries that purchase the most natural gas from Iran; (3) an assessment of alternative supplies of natural gas available to those countries; (4) an assessment of the impact a reduction in exports of natural gas from Iran would have on global natural gas supplies and the price of natural gas, especially in countries identified under number (2); and (5) such other information as the Administrator considers appropriate.

Geometry and Dynamics of the Mesopotamian Foreland Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pirouz, M.; Avouac, J. P.; Gualandi, A.; Hassanzadeh, J.; Sternai, P.

2016-12-01

We have constrained the geometry of the Zagros foreland basin along the entire northern edge of the Arabian plate using subsurface data from Iran, Iraq and Syria. We use the Oligo-Miocene marine Asmari Formation and its equivalents in the region to reconstruct high resolution foreland basin geometry. This extensive carbonate platform limestone unit separates pre-collisional passive margin marine sediments from the Cenozoic foreland deposits dominated by continental sources; and therefore it can be used as a measure of post-collisional deflection. The 3D reconstructed Asmari Formation shows along-strike thickness variations of the foreland basin deposits from 1 to 6 km. The deepest part of the foreland basin coincides with the Dezful embayment in Iran, and its depth decreases on both sides. In principle the basin geometry should reflect the loading resulted from overthrusting in the Zagros fold-thrust belt, the sediment fill and dynamic stresses due to lithospheric and upper mantle deformation. To estimate these various sources of loads we analyze the basin geometry in combination with gravity, free air anomaly, and Moho depths determined from seismological observations. Our analysis suggests in particular that redistribution of surface load by surface processes is a primary controlling factor of the basin geometry. The wavelength of a foreland basin may bear little information on the elastic flexural rigidity of the lithosphere.

Managing Proliferation Issues with Iran

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nelson, C. Richard; Saltiel, David H.

2002-02-15

Any government in Tehran will be inclined to seek weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and missile delivery options given the realities of its strategic environment. These weapons might help Iran to deter potential external threats, to achieve equality with other major regional powers armed with WMD, and to attain self-reliance in national security, given the isolating experience of arms embargoes. A more pluralist leadership in the future, however, may examine broader choices and trade-offs, and perhaps be less likely to cross key thresholds in WMD acquisition. In any event, Iran's WMD behavior is likely to be determined by both externalmore » factors, mainly the availability of crucial components, and internal factors, including calculations of costs, risks, and benefits. Among the benefits, psychological factors, such as prestige, will play an important role. Other important factors that might well shape Iran's WMD behavior include developments in Iraq, relations with the United States and other Gulf states, Israeli-Palestinian relations and the future price of oil. This paper offers recommendations on how the United States can best hope to influence Iranian decisions regarding the acquisition of WMD and missile delivery systems if the United States decides to pursue more direct engagement with Tehran. An engagement-nonproliferation strategy should involve at least three types of parallel efforts: public, private and indirect. Public efforts should seek to create a more positive, less-threatening image of the United States among opinion leaders in Iran. Private efforts should seek to determine the purposes, nature and extent of Iran's efforts to develop WMD and missiles and to suggest better alternatives for Iran's security and prestige needs. Indirect efforts should involve key third countries and organizations in an attempt both to address Iran's security concerns and to deny Iran access to critical WMD and missile technology and components. Russian policy, in

Petroleum industry in Iran

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Farideh, A.

1981-01-01

This study examines the oil industry in Iran from the early discovery of oil nearly two hundred years ago in Mazandaran (north part) to the development of a giant modern industry in the twentieth century. Chapter I presents a brief historical setting to introduce the reader to the importance of oil in Iran. It focuses on the economic implications of the early oil concessions in the period 1901 to 1951. Chapter II discusses the nationalization of the Iranian oil industry and creation of NIOC in 1951 and the international political and economic implication of these activities. Chapter III explains themore » activities of NIOC in Iran. Exploration and drilling, production, exports, refineries, natural gas, petrochemicals and internal distributions are studied. Chapter IV discusses the role of the development planning of Iran. A brief presentation of the First Development Plan through the Fifth Development Plan is given. Sources and uses of funds by plan organization during these Five Plans is studied. The Iran and Iraq War is also studied briefly, but the uncertainty of its resolution prevents any close analysis of its impact on the Iranian oil industry. One conclusion, however, is certain; oil has been a vital resource in Iran's past and it will remain the lifetime of its economic development in the future.« less

The congruence between matrilineal genetic (mtDNA) and geographic diversity of Iranians and the territorial populations

PubMed Central

Bahmanimehr, Ardeshir; Eskandari, Ghafar; Nikmanesh, Fatemeh

2015-01-01

Objective(s): From the ancient era, emergence of Agriculture in the connecting region of Mesopotamia and the Iranian plateau at the foothills of the Zagros Mountains, made Iranian gene pool as an important source of populating the region. It has differentiated the population spread and different language groups. In order to trace the maternal genetic affinity between Iranians and other populations of the area and to establish the place of Iranians in a broad framework of ethnically and linguistically diverse groups of Middle Eastern and South Asian populations, a comparative study of territorial groups was designed and used in the population statistical analysis. Materials and Methods: Mix of 616 samples was sequenced for complete mtDNA or hyper variable regions in this study. A published dataset of neighboring populations was used as a comparison in the Iranian matrilineal lineage study based on mtDNA haplogroups. Results: Statistical analyses data, demonstrate a close genetic structure of all Iranian populations, thus suggesting their origin from a common maternal ancestral gene pool and show that the diverse maternal genetic structure does not reflect population differentiation in the region in their language. Conclusion: In the aggregate of the eastward spreads of proto-Elamo-Dravidian language from the Southwest region of Iran, the Elam province, a reasonable degree of homogeneity has been observed among Iranians in this study. The approach will facilitate our perception of the more detailed relationship of the ethnic groups living in Iran with the other ancient peoples of the area, testing linguistic hypothesis and population movements. PMID:25810873

Ground Truth, Magnitude Calibration and Regional Phase Propagation and Detection in the Middle East and Horn of Africa

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-01

consists of late Proterozoic crystalline basement overlain by Tertiary and Quaternary volcanic rocks in some places. The breakup of the Arabian Plate from...with structure directly below the crust. To investigate upper mantle structure under the Arabian Shield, measured and inverted relative travel times...Plateau, Zagros Mountains, Arabian Peninsula, Turkish Plateau, Gulf of Aqaba, Dead Sea Rift) and the Horn of Africa (including the northern part of

Design issues concerning Iran`s Bushehr nuclear power plant VVER-1000 conversion

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carson, C.F.

On January 8, 1995, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) signed a contract for $800 million with the Russian Federation Ministry for Atomic Energy (Minatom) to complete Bushehr nuclear power plant (BNPP) unit 1. The agreement called for a Russian VVER-1000/320 pressurized water reactor (PWR) to be successfully installed into the existing German-built BNPP facilities in 5 yr. System design differences, bomb damage, and environmental exposure are key issues with which Minatom must contend in order to fulfill the contract. The AEOI under the Shah of Iran envisioned Bushehr as the first of many nuclear power plants, with Iranmore » achieving 24 GW(electric) by 1993 and 34 GW(electric) by 2000. Kraftwerk Union AG (KWU) began construction of the two-unit plant near the Persian Gulf town of Halileh in 1975. Unit 1 was {approx}80% complete and unit 2 was {approx}50% complete when construction was interrupted by the 1979 Iranian Islamic revolution. Despite repeated AEOI attempts to lure KWU and other companies back to Iran to complete the plant, Western concerns about nuclear proliferation in Iran and repeated bombings of the plant during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war dissuaded Germany from resuming construction.« less

Iran-Iraq Border Quake Region Imaged by NASA Satellite

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-11-15

On Sunday, Nov. 12, 2017, a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck along the Iran-Iraq border near Halabjah, Iraq. The earthquake was felt as far away as Kuwait, Qatar, Turkey, Lebanon and Israel. Extensive damage and numerous casualties were reported in the area near the epicenter (yellow star on image). The earthquake occurred along the boundary between the Arabian and Eurasian tectonic plates. This is an earthquake-prone area, and has experienced many deadly earthquakes in the past. In this perspective-view image, bright red areas are crops in fields, pale red on mountain ridges are shrubs and trees, dark gray areas are traces of earlier brush fires, and gray and tan colors are different rock types. The image was acquired Sept. 8, 2017, and the star marks the earthquake epicenter at 34.9 degrees north, 45.9 degrees east. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22112

31 CFR 560.205 - Prohibited reexportation of goods, technology, or services to Iran or the Government of Iran by...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., technology, or services to Iran or the Government of Iran by persons other than United States persons... REGULATIONS Prohibitions § 560.205 Prohibited reexportation of goods, technology, or services to Iran or the Government of Iran by persons other than United States persons; exceptions. (a) Except as otherwise...

31 CFR 560.205 - Prohibited reexportation of goods, technology or services to Iran or the Government of Iran by...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., technology or services to Iran or the Government of Iran by persons other than United States persons... Prohibitions § 560.205 Prohibited reexportation of goods, technology or services to Iran or the Government of Iran by persons other than United States persons; exceptions. (a) Except as otherwise authorized...

31 CFR 560.205 - Prohibited reexportation of goods, technology, or services to Iran or the Government of Iran by...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., technology, or services to Iran or the Government of Iran by persons other than United States persons... REGULATIONS Prohibitions § 560.205 Prohibited reexportation of goods, technology, or services to Iran or the Government of Iran by persons other than United States persons; exceptions. (a) Except as otherwise...

31 CFR 560.205 - Prohibited reexportation of goods, technology or services to Iran or the Government of Iran by...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., technology or services to Iran or the Government of Iran by persons other than United States persons... Prohibitions § 560.205 Prohibited reexportation of goods, technology or services to Iran or the Government of Iran by persons other than United States persons; exceptions. (a) Except as otherwise authorized...

31 CFR 560.205 - Prohibited reexportation of goods, technology or services to Iran or the Government of Iran by...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., technology or services to Iran or the Government of Iran by persons other than United States persons... Prohibitions § 560.205 Prohibited reexportation of goods, technology or services to Iran or the Government of Iran by persons other than United States persons; exceptions. (a) Except as otherwise authorized...

Spatial changes in the distribution of malaria vectors during the past 5 decades in Iran.

PubMed

Salahi-Moghaddam, A; Khoshdel, A; Dalaei, H; Pakdad, K; Nutifafa, G G; Sedaghat, M M

2017-02-01

Global warming and climate change affect various aspects of mankind, including public health. Anopheles mosquitoes are of Public Health importance and can be affected by global warming and other environmental variables. Here, we studied the distribution of Anopheles vectors of malaria in relation to environmental variables in Iran. Long-term meteorological and entomological data of about 50 years in retrospect were collected and arranged in a geo-database and analyzed using ArcGIS ver. 9.3 and exported to SPSS ver. 20 for statistical analysis. Distribution maps have been updated for seven species of Anopheles vectors of malaria which involved Anopheles culicifacies s.l., An. fluviatilis s.l., An. stephensi, An. dthali, An. sacharovi, An. maculipennis.l. and An. superpictus in Iran. Distribution maps of vectors were made based on district areas using Kriging model. Historical and recent records were demonstrated for each Anopheles based on climatic factors in the distribution areas of each Anopheles vectors. Iran, like other parts of the world is faced with warming and this probably affected the distribution of Anopheles vectors. Despite the warming phenomenon, the country's climate had changed during the cold season as temperatures became colder or cooler. This study shows that some vectors had migrated from the central part of Iran with dry and sunny landscape, moved towards the mountainous areas of the north or the warm and humid areas of the south. Historical records show that these anophelines have previously been distributed in lowland areas. If this process continues in the future, Anopheles mosquitoes may be seen in low lands with cold areas in central and northern parts of the country or will occupy humid and warm climates in the southern parts of the country where water is more available. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

31 CFR 561.321 - Government of Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Government of Iran. 561.321 Section... Definitions § 561.321 Government of Iran. The term Government of Iran includes: (a) The state and the Government of Iran, as well as any political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof; (b) Any entity...

31 CFR 561.321 - Government of Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Government of Iran. 561.321 Section... Definitions § 561.321 Government of Iran. The term Government of Iran includes: (a) The state and the Government of Iran, as well as any political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof; (b) Any entity...

31 CFR 560.304 - Government of Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Government of Iran. 560.304 Section... Definitions § 560.304 Government of Iran. The term Government of Iran includes: (a) The state and the Government of Iran, as well as any political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof, including the...

31 CFR 560.304 - Government of Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Government of Iran. 560.304 Section... Definitions § 560.304 Government of Iran. The term Government of Iran includes: (a) The state and the Government of Iran, as well as any political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof, including the...

31 CFR 561.321 - Government of Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Government of Iran. 561.321 Section... Definitions § 561.321 Government of Iran. The term Government of Iran includes: (a) The state and the Government of Iran, as well as any political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof; (b) Any entity...

31 CFR 535.301 - Iran; Iranian Entity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Iran; Iranian Entity. 535.301 Section... § 535.301 Iran; Iranian Entity. (a) The term Iran and Iranian Entity includes: (1) The state and the Government of Iran as well as any political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof or any territory...

31 CFR 535.301 - Iran; Iranian Entity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Iran; Iranian Entity. 535.301 Section... § 535.301 Iran; Iranian Entity. (a) The term Iran and Iranian Entity includes: (1) The state and the Government of Iran as well as any political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof or any territory...

31 CFR 535.301 - Iran; Iranian Entity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Iran; Iranian Entity. 535.301 Section... § 535.301 Iran; Iranian Entity. (a) The term Iran and Iranian Entity includes: (1) The state and the Government of Iran as well as any political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof or any territory...

31 CFR 560.304 - Government of Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Government of Iran. 560.304 Section... § 560.304 Government of Iran. The term Government of Iran includes: (a) The state and the Government of Iran, as well as any political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof; (b) Any entity owned or...

31 CFR 560.304 - Government of Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Government of Iran. 560.304 Section... § 560.304 Government of Iran. The term Government of Iran includes: (a) The state and the Government of Iran, as well as any political subdivision, agency, or instrumentality thereof; (b) Any entity owned or...

Iran`s petroleum policy: Current trends and the future outlook

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pezeshki, S.; Fesharaki, F.

1994-12-01

The Iranian economy and political situation have undergone radical changes since the 1979 Islamic revolution. The excesses of the early years of the revolution have gradually given way to moderation and a more pragmatic economic policy--based on the principles of the free market. The petroleum policy, as a subset of the economic policies, has been somewhat affected by the political and economic developments in Iran. The petroleum policy has changed from a position of no foreign participation to a position that includes a desire for foreign participation, the text of a model contract, and an attempt to introduce new technologiesmore » in the upstream sector. This report provides an overview of the key issues facing the Iranian oil industry and the economic context in which the oil industry is operating in Iran. It describes the evolution of policies meant to move the oil industry toward the free market; it discusses Iran`s oil trading partners, the outlook for refining and project investments, and current and likely future developments in the natural gas and petrochemical sectors. In short, the report provides an up-to-date assessment of the Iranian petroleum sector and its likely evolution in the future.« less

Digital mountains: toward development and environment protection in mountain regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Xiaobo

2007-06-01

Former studies on mountain system are focused on the department or subject characters, i.e. different department and branches of learning carry out researches only for their individual purposes and with individual characters of the subject of interests. As a whole, their investigation is lacking of comprehensive study in combination with global environment. Ecological environment in mountain regions is vulnerable to the disturbance of human activities. Therefore, it is a key issue to coordinate economic development and environment protection in mountain regions. On the other hand, a lot of work is ongoing on mountain sciences, especially depending on the application of RS and GIS. Moreover, the development of the Digital Earth (DE) provides a clue to re-understand mountains. These are the background of the emergence of the Digital Mountains (DM). One of the purposes of the DM is integrating spatial related data and information about mountains. Moreover, the DM is a viewpoint and methodology of understanding and quantifying mountains holistically. The concept of the DM is that, the spatial and temporal data related to mountain regions are stored and managed in computers; moreover, manipulating, analyzing, modeling, simulating and sharing of the mountain information are implemented by utilizing technologies of RS, GIS, GPS, Geo-informatic Tupu, computer, virtual reality (VR), 3D simulation, massive storage, mutual operation and network communication. The DM aims at advancing mountain sciences and sustainable mountain development. The DM is used to providing information and method for coordinating the mountain regions development and environment protection. The fundamental work of the DM is the design of the scientific architecture. Furthermore, construct and develop massive databases of mountains are the important steps these days.

31 CFR 535.433 - Central Bank of Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Central Bank of Iran. 535.433 Section... § 535.433 Central Bank of Iran. The Central Bank of Iran (Bank Markazi Iran) is an agency, instrumentality and controlled entity of the Government of Iran for all purposes under this part. (Secs. 201-207...

31 CFR 535.433 - Central Bank of Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Central Bank of Iran. 535.433 Section... § 535.433 Central Bank of Iran. The Central Bank of Iran (Bank Markazi Iran) is an agency, instrumentality and controlled entity of the Government of Iran for all purposes under this part. (Secs. 201-207...

31 CFR 535.433 - Central Bank of Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Central Bank of Iran. 535.433 Section... § 535.433 Central Bank of Iran. The Central Bank of Iran (Bank Markazi Iran) is an agency, instrumentality and controlled entity of the Government of Iran for all purposes under this part. (Secs. 201-207...

31 CFR 535.433 - Central Bank of Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Central Bank of Iran. 535.433 Section... § 535.433 Central Bank of Iran. The Central Bank of Iran (Bank Markazi Iran) is an agency, instrumentality and controlled entity of the Government of Iran for all purposes under this part. (Secs. 201-207...

31 CFR 535.433 - Central Bank of Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Central Bank of Iran. 535.433 Section... § 535.433 Central Bank of Iran. The Central Bank of Iran (Bank Markazi Iran) is an agency, instrumentality and controlled entity of the Government of Iran for all purposes under this part. (Secs. 201-207...

Iran’s Economy

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-08-22

is substantial. Iran is a major source of caviar and pistachio nuts, which constitute significant non-oil exports for Iran. Iran’s climate and terrain...and Gas Developments and Trade,” Global Insight Daily Analysis, March 4, 2008. prepared meat and fish, and edible nuts and foods ( pistachios ). There

Iran’s Foreign and Defense Policies

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-02-06

terrorism to intimidate or retaliate against Israel or other regional opponents of Iran. Iran’s armed support to Shiite-dominated allied governments ...3 Khamene’i: “U.S. Would Overthrow Iranian Government If It Could—Media.” Reuters, February 8, 2014. 4 Erik Slavin. “Iran Emphasizes Nuclear...foreign policy, Iran provides arms, training, and military advisers in support of allied governments as well as armed factions. Iran supports groups

Conceptualization of Karstic Aquifer with Multiple Outlets Using a Dual Porosity Model.

PubMed

Hosseini, Seiyed Mossa; Ataie-Ashtiani, Behzad

2017-07-01

In this study, two conceptual models, the classic reservoir (CR) model and exchange reservoirs model embedded by dual porosity approach (DPR) are developed for simulation of karst aquifer functioning drained by multiple outlets. The performances of two developed models are demonstrated at a less developed karstic aquifer with three spring outlets located in Zagros Mountain in the south-west of Iran using 22-years of daily data. During the surface recharge, a production function based on water mass balance is implemented for computing the time series of surface recharge to the karst formations. The efficiency of both models has been assessed for simulation of daily spring discharge during the recession and also surface recharge periods. Results indicate that both CR and DPR models are capable of simulating the ordinates of spring hydrographs which drainage less developed karstic aquifer. However, the goodness of fit criteria indicates outperformance of DPR model for simulation of total hydrograph ordinates. In addition, the DPR model is capable of quantifying hydraulic properties of two hydrologically connected overlapping continua conduits network and fissure matrix which lays important foundations for the mining operation and water resource management whereas homogeneous model representations of the karstic subsurface (e.g., the CR) do not work accurately in the karstic environment. © 2017, National Ground Water Association.

ESTIMATES OF CLOUD WATER DEPOSITION AT MOUNTAIN DEPOSITION AT MOUNTAIN ACID DEPOSITION PROGRAM SITES IN THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS

EPA Science Inventory

Cloud water deposition was estimated at three high elevation sites in the Appalachian Mountains of the eastern United States (Whiteface Mountain, NY, Whitetop Mountain, VA, and Clingrnan's Dome, TN) from 1994 through 1999 as part of the Mountain Acid Deposition Program (MADPro). ...

Understanding the emergence of modern humans and the disappearance of Neanderthals: Insights from Kaldar Cave (Khorramabad Valley, Western Iran).

PubMed

Bazgir, Behrouz; Ollé, Andreu; Tumung, Laxmi; Becerra-Valdivia, Lorena; Douka, Katerina; Higham, Thomas; van der Made, Jan; Picin, Andrea; Saladié, Palmira; López-García, Juan Manuel; Blain, Hugues-Alexandre; Allué, Ethel; Fernández-García, Mónica; Rey-Rodríguez, Iván; Arceredillo, Diego; Bahrololoumi, Faranak; Azimi, Moloudsadat; Otte, Marcel; Carbonell, Eudald

2017-03-02

Kaldar Cave is a key archaeological site that provides evidence of the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition in Iran. Excavations at the site in 2014-2015 led to the discovery of cultural remains generally associated with anatomically modern humans (AMHs) and evidence of a probable Neanderthal-made industry in the basal layers. Attempts have been made to establish a chronology for the site. These include four thermoluminescence (TL) dates for Layer 4, ranging from 23,100 ± 3300 to 29,400 ± 2300 BP, and three AMS radiocarbon dates from charcoal samples belonging to the lower part of the same layer, yielding ages of 38,650-36,750 cal BP, 44,200-42,350 cal BP, and 54,400-46,050 cal BP (all at the 95.4% confidence level). Kaldar Cave is the first well-stratified Late Palaeolithic locality to be excavated in the Zagros which is one of the earliest sites with cultural materials attributed to early AMHs in western Asia. It also offers an opportunity to study the technological differences between the Mousterian and the first Upper Palaeolithic lithic technologies as well as the human behaviour in the region. In this study, we present a detailed description of the newly excavated stratigraphy, quantified results from the lithic assemblages, preliminary faunal remains analyses, geochronologic data, taphonomic aspects, and an interpretation of the regional paleoenvironment.

Understanding the emergence of modern humans and the disappearance of Neanderthals: Insights from Kaldar Cave (Khorramabad Valley, Western Iran)

PubMed Central

Bazgir, Behrouz; Ollé, Andreu; Tumung, Laxmi; Becerra-Valdivia, Lorena; Douka, Katerina; Higham, Thomas; van der Made, Jan; Picin, Andrea; Saladié, Palmira; López-García, Juan Manuel; Blain, Hugues-Alexandre; Allué, Ethel; Fernández-García, Mónica; Rey-Rodríguez, Iván; Arceredillo, Diego; Bahrololoumi, Faranak; Azimi, Moloudsadat; Otte, Marcel; Carbonell, Eudald

2017-01-01

Kaldar Cave is a key archaeological site that provides evidence of the Middle to Upper Palaeolithic transition in Iran. Excavations at the site in 2014–2015 led to the discovery of cultural remains generally associated with anatomically modern humans (AMHs) and evidence of a probable Neanderthal-made industry in the basal layers. Attempts have been made to establish a chronology for the site. These include four thermoluminescence (TL) dates for Layer 4, ranging from 23,100 ± 3300 to 29,400 ± 2300 BP, and three AMS radiocarbon dates from charcoal samples belonging to the lower part of the same layer, yielding ages of 38,650–36,750 cal BP, 44,200–42,350 cal BP, and 54,400–46,050 cal BP (all at the 95.4% confidence level). Kaldar Cave is the first well-stratified Late Palaeolithic locality to be excavated in the Zagros which is one of the earliest sites with cultural materials attributed to early AMHs in western Asia. It also offers an opportunity to study the technological differences between the Mousterian and the first Upper Palaeolithic lithic technologies as well as the human behaviour in the region. In this study, we present a detailed description of the newly excavated stratigraphy, quantified results from the lithic assemblages, preliminary faunal remains analyses, geochronologic data, taphonomic aspects, and an interpretation of the regional paleoenvironment. PMID:28252042

Status of Iran's nuclear program and negotiations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Albright, David

2014-05-09

Iran's nuclear program poses immense challenges to international security. Its gas centrifuge program has grown dramatically in the last several years, bringing Iran close to a point where it could produce highly enriched uranium in secret or declared gas centrifuge plants before its breakout would be discovered and stopped. To reduce the risk posed by Iran's nuclear program, the P5+1 have negotiated with Iran short term limits on the most dangerous aspects of its nuclear programs and is negotiating long-term arrangements that can provide assurance that Iran will not build nuclear weapons. These long-term arrangements need to include a farmore » more limited and transparent Iranian nuclear program. In advance of arriving at a long-term arrangement, the IAEA will need to resolve its concerns about the alleged past and possibly on-going military dimensions of Iran's nuclear program.« less

31 CFR 560.516 - Transfers of funds involving Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Transfers of funds involving Iran. 560... involving Iran. (a) United States depository institutions are authorized to process transfers of funds to or from Iran, or for the direct or indirect benefit of persons in Iran or the Government of Iran, if the...

31 CFR 560.516 - Transfers of funds involving Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Transfers of funds involving Iran. 560... involving Iran. (a) United States depository institutions are authorized to process transfers of funds to or from Iran, or for the direct or indirect benefit of persons in Iran or the Government of Iran, if the...

The state of the environment in Iran.

PubMed

Zekavat, S M

1997-06-01

This article describes environmental conditions in Iran including air pollution, pesticide pollution, soil depletion and erosion, water pollution, natural resource loss, lack of appropriate waste management, lead poisoning, and desertification. Environmental policy and implementation is described under the Shah and the Islamic Republic. Iran is beset with interrelated problems of environmental degradation, unemployment, poverty, and population growth. Sustainability is being undermined at the cost of future generations. In 1995, Iran had a population of 67 million and a growth rate of 3.6%. Population is expected to exceed 100 million by the year 2000. The country is having difficulty in maintaining its current infrastructure, housing, food, and educational facilities. Competition for admission in higher education discourages women. Women with lower levels of education results in continued supremacy of men over women, more polygamy, and a lower quality of life for women. Iran was food self-sufficient in 1970, and exported its surplus. Today, Iran may be permanently dependent on food imports. Iran has abundant oil reserves, natural gas, copper, lead, and marketable items. Exchanging natural resources for food and technology has time and resource limits. Iran needs monetary assistance from wealthy nations. Population growth leads to increased demand for infrastructure and resources. Iran has signed many international environmental agreements and has enacted detailed environmental policies and regulations, but actual enforcement is lacking.

SANTA LUCIA WILDERNESS, AND GARCIA MOUNTAIN, BLACK MOUNTAIN, LA PANZA, MACHESNA MOUNTAIN, LOS MACHOS HILLS, BIG ROCKS, AND STANLEY MOUNTAIN ROADLESS AREAS, CALIFORNIA.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Frizzell, Virgil A.; Kuizon, Lucia

1984-01-01

The Santa Lucia Wilderness Area and Garcia Mountain, Black Mountain, La Panza, Machesna Mountain, Los Machos Hills, Big Rocks, and Stanley Mountain Roadless Areas together occupy an area of about 218 sq mi in the Los Padres National Forest, California. On the basis of a mineral-resource evaluation a small area in the Black Mountain Roadless Area has a probable mineral-resource potential for uranium, and a small area in the Stanley Mountain Roadless Area has probable potential for low-grade mercury resources. Although petroleum resources occur in rocks similar to those found in the study area, no potential for petroleum resources was identified in the wilderness or any of the roadless areas. No resource potential for other mineral resources was identified in any of the areas. Detailed geologic mapping and geochemical sampling probably would increase knowledge about distribution and modes of occurrence of uranium and cinnabar in those areas, respectively.

Mountains: An Overview.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Byers, Alton; Gilligan, Nancy; Golston, Syd; Linville, Rex

1999-01-01

Introduces the lessons from "Mountain: A Global Resource" that were developed by the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) and The Mountain Institute for use by NCSS members and their students. Provides an overview that introduces the mountains, mountain cultures, historical perceptions, and the geographical importance of…

Iran's Million-Student Alternative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Labi, Aisha

2008-01-01

The Islamic Azad University was founded by Hashemi Rafsanjani, a cleric who was in the past the first speaker of the Majlis, or Parliament, of Iran's postrevolutionary government. He served as president of Iran from 1989 to 1997 and ran for re-election in 2005, when he was defeated by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In the two decades after Azad was founded,…

31 CFR 560.403 - Transshipment through Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Transshipment through Iran. 560.403... Interpretations § 560.403 Transshipment through Iran. The prohibitions in §§ 560.204, 560.206 and 560.208 apply to... through Iran to third countries. [64 FR 20172, Apr. 26, 1999] ...

31 CFR 560.403 - Transshipment through Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Transshipment through Iran. 560.403... Interpretations § 560.403 Transshipment through Iran. The prohibitions in §§ 560.204, 560.206 and 560.208 apply to... through Iran to third countries. [64 FR 20172, Apr. 26, 1999] ...

31 CFR 560.403 - Transshipment through Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Transshipment through Iran. 560.403... Interpretations § 560.403 Transshipment through Iran. The prohibitions in §§ 560.204, 560.206 and 560.208 apply to... through Iran to third countries. [64 FR 20172, Apr. 26, 1999] ...

Israel and Iran: A Dangerous Rivalry

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

and Knesset view the Islamic Republic as “a bitter ideological enemy that is deter- mined to bring about the physical annihilation of Israel”; only...entirely different set of values. . . . Iran sends children into mine fields. Iran denies the Holocaust. Iran openly calls for Israel’s destruction...compromise on sovereignty by having U.S. troops deployed here.” Quoted in Barbara Opall -Rome, “U.S. to Deploy Radar, Troops In Israel,” Defense News

Ten years of snakebites in Iran.

PubMed

Dehghani, Rouhullah; Fathi, Behrooz; Shahi, Morteza Panjeh; Jazayeri, Mehrdad

2014-11-01

Many species of venomous snakes are found in Iran. The most medically important species which are responsible for the most snakebite incidents in Iran belong to the Viperidae family, including Vipera lebetina, Echis carinatus, Pseudocerastes persicus, Vipera albicornuta and the Elapidae family, especially Naja naja oxiana. At least one kind of venomous snake is found in each of the 31 provinces, and many provinces have more than one venomous species. As a result, snakebite is a considerable health hazard in Iran, especially in the rural area of south and south-west of Iran. A retrospective, descriptive study of snakebite in Iran during 2002-2011 was carried out in order based on data collected from medical records of bite victims admitted to hospitals and health centers. From 2002 to 2011, 53,787 cases of snake bites were reported by medical centers in Iran. The annual incidence of snake bites in 100,000 of population varied from 4.5 to 9.1 during this decade and the number of recorded deaths were about 67 cases. The highest rate of snakebite was found in provinces of south and southwest of Iran. We suggest that people, especially in the rural areas, need to be trained and educated about venomous snakes, their hazards, prevention of bite and the importance of early hospital referral and treatment of victims. Also adequate antivenins as the main life saving medicine should be made available based on the recorded numbers of victims in each area of the country. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

31 CFR 535.301 - Iran; Iranian Entity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Iran; Iranian Entity. 535.301 Section 535.301 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF... § 535.301 Iran; Iranian Entity. (a) The term Iran and Iranian Entity includes: (1) The state and the...

31 CFR 535.301 - Iran; Iranian Entity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Iran; Iranian Entity. 535.301 Section 535.301 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF... § 535.301 Iran; Iranian Entity. (a) The term Iran and Iranian Entity includes: (1) The state and the...

31 CFR 560.304 - Government of Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Government of Iran. 560.304 Section 560.304 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and Finance (Continued) OFFICE OF... § 560.304 Government of Iran. The term Government of Iran includes: (a) The state and the Government of...

15 CFR 746.7 - Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... authorization is considered authorization for purposes of the EAR as well. Transactions that are not subject to... certain reexport transactions involving Iran, including transactions dealing with items subject to the EAR... addition, BIS maintains licensing requirements on exports and reexports to Iran under the EAR as described...

15 CFR 746.7 - Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... authorization for purposes of the EAR as well. Transactions that are not subject to OFAC regulatory authority... certain reexport transactions involving Iran, including transactions dealing with items subject to the EAR... addition, BIS maintains licensing requirements on exports and reexports to Iran under the EAR as described...

Mountains

Treesearch

Regina M. Rochefort; Laurie L. Kurth; Tara W. Carolin; Robert R. Mierendorf; Kimberly Frappier; David L. Steenson

2006-01-01

This chapter concentrates on subalpine parklands and alpine meadows of southern British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and western Montana. These areas lie on the flanks of several mountain ranges including the Olympics, the Cascades of Oregon and Washington, and the Coast Mountains in British Columbia.

Embargo on Iran hurts supply firms

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lyle, D.

1995-06-01

When President Clinton dropped an embargo on Iran, he also collided with oilfield supply companies to the tune of some $662.5 million. The embargo locked Iran away from oil exports to the US and some imports from the US in an attempt to stop Iran from: building a nuclear weapons stockpile; threatening the Persian Gulf with conventional military operations, and supporting terrorism. Most people would agree with the need to stop that activity. But, the supply companies would have preferred something less drastic. The Petroleum Equipment Suppliers Association, and the Tom Wheatley Valve Co. of Houston, said Iran owes suppliersmore » approximately a half-billion dollars in receivables. That money may never be recovered, and it could send some companies into bankruptcy. In addition, the embargo cuts off $325 million in business the US conducts with Iran and about half of that business goes to the oil industry. If you plug that $162.5 million into Department of Labor statistics that say each $1 million sustains 20 jobs, the industry stands to lose 3250 jobs.« less

15 CFR 742.8 - Anti-terrorism: Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Anti-terrorism: Iran. 742.8 Section... BASED CONTROLS § 742.8 Anti-terrorism: Iran. (a) License Requirements. (1) A license is required for anti-terrorism purposes to export or reexport to Iran any item for which AT column 1 or AT column 2 is...

15 CFR 742.8 - Anti-terrorism: Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Anti-terrorism: Iran. 742.8 Section... BASED CONTROLS § 742.8 Anti-terrorism: Iran. (a) License Requirements. (1) A license is required for anti-terrorism purposes to export or reexport to Iran any item for which AT column 1 or AT column 2 is...

15 CFR 742.8 - Anti-terrorism: Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Anti-terrorism: Iran. 742.8 Section... BASED CONTROLS § 742.8 Anti-terrorism: Iran. (a) License Requirements. (1) A license is required for anti-terrorism purposes to export or reexport to Iran any item for which AT column 1 or AT column 2 is...

15 CFR 742.8 - Anti-terrorism: Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Anti-terrorism: Iran. 742.8 Section... BASED CONTROLS § 742.8 Anti-terrorism: Iran. (a) License Requirements. (1) A license is required for anti-terrorism purposes to export or reexport to Iran any item for which AT column 1 or AT column 2 is...

15 CFR 742.8 - Anti-terrorism: Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Anti-terrorism: Iran. 742.8 Section... BASED CONTROLS § 742.8 Anti-terrorism: Iran. (a) License Requirements. (1) A license is required for anti-terrorism purposes to export or reexport to Iran any item for which AT column 1 or AT column 2 is...

78 FR 46782 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; Iran Threat Reduction

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-01

...] RIN 9000-AM44 Federal Acquisition Regulation; Iran Threat Reduction AGENCIES: Department of Defense... expansion of sanctions relating to the energy sector of Iran and sanctions with respect to Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, as contained in titles II and III of the Iran Threat Reduction and Syria Human Rights...

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever in Iran

PubMed Central

Keshtkar-Jahromi, Maryam; Sajadi, Mohammad M.; Ansari, Hossein; Mardani, Masoud; Naieni, Kourosh Holakouie

2014-01-01

The presence of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) in Iran was first identified in studies of livestock sera and ticks in the 1970s, but the first human infection was not diagnosed until 1999. Since that time, the number of cases of CCHF in Iran has markedly increased. Through January 2012, articles in the published literature have reported a total of 870 confirmed cases, with 126 deaths, for a case fatality rate (CFR) of 17.6%. The disease has been seen in 26 of the country’s 31 provinces, with the greatest number of cases in Sistan and Baluchestan, Isfahan, Fars, Tehran, Khorasan, and Khuzestan provinces. The increase in CCHF in Iran has paralleled that in neighboring Turkey, though the number of cases in Turkey has been much larger, with an overall CFR of around 5%. In this article, we review the features of CCHF in Iran, including its history, epidemiology, animal and tick reservoirs, current surveillance and control programs, diagnostic methods, clinical features and experience with ribavirin therapy, and consider possible explanations for the difference in the CFR of CCHF between Iran and Turkey. The emergence of CCHF in Iran calls for countermeasures at many levels to protect the population, but also provides opportunities for studying the epidemiology, diagnosis and management of the disease. PMID:23872313

Iran: Politics, Human Rights, and U.S. Policy

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-02-17

Revolution in Iran in 1979, the United States and Iran have been at odds politically and diplomatically, and U.S. policy has been intended to reduce the...the potential for Iran to develop a nuclear weapon increased. Beginning in 2010, the United States orchestrated broad international economic pressure...characterized Iran as an adversary of the United States and stated a commitment to countering Iran’s regional influence – although without taking steps that

Echinococcus granulosus genotypes in Iran

PubMed Central

Sharafi, Seyedeh Maryam; Rostami-Nejad, Mohammad; Moazeni, Mohammad; Yousefi, Morteza; Saneie, Behnam; Hosseini-Safa, Ahmad

2014-01-01

Hydatidosis, caused by Echinococcus granulosus is one of the most important zoonotic diseases, throughout most parts of the world. Hydatidosis is endemic in Iran and responsible for approximately 1% of admission to surgical wards. There are extensive genetic variations within E. granulosus and 10 different genotypes (G1–G10) within this parasite have been reported. Identification of strains is important for improvement of control and prevention of the disease. No new review article presented the situation of Echinococcus granulosus genotypes in Iran in the recent years; therefore in this paper we reviewed the different studies regarding Echinococcus granulosus genotypes in Iran. PMID:24834298

Medical Science and Research in Iran.

PubMed

Akhondzadeh, Shahin; Ebadifar, Asghar; Baradaran Eftekhari, Monir; Falahat, Katayoun

2017-11-01

During the last 3 decades, Iran has experienced a rapid population growth and at the same time the health of Iranian people has improved greatly. This achievement was mainly due to training and availability of health manpower, well organized public health network and medical science and research improvement. In this article, we aimed to report the relevant data about the medical science and research situation in Iran and compare them with other countries. In this study, after reviewing science development and research indicators in medical sciences with participation of key stakeholders, we selected 3 main hybrid indexes consisting of "Research and Development (R&D) expenditures," "Personnel in Science and Technology sector" and "knowledge generation" for evaluation of medical science and research situation. Data was extracted from reliable databases. Over the past decade, Iran has achieved significant success in medical sciences and for the first time in 2015 based on Scopus index, Iran ranked first in the number of published scientific papers and number of citations in the region and among all Islamic countries. Also, 2% of the world's publications belong to Iran. Regarding innovation, the number of Iranian patents submitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) was 3 and 43 in 2008 and 2013, respectively. In these years, the number of personnel in science and technology sectors including post graduate students, researchers and academic members in universities of medical sciences (UMSs) have increased. The female students in medical sciences field account for about twothirds of all students. Also, women comprise about one-third of faculty members. Since 5 years ago, Iran has had growth in science and technology parks. These achievements were attained in spite of the fact that research spending in Iran was still very low (0.5% of gross domestic product [GDP]) due to economic hardships and sanctions. Medical science and research development has

Sensitivity analysis of monthly reference crop evapotranspiration trends in Iran: a qualitative approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mosaedi, Abolfazl; Ghabaei Sough, Mohammad; Sadeghi, Sayed-Hossein; Mooshakhian, Yousof; Bannayan, Mohammad

2017-05-01

The main objective of this study was to analyze the sensitivity of the monthly reference crop evapotranspiration (ETo) trends to key climatic factors (minimum and maximum air temperature ( T max and T min), relative humidity (RH), sunshine hours ( t sun), and wind speed ( U 2)) in Iran by applying a qualitative detrended method, rather than the historical mathematical approach. Meteorological data for the period of 1963-2007 from five synoptic stations with different climatic characteristics, including Mashhad (mountains), Tabriz (mountains), Tehran (semi-desert), Anzali (coastal wet), and Shiraz (semi-mountains) were used to address this objective. The Mann-Kendall test was employed to assess the trends of ETo and the climatic variables. The results indicated a significant increasing trend of the monthly ETo for Mashhad and Tabriz for most part of the year while the opposite conclusion was drawn for Tehran, Anzali, and Shiraz. Based on the detrended method, RH and U 2 were the two main variables enhancing the negative ETo trends in Tehran and Anzali stations whereas U 2 and temperature were responsible for this observation in Shiraz. On the other hand, the main meteorological variables affecting the significant positive trend of ETo were RH and t sun in Tabriz and T min, RH, and U 2 in Mashhad. Although a relative agreement was observed in terms of identifying one of the first two key climatic variables affecting the ETo trend, the qualitative and the quantitative sensitivity analysis solutions did never coincide. Further research is needed to evaluate this interesting finding for other geographic locations, and also to search for the major causes of this discrepancy.

Mountain research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

The newly incorporated International Mountain Society (IMS) will in May begin publication of an interdisciplinary scientific journal, Mountain Research and Development. The quarterly will be copublished with the United National University; additional support will come from UNESCO.A primary objective of IMS is to ‘help solve mountain land-use problems by developing a foundation of scientific and technical knowledge on which to base management decisions,’ according to Jack D. Ives, president of the Boulder-based organization. ‘The Society is strongly committed to the belief that a rational worldwide approach to mountain problems must involve a wide range of disciplines in the natural and human sciences, medicine, architecture, engineering, and technology.’

Seismic tomographic imaging of P- and S-waves velocity perturbations in the upper mantle beneath Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alinaghi, Alireza; Koulakov, Ivan; Thybo, Hans

2007-06-01

The inverse tomography method has been used to study the P- and S-waves velocity structure of the crust and upper mantle underneath Iran. The method, based on the principle of source-receiver reciprocity, allows for tomographic studies of regions with sparse distribution of seismic stations if the region has sufficient seismicity. The arrival times of body waves from earthquakes in the study area as reported in the ISC catalogue (1964-1996) at all available epicentral distances are used for calculation of residual arrival times. Prior to inversion we have relocated hypocentres based on a 1-D spherical earth's model taking into account variable crustal thickness and surface topography. During the inversion seismic sources are further relocated simultaneously with the calculation of velocity perturbations. With a series of synthetic tests we demonstrate the power of the algorithm and the data to reconstruct introduced anomalies using the ray paths of the real data set and taking into account the measurement errors and outliers. The velocity anomalies show that the crust and upper mantle beneath the Iranian Plateau comprises a low velocity domain between the Arabian Plate and the Caspian Block. This is in agreement with global tomographic models, and also tectonic models, in which active Iranian plateau is trapped between the stable Turan plate in the north and the Arabian shield in the south. Our results show clear evidence of the mainly aseismic subduction of the oceanic crust of the Oman Sea underneath the Iranian Plateau. However, along the Zagros suture zone, the subduction pattern is more complex than at Makran where the collision of the two plates is highly seismic.

IRANIAN FOREIGN POLICY AFTER THE NUCLEAR DEAL

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-02-16

studies from Kings College London (KCL). He worked in several staff positions and he is currently a student at the Air War College at Maxwell Air...the north, and the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman and Indian Ocean to the south. 1 Zagros and Alborz mountain ranges are located in the western and...perception. Persia fell under foreign occupation several times. The fall of the Persian Achaemenian dynasty to Alexander the Great in (330 B.C.) is

Recent population trends of mountain goats in the Olympic Mountains, Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jenkins, Kurt J.; Happe, Patricia J.; Beirne, Katherine F.; Hoffman, Roger A.; Griffin, Paul C.; Baccus, William T.; Fieberg, John

2012-01-01

Mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) were introduced in Washington's Olympic Mountains during the 1920s. The population subsequently increased in numbers and expanded in range, leading to concerns by the 1970s over the potential effects of non-native mountain goats on high-elevation plant communities in Olympic National Park. The National Park Service (NPS) transplanted mountain goats from the Olympic Mountains to other ranges between 1981 and 1989 as a means to manage overabundant populations, and began monitoring population trends of mountain goats in 1983. We estimated population abundance of mountain goats during 18–25 July 2011, the sixth survey of the time series, to assess current population status and responses of the population to past management. We surveyed 39 sample units, comprising 39% of the 59,615-ha survey area. We estimated a population of 344 ± 72 (90% confidence interval [CI]) mountain goats in the survey area. Retrospective analysis of the 2004 survey, accounting for differences in survey area boundaries and methods of estimating aerial detection biases, indicated that the population increased at an average annual rate of 4.9% since the last survey. That is the first population growth observed since the cessation of population control measures in 1990. We postulate that differences in population trends observed in western, eastern, and southern sections of the survey zone reflected, in part, a variable influence of climate change across the precipitation gradient in the Olympic Mountains.

Prevalence of Preeclampsia and Eclampsia in Iran.

PubMed

Kharaghani, Roghieh; Cheraghi, Zahra; Okhovat Esfahani, Batool; Mohammadian, Zahra; Nooreldinc, Reyhaneh Sadat

2016-01-01

Several studies have been conducted to investigate the prevalence of preeclampsia and eclampsia in Iran. These studies have yielded different results. This meta-analysis was aimed to estimate the prevalence of preeclampsia and eclampsia in Iran. International and national electronic databases were searched up to August 2014 including PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Science Information Database, MagIran, and IranMedex as well as conference databases. All studies, in which the prevalence or cumulative incidence of preeclampsia in Iran was reported, were included in this meta-analysis. Thirty-six separate studies were assessed involving overall 132,737 participants, of which 4360 had preeclampsia and 49 had eclampsia. Overall prevalence of preeclampsia and eclampsia was 0.05 (95% CI: 0.05, 0.06) and 0.23% (95% CI: 0.12%, 0.33%) respectively. The prevalence of preeclampsia, increased from 0.04 (95% CI: 0.03, 0.05) during 1996 to 2005 to 0.07 (95% CI: 0.04, 0.09) during 2010 to 2013, while the prevalence of eclampsia decreased from 0.30% (95% CI: 0.15%, 0.45%) to 0.01% (95% CI: 0.01%, 0.01%), during the same period. The preeclampsia prevalence had an increasing growth and the eclampsia prevalence had declining growth in recent years. In addition, despite many studies aimed the prevalence of preeclampsia and eclampsia in Iran, there is a significant variation between the results. So, it is difficult to give an exact estimation of the preeclampsia and eclampsia prevalence in Iran.

Spatial Analysis of Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever in Iran

PubMed Central

Mostafavi, Ehsan; Haghdoost, AliAkbar; Khakifirouz, Sahar; Chinikar, Sadegh

2013-01-01

Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a viral zoonotic disease. During 1999–2011, 871 human cases of CCHF were diagnosed in Iran. A history of serologic conversion for CCHF virus was seen in 58.7% of 2,447 sheep samples, 25.0% of 1,091 cattle samples and 24.8% of 987 goat samples from different parts of Iran. Spatial analysis showed that the main foci of this disease in humans during these years were in eastern Iran (P < 0.01) and the second most common foci were in northeastern and central Iran. Two livestock foci were detected in the northeastern northwestern Iran. On the basis of the results of this study, infection likely entered Iran from eastern and western neighboring countries. PMID:24166038

Advances in global mountain geomorphology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slaymaker, Olav; Embleton-Hamann, Christine

2018-05-01

Three themes in global mountain geomorphology have been defined and reinforced over the past decade: (a) new ways of measuring, sensing, and analyzing mountain morphology; (b) a new emphasis on disconnectivity in mountain geomorphology; and (c) the emergence of concerns about the increasing influence of anthropogenic disturbance of the mountain geomorphic environment, especially in intertropical mountains where population densities are higher than in any other mountain region. Anthropogenically induced hydroclimate change increases geomorphic hazards and risks but also provides new opportunities for mountain landscape enhancement. Each theme is considered with respect to the distinctiveness of mountain geomorphology and in relation to important advances in research over the past decade. The traditional reliance on the high energy condition to define mountain geomorphology seems less important than the presence of unique mountain landforms and landscapes and the distinctive ways in which human activity and anthropogenically induced hydroclimate change are transforming mountain landscapes.

48 CFR 25.703-2 - Iran Sanctions Act.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Iran Sanctions Act. 25.703... SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRAMS FOREIGN ACQUISITION Prohibited Sources 25.703-2 Iran Sanctions Act. (a) Certification. (1) As required by the Iran Sanctions Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 note), unless an exception applies in...

Plague in Iran: its history and current status.

PubMed

Hashemi Shahraki, Abdolrazagh; Carniel, Elizabeth; Mostafavi, Ehsan

2016-01-01

Plague remains a public health concern worldwide, particularly in old foci. Multiple epidemics of this disease have been recorded throughout the history of Iran. Despite the long-standing history of human plague in Iran, it remains difficult to obtain an accurate overview of the history and current status of plague in Iran. In this review, available data and reports on cases and outbreaks of human plague in the past and present in Iran and in neighboring countries were collected, and information was compiled regarding when, where, and how many cases occurred. This paper considers the history of plague in Persia (the predecessor of today's Iran) and has a brief review of plague in countries in the World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Region, including a range of countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Since Iran has experienced outbreaks of plague for several centuries, neighboring countries have reported the disease in recent years, the disease can be silent for decades, and the circulation of Yersinia pestis has been reported among rodents and dogs in western Iran, more attention should be paid to disease monitoring in areas with previously reported human cases and in high-risk regions with previous epizootic and enzootic activity.

Plague in Iran: its history and current status

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

OBJECTIVES: Plague remains a public health concern worldwide, particularly in old foci. Multiple epidemics of this disease have been recorded throughout the history of Iran. Despite the long-standing history of human plague in Iran, it remains difficult to obtain an accurate overview of the history and current status of plague in Iran. METHODS: In this review, available data and reports on cases and outbreaks of human plague in the past and present in Iran and in neighboring countries were collected, and information was compiled regarding when, where, and how many cases occurred. RESULTS: This paper considers the history of plague in Persia (the predecessor of today’s Iran) and has a brief review of plague in countries in the World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Region, including a range of countries in the Middle East and North Africa. CONCLUSIONS: Since Iran has experienced outbreaks of plague for several centuries, neighboring countries have reported the disease in recent years, the disease can be silent for decades, and the circulation of Yersinia pestis has been reported among rodents and dogs in western Iran, more attention should be paid to disease monitoring in areas with previously reported human cases and in high-risk regions with previous epizootic and enzootic activity. PMID:27457063

Geomorphologic Analysis of Drainage Basins in Damavand Volcano Cone, Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zareinejad, M.

2011-12-01

Damavand volcanic cone is located in the center of the Alborz chain, in the southern Caspian Sea in Iran. Damavand is a dormant volcano in Iran. It is not only the country's highest peak but also the highest mountain on the Middle East; its elevation is 5619 m. The main purpose of this paper is recognition and appraisement of drainage basins in Damavand cone from geomorphic point of view. Water causes erosion in nature in different forms and creates diverse forms on the earth surface depending on the manner of its appearance in nature. Although water is itself a former factor, it flows under morphological effect of earth surface. The difference of earth surface topography and as a result water movement on it, cause the formation of sub-basins. Identification of region drainage basins is considered as one of the requirements for Damavand cone morphometric. Thereupon, five drainage basins were identified in this research by relying on main criteria including topographic contours with 10 m intervals, drainage system, DEM map, slope map, aspect map and satellite images. (Fig 1) Area, perimeter, height classification for classifying morphological landforms in different levels, hypsometric calculations, drainage density, etc. were then calculated by using ArcGIS software. (Table 1) Damavand cone, with a height more than 5,000 meters from the sea surface, has very hard pass slopes and our purpose in this paper is to identify the effect of drainage basins conditions in the region on erosion and the formation of morphological landforms by using SPOT, ASTER, satellite images as well as papering of data in GIS environment.

Factors Associated With Suicidal Attempts in Iran: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Hakim Shooshtari, Mitra; Malakouti, Seyyed Kazem; Panaghi, Leili; Mohseni, Shohreh; Mansouri, Naghmeh; Rahimi Movaghar, Afarin

2016-03-01

Suicide prevention is a health service priority. Some surveys have assessed suicidal behaviors and potential risk factors. The current paper aimed to gather information about etiology of suicide attempts in Iran. Pubmed, ISI web of science, PsychInfo, IranPsych, IranMedex, IranDoc as well as gray literature were searched. By electronic and gray literature search, 128 articles were enrolled in this paper. Pubmed, ISI web of science, PsychInfo, IranPsych, IranMedex, IranDoc were searched for electronic search. After reading the abstracts, 84 studies were excluded and full texts of 44 articles were reviewed critically. Pubmed, ISI web of science, PsychInfo, IranPsych, IranMedex, IranDoc as well as gray literature were searched to find any study about etiologic factors of suicide attempt in Iran. Depressive disorder was the most common diagnosis in suicide attempters that is 45% of the evaluated cases had depression. One study that had used Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory (MMPI) found that Histrionics in females and Schizophrenia and Paranoia in males were significantly influential. Family conflicts with 50.7% and conflict with parents with 44% were two effective psychosocial factors in suicidal attempts. In around one fourth (28.7%) of the cases, conflict with spouse was the main etiologic factor. According to the methodological limitations, outcomes should be generalized cautiously. Further studies will help to plan preventive strategies for suicidal attempts; therefore, continued researches should be conducted to fill the data gaps.

Iran Sanctions

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-14

Industries Organization (AIO) (Iran); Korea Mining and Development Corp. ( N . Korea). October 21, 2007 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC...Tankers (Singapore); Siqiriya Maritime (Philippines); Ferland Company Limited (previously designated under other E.O.); Vitaly Sokolenko (general

Molecular Epidemiology of Human Intestinal Amoebas in Iran

PubMed Central

Hooshyar, H; Rostamkhani, P; Rezaian, M

2012-01-01

Many microscopic-based epidemiological surveys on the prevalence of human intestinal pathogenic and non-pathogenic protozoa including intestinal amoeba performed in Iran show a high prevalence of human intestinal amoeba in different parts of Iran. Such epidemiological studies on amoebiasis are confusing, mainly due to recently appreciated distinction between the Entamoeba histolytica, E. dispar and E. moshkovskii. Differential diagnosis can be done by some methods such as PCR-based methods, monoclonal antibodies and the analysis of isoenzyme typing, however the molecular study of these protozoa in Iran is low. Based on molecular studies, it seems that E. dispar is predominant species especially in the central and northern areas of Iran and amoebiasis due to E. histolytica is a rare infection in the country. It is suggested that infection with E. moshkovskii may be common among Iranians. Considering the importance of molecular epidemiology of amoeba in Iran and also the current data, the present study reviews the data currently available on the molecular distribution of intestinal human amoeba in Iran. PMID:23193500

Epidemiology of hepatitis C virus in Iran.

PubMed

Taherkhani, Reza; Farshadpour, Fatemeh

2015-10-14

In Iran, the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is relatively low according to the population-based epidemiological studies. However, the epidemiology of HCV is changing and the rate of HCV infection is increasing due to the growth in the number of injecting drug users in the society. In addition, a shift has occurred in the distribution pattern of HCV genotypes among HCV-infected patients in Iran. Genotype 1a is the most prevalent genotype in Iran, but in recent years, an increase in the frequency of 3a and a decrease in 1a and 1b have been reported. These variations in the epidemiology of HCV reflect differences in the routes of transmission, status of public health, lifestyles, and risk factors in different groups and geographic regions of Iran. Health policy makers should consider these differences to establish better strategies for control and prevention of HCV infection. Therefore, this review was conducted to present a clear view regarding the current epidemiology of HCV infection in Iran.

Epidemiology of hepatitis C virus in Iran

PubMed Central

Taherkhani, Reza; Farshadpour, Fatemeh

2015-01-01

In Iran, the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is relatively low according to the population-based epidemiological studies. However, the epidemiology of HCV is changing and the rate of HCV infection is increasing due to the growth in the number of injecting drug users in the society. In addition, a shift has occurred in the distribution pattern of HCV genotypes among HCV-infected patients in Iran. Genotype 1a is the most prevalent genotype in Iran, but in recent years, an increase in the frequency of 3a and a decrease in 1a and 1b have been reported. These variations in the epidemiology of HCV reflect differences in the routes of transmission, status of public health, lifestyles, and risk factors in different groups and geographic regions of Iran. Health policy makers should consider these differences to establish better strategies for control and prevention of HCV infection. Therefore, this review was conducted to present a clear view regarding the current epidemiology of HCV infection in Iran. PMID:26478671

Factors Associated With Suicidal Attempts in Iran: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Hakim Shooshtari, Mitra; Malakouti, Seyyed Kazem; Panaghi, Leili; Mohseni, Shohreh; Mansouri, Naghmeh; Rahimi Movaghar, Afarin

2016-01-01

Context: Suicide prevention is a health service priority. Some surveys have assessed suicidal behaviors and potential risk factors. Objectives: The current paper aimed to gather information about etiology of suicide attempts in Iran. Data Sources: Pubmed, ISI web of science, PsychInfo, IranPsych, IranMedex, IranDoc as well as gray literature were searched. Study Selection: By electronic and gray literature search, 128 articles were enrolled in this paper. Pubmed, ISI web of science, PsychInfo, IranPsych, IranMedex, IranDoc were searched for electronic search. After reading the abstracts, 84 studies were excluded and full texts of 44 articles were reviewed critically. Data Extraction: Pubmed, ISI web of science, PsychInfo, IranPsych, IranMedex, IranDoc as well as gray literature were searched to find any study about etiologic factors of suicide attempt in Iran. Results: Depressive disorder was the most common diagnosis in suicide attempters that is 45% of the evaluated cases had depression. One study that had used Minnesota multiphasic personality inventory (MMPI) found that Histrionics in females and Schizophrenia and Paranoia in males were significantly influential. Family conflicts with 50.7% and conflict with parents with 44% were two effective psychosocial factors in suicidal attempts. In around one fourth (28.7%) of the cases, conflict with spouse was the main etiologic factor. Conclusions: According to the methodological limitations, outcomes should be generalized cautiously. Further studies will help to plan preventive strategies for suicidal attempts; therefore, continued researches should be conducted to fill the data gaps. PMID:27284284

Case Study: Iran, Islam, the NPT, and the Bomb

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Saunders, E .

2011-04-01

The goals of this case study are: (1) To examine the correlation between Iran's nuclear program and clerical statements; (2) To evaluate the importance of these statements; (3) To understand the relationship between policy and fatwas (Islamic decrees); (4) To address the issue of a 'nuclear fatwa'; and (5) To examine how, if at all, Sharia (Islamic law) has influenced Iran's actions or inactions with respect to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and Iran's adherence to its IAEA Safeguards Agreements and the Additional Protocol. The Islamic Republic of Iran (hereinafter Iran) is one of twomore » theocracies in the world, the second being Vatican City. Iran's government derives its constitutional, moral, and political legitimacy from Islam. As a result of this theocratic culture, rules are set and interpreted with a much different calibrator than that of the Western world. Islam affects all aspects of Iranian life. This is further complicated by the fact that Islam is not a nationalistic faith, in that many people all over the world believe in and adhere to Islamic principles. As a result, a political system that derives much of its fervor from being nationalistic is caught between two worlds, one within the land boundaries of Iran and the other within a faith that transcends boundaries. Thus, any understanding of Islamic law must first be understood within this delicate balance of nationalism and transcendence. Iran has found itself on the international stage concerning its nuclear program. Because Iran is a theocratic state, it is imperative to examine its political moves, speeches, rights, and obligations through the lens of Islam. This study will examine how Islam plays a role in Iran's dealing with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), its understanding of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), including parties obligations under Safeguards Agreements and the Additional Protocol, and also provide a

Seasonal Abundance and Host-Feeding Patterns of Anopheline Vectors in Malaria Endemic Area of Iran

PubMed Central

Basseri, Hamidreza; Raeisi, Ahmad; Ranjbar Khakha, Mansoor; Pakarai, Abaas; Abdolghafar, Hassanzehi

2010-01-01

Seasonal abundance and tendency to feed on humans are important parameters to measure for effective control of malaria vectors. The objective of this study was to describe relation between feeding pattern, abundance, and resting behavior of four malaria vectors in southern Iran. This study was conducted in ten indicator villages (based on malaria incidence and entomological indices) in mountainous/hilly and plain regions situated south and southeastern Iran. Mosquito vectors were collected from indoor as well as outdoor shelters and the blood meals were examined by ELISA test. Over all 7654 female Anopheles spp. were captured, the most common species were Anopheles stephensi, An. culicifacies, An. fluviatilis, and An. d'thali. The overall human blood index was 37.50%, 19.83%, 16.4%, and 30.1% for An. fluviatilis, An. stephensi, An. culicifacies, and An. d'thali, respectively. In addition, An. fluviatilis fed on human blood during the entire year but the feeding behavior of An. stephensi and An. culicifacies varied according to seasons. Overall, the abundance of the female mosquito positive to human blood was 4.25% per human shelter versus 17.5% per animal shelter. This result indicates that the vectors had tendency to rest in animal shelters after feeding on human. Therefore, vector control measure should be planned based on such as feeding pattern, abundance, and resting behavior of these vectors in the area. PMID:21559055

Quantifying Arabia-Eurasia convergence accommodated in the Greater Caucasus by paleomagnetic reconstruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Boon, A.; van Hinsbergen, D. J. J.; Rezaeian, M.; Gürer, D.; Honarmand, M.; Pastor-Galán, D.; Krijgsman, W.; Langereis, C. G.

2018-01-01

Since the late Eocene, convergence and subsequent collision between Arabia and Eurasia was accommodated both in the overriding Eurasian plate forming the Greater Caucasus orogen and the Iranian plateau, and by subduction and accretion of the Neotethys and Arabian margin forming the East Anatolian plateau and the Zagros. To quantify how much Arabia-Eurasia convergence was accommodated in the Greater Caucasus region, we here provide new paleomagnetic results from 97 volcanic sites (∼500 samples) in the Talysh Mountains of NW Iran, that show ∼15° net clockwise rotation relative to Eurasia since the Eocene. We apply a first-order kinematic restoration of the northward convex orocline that formed to the south of the Greater Caucasus, integrating our new data with previously published constraints on rotations of the Eastern Pontides and Lesser Caucasus. This suggests that north of the Talysh ∼120 km of convergence must have been accommodated. North of the Eastern Pontides and Lesser Caucasus this is significantly more: 200-280 km. Our reconstruction independently confirms previous Caucasus convergence estimates. Moreover, we show for the first time a sharp contrast of convergence between the Lesser Caucasus and the Talysh. This implies that the ancient Paleozoic-Mesozoic transform plate boundary, preserved between the Iranian and East-Anatolian plateaus, was likely reactivated as a right-lateral transform fault since late Eocene time.

31 CFR 535.334 - Act of the Government of Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Act of the Government of Iran. 535.334... Definitions § 535.334 Act of the Government of Iran. For purposes of § 535.216, an act of the Government of Iran, includes any acts ordered, authorized, allowed, approved, or ratified by the Government of Iran...

31 CFR 535.334 - Act of the Government of Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Act of the Government of Iran. 535.334... Definitions § 535.334 Act of the Government of Iran. For purposes of § 535.216, an act of the Government of Iran, includes any acts ordered, authorized, allowed, approved, or ratified by the Government of Iran...

31 CFR 535.334 - Act of the Government of Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Act of the Government of Iran. 535.334... Definitions § 535.334 Act of the Government of Iran. For purposes of § 535.216, an act of the Government of Iran, includes any acts ordered, authorized, allowed, approved, or ratified by the Government of Iran...

31 CFR 535.334 - Act of the Government of Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Act of the Government of Iran. 535... Definitions § 535.334 Act of the Government of Iran. For purposes of § 535.216, an act of the Government of Iran, includes any acts ordered, authorized, allowed, approved, or ratified by the Government of Iran...

31 CFR 535.334 - Act of the Government of Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Act of the Government of Iran. 535.334... Definitions § 535.334 Act of the Government of Iran. For purposes of § 535.216, an act of the Government of Iran, includes any acts ordered, authorized, allowed, approved, or ratified by the Government of Iran...

Iran Sanctions

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-11-16

Iran); Korea Mining and Development Corp. ( N . Korea). October 21, 2007 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC); Ministry of Defense and Armed...Maritime (Philippines); Ferland Company Limited (previously designated under other E.O.); Vitaly Sokolenko (general manager of Ferland) April 29

Mountain goat abundance and population trends in the Olympic Mountains, Washington, 2011

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jenkins, Kurt; Happe, Patricia; Griffin, Paul C.; Beirne, Katherine; Hoffman, Roger; Baccus, William

2011-01-01

We conducted an aerial helicopter survey between July 18 and July 25, 2011, to estimate abundance and trends of introduced mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) in the Olympic Mountains. The survey was the first since we developed a sightability correction model in 2008, which provided the means to estimate the number of mountain goats present in the surveyed areas and not seen during the aerial surveys, and to adjust for undercounting biases. Additionally, the count was the first since recent telemetry studies revealed that the previously defined survey zone, which was delineated at lower elevations by the 1,520-meter elevation contour, did not encompass all lands used by mountain goats during summer. We redefined the lower elevation boundary of survey units before conducting the 2011 surveys in an effort to more accurately estimate the entire mountain goat population. We surveyed 39 survey units, comprising 39 percent of the 59,615-hectare survey area. We estimated a mountain goat population of 344±44 (standard error, SE) in the expanded survey area. Based on this level of estimation uncertainty, the 95-percent confidence interval ranged from 258 to 430 mountain goats at the time of the survey. To permit comparisons of mountain goat populations between the 2004 and 2011 surveys, we recomputed population estimates derived from the 2004 survey using the newly developed bias correction methods, and we computed the 2004 and 2011 surveys based on comparable survey zone definitions (for example, using the boundaries of the 2004 survey). The recomputed estimates of mountain goat populations were 217±19 (SE) in 2004 and 303±41(SE) in 2011. The difference between the current 2011 population estimate (344±44[SE]) and the recomputed 2011 estimate (303±41[SE]) reflects the number of mountain goats counted in the expanded lower elevation portions of the survey zone added in 2011. We conclude that the population of mountain goats has increased in the Olympic Mountains at

31 CFR 560.403 - Transshipment or transit through Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Transshipment or transit through Iran... REGULATIONS Interpretations § 560.403 Transshipment or transit through Iran. The prohibitions in §§ 560.204... transit of goods or technology through Iran to third countries. ...

31 CFR 560.403 - Transshipment or transit through Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance:Treasury 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Transshipment or transit through Iran... REGULATIONS Interpretations § 560.403 Transshipment or transit through Iran. The prohibitions in §§ 560.204... transit of goods or technology through Iran to third countries. ...

Ductile deformation history in Laibid metamorphic rocks, Sanandaj-Sirjan Zone, Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aflaki, Mahtab; Mohajjel, Mohammad

2010-05-01

Sanandaj-Sirjan zone, in northeast of Zagros suture zone, is the metamorphic belt of the Zagros orogen which is metamorphosed during Late Mesozoic, as the active margin of the Neotethys subduction system. Since Late Cretaceous, oblique collision between Afro-Arabian continent and Central Iran micro continent resulted in dextral transpression and Poly-phase deformations of this zone. Laibid area, northwest of Esfahan province, is situated in complexly deformed sub zone of the Sanandaj-Sirjan zone in which structurally exposed Permian metamorphosed rocks are separated from the younger Triassic-Jurassic metamorphic rocks by faulted boundaries. Cretaceous unites do not exist in the study area, but in southern most parts un-metamorphosed Early Cretaceous rocks rest on Jurassic metamorphic units over an angular unconformity. Field observations reveal the existence of 3 folding patterns, folded dikes, semi-ductile to ductile shear zones and also sin-tectonic granite intrusion. Hassan-Robat Alkali-porphyritic-granite is exposed in the eastern part of the area with the possible ages between post-Early Cretaceous to pre-Eocene. In this research, the focus is on ductile structures and their deformation history in the Laibid area. Structural analysis of the folds reveals three deformation stages of a progressive deformation in this area. These folding patterns observed in all pre-Cretaceous metamorphosed unites, but not in Cretaceous rocks. The first stage includes tight to isoclinal folds, S0 || S1, with the aspect ratio changes respectively from tall and short. Although their axial plane and fold axis orientations change due to other two folding stages, but they mostly have moderately dipping to the NE axial plane and moderately plunging fold axis to NW or SE. In the eastern part of the area the trend of F1 foliation changes around the Hassan-Robat granite. The second folding stage includes open to close asymmetric folds which have broad aspect ratio. This folding stage

Seismic Waveform Tomography of the Iranian Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maggi, A.; Priestley, K.; Jackson, J.

2001-05-01

Surprisingly little is known about the detailed velocity structure of Iran, despite the region's importance in the tectonics of the Middle East. Previous studies have concentrated mainly on fundamental mode surface wave dispersion measurements along isolated paths (e.g.~Asudeh, 1982; Cong & Mitchell, 1998; Ritzwoller et.~al, 1998), and the propagation characteristics of crust and upper mantle body waves (e.g. Hearn & Ni 1994; Rodgers et.~al 1997). We use the partitioned waveform inversion method of Nolet (1990) on several hundred regional waveforms crossing the Iranian region to produce a 3-D seismic velocity map for the crust and upper mantle of the area. The method consists of using long period seismograms from earthquakes with well determined focal mechanisms and depths to constrain 1-D path-averaged shear wave models along regional paths. The constraints imposed on the 1-D models by the seismograms are then combined with independent constraints from other methods (e.g.~Moho depths from reciever function analysis etc.), to solve for the 3-D seismic velocity structure of the region. A dense coverage of fundamental mode rayleigh waves at a period of 100~s ensures good resolution of lithospheric scale structure. We also use 20~s period fundamental mode rayleigh waves and some Pnl wavetrains to make estimates of crustal thickness variations and average crustal velocities. A few deeper events give us some coverage of higher mode rayleigh waves and mantle S waves, which sample to the base of the upper mantle. Our crustal thickness estimates range from 45~km in the southern Zagros mountains, to 40~km in central Iran and 35~km towards the north of the region. We also find inconsistencies between the 1-D models required to fit the vertical and the tranverse seismograms, indicating the presence of anisotropy.

Ancient Migratory Events in the Middle East: New Clues from the Y-Chromosome Variation of Modern Iranians

PubMed Central

Grugni, Viola; Battaglia, Vincenza; Hooshiar Kashani, Baharak; Parolo, Silvia; Al-Zahery, Nadia; Achilli, Alessandro; Olivieri, Anna; Gandini, Francesca; Houshmand, Massoud; Sanati, Mohammad Hossein; Torroni, Antonio; Semino, Ornella

2012-01-01

Knowledge of high resolution Y-chromosome haplogroup diversification within Iran provides important geographic context regarding the spread and compartmentalization of male lineages in the Middle East and southwestern Asia. At present, the Iranian population is characterized by an extraordinary mix of different ethnic groups speaking a variety of Indo-Iranian, Semitic and Turkic languages. Despite these features, only few studies have investigated the multiethnic components of the Iranian gene pool. In this survey 938 Iranian male DNAs belonging to 15 ethnic groups from 14 Iranian provinces were analyzed for 84 Y-chromosome biallelic markers and 10 STRs. The results show an autochthonous but non-homogeneous ancient background mainly composed by J2a sub-clades with different external contributions. The phylogeography of the main haplogroups allowed identifying post-glacial and Neolithic expansions toward western Eurasia but also recent movements towards the Iranian region from western Eurasia (R1b-L23), Central Asia (Q-M25), Asia Minor (J2a-M92) and southern Mesopotamia (J1-Page08). In spite of the presence of important geographic barriers (Zagros and Alborz mountain ranges, and the Dasht-e Kavir and Dash-e Lut deserts) which may have limited gene flow, AMOVA analysis revealed that language, in addition to geography, has played an important role in shaping the nowadays Iranian gene pool. Overall, this study provides a portrait of the Y-chromosomal variation in Iran, useful for depicting a more comprehensive history of the peoples of this area as well as for reconstructing ancient migration routes. In addition, our results evidence the important role of the Iranian plateau as source and recipient of gene flow between culturally and genetically distinct populations. PMID:22815981

Iran and the Big Powers, 1900-1953.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-04-26

projects- all in return for a modest royalty and initial fee . The threat from both Britain and Russia forced Iran to develop a foreign policy for its...ignored Russian interests in keeping Iran under political and economic bondage through bank loans and trade with Iran. By posing a direct threat to...34.-".-",."..".. . . - . . .. .., ,--.".... 14 Russia 28,972,124 rubles in long-term debt and 3,223,810 in short-term debts . This was against a mere 2,000,000 ruble

Iran’s Economic Conditions: U.S. Policy Issues

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-15

Iran is a major world provider source of caviar and pistachio nuts, a significant non-oil export for Iran. The country’s climate and... pistachios ). There is evidence that Iran is able to obtain embargoed U.S. goods through the re- export trade, mainly through Dubai.120 In general

28 CFR 601.1 - Jurisdiction of the Independent Counsel: Iran/Contra.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...: Iran/Contra. 601.1 Section 601.1 Judicial Administration OFFICES OF INDEPENDENT COUNSEL, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE JURISDICTION OF THE INDEPENDENT COUNSEL: IRAN/CONTRA § 601.1 Jurisdiction of the Independent Counsel: Iran/Contra. (a) The Independent Counsel. Iran/Contra has jurisdiction to investigate to the...

28 CFR 601.1 - Jurisdiction of the Independent Counsel: Iran/Contra.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...: Iran/Contra. 601.1 Section 601.1 Judicial Administration OFFICES OF INDEPENDENT COUNSEL, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE JURISDICTION OF THE INDEPENDENT COUNSEL: IRAN/CONTRA § 601.1 Jurisdiction of the Independent Counsel: Iran/Contra. (a) The Independent Counsel. Iran/Contra has jurisdiction to investigate to the...

28 CFR 601.1 - Jurisdiction of the Independent Counsel: Iran/Contra.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...: Iran/Contra. 601.1 Section 601.1 Judicial Administration OFFICES OF INDEPENDENT COUNSEL, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE JURISDICTION OF THE INDEPENDENT COUNSEL: IRAN/CONTRA § 601.1 Jurisdiction of the Independent Counsel: Iran/Contra. (a) The Independent Counsel. Iran/Contra has jurisdiction to investigate to the...

28 CFR 601.1 - Jurisdiction of the Independent Counsel: Iran/Contra.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

...: Iran/Contra. 601.1 Section 601.1 Judicial Administration OFFICES OF INDEPENDENT COUNSEL, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE JURISDICTION OF THE INDEPENDENT COUNSEL: IRAN/CONTRA § 601.1 Jurisdiction of the Independent Counsel: Iran/Contra. (a) The Independent Counsel. Iran/Contra has jurisdiction to investigate to the...

28 CFR 601.1 - Jurisdiction of the Independent Counsel: Iran/Contra.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...: Iran/Contra. 601.1 Section 601.1 Judicial Administration OFFICES OF INDEPENDENT COUNSEL, DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE JURISDICTION OF THE INDEPENDENT COUNSEL: IRAN/CONTRA § 601.1 Jurisdiction of the Independent Counsel: Iran/Contra. (a) The Independent Counsel. Iran/Contra has jurisdiction to investigate to the...

Genetic Epidemiology, Hematological and Clinical Features of Hemoglobinopathies in Iran

PubMed Central

Rahimi, Zohreh

2013-01-01

There is large variation in the molecular genetics and clinical features of hemoglobinopathies in Iran. Studying structural variants of hemoglobin demonstrated that the β-chain variants of hemoglobin S and D-Punjab are more prevalent in the Fars (southwestern Iran) and Kermanshah (western Iran) provinces, respectively. Also, α-chain variants of Hb Q-Iran and Hb Setif are prevalent in western Iran. The molecular basis and clinical severity of thalassemias are extremely heterogenous among Iranians due to the presence of multiethnic groups in the country. β-Thalassemia is more prevalent in northern and southern Iran. Among 52 different β-thalassemia mutations that have been identified among Iranian populations, IVSII-1 G:A is the most frequent mutation in most parts of the country. The presence of IVS I-5 G:C mutation with high frequency in southeastern Iran might reflect gene flow from neighboring countries. A wide spectrum of α-thalassemia alleles has been detected among Iranians with −α 3.7 kb as the most prevalent α-thalassemia mutation. The prevention program of thalassemia birth in Iran has reduced the birth rate of homozygous β-thalassemia since the implementation of the program in 1997. In this review genetic epidemiology, clinical and hematological aspects of hemoglobinopathies, and the prevention programs of β-thalassemia in Iran will be discussed. PMID:23853772

Modernization and Consanguineous Marriage in Iran.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Givens, Benjamin P.; Hirschman, Charles

1994-01-01

Used data on 4,667 women from the Iran Fertility Survey to examine trends and social correlates of consanguineous marriage. Found modest increase in proportion of marriages between cousins in Iran from 1940s to 1970s. Results suggest that modernization may be eroding social bases on consanguinity, whereas increased availability of cousins may lead…

Iran: Politics, Gulf Security, and U.S. Policy

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-30

to produce the added benefit of improving U.S.-Iran relations. However, since the deal was finalized, Iran, Iran has tested ballistic missiles and...political and social freedoms and reducing Iran’s international isolation, continues to back state intervention in the economy to benefit workers and lower...is able to generate profits from its business affiliates, which enjoy vast tax and regulatory benefits , and can spend significant amounts of

Snowpack Variation and Hydrologic Impacts across the Middle East and North Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robinson, D. A.; Ward, M. N.

2017-12-01

The Middle East is a region historically sensitive to climate variability and change, and contains snowpacks that have been shown to be important inputs to key regional water resources, including the Tigris-Euphrates river system. Focusing on the Middle East (and the smaller snowpacks of northwestern Africa), this presentation aims to (i) quantify each year's snowpack development and recession over recent decades, highlighting interannual to decadal variability, and (ii) advance understanding on the connection between the snowpack variations and aspects of regional hydrology. The presentation draws on satellite-based products, station data, and model reanalyses. Variation is summarized using space-time statistical techniques, as well as simpler regional indices: Northwestern Iran / Southern Caucasus (NWIC, includes Zagros Mountains); Eastern Turkey (ETKY, includes Taurus Mountains); and smaller scale indices for Lebanon and the Atlas Mountains. The Interactive Multisensor Snow and Ice Mapping System archives daily snow cover extent at 24 km resolution for 1999-present (primarily from visible satellite imagery). These data show that for both NWIC and ETKY, the mean snow extent peaks in late January with substantial coverage ( 300,000 km2 in each region), contracting to near zero by late June. A very large mid-winter interannual variance is also shown, implying substantial variation in hydrologic impacts during spring melt. Variability and decadal trends are compared with station snow depth reports (Global Historical Climatology Network - Daily). Strong agreement gives confidence in data quality, as well as, indicating high covariation of depth and extent. The connection with hydrologic impacts is investigated using reanalysis products, including the Global Land Data Assimilation System V2, which for the Middle East, shows broad agreement with observed maximum snow extent and spring retreat. The connections internal to the reanalysis between snow cover, melt and

Annual Copper Mountain Conferences on Multigrid and Iterative Methods, Copper Mountain, Colorado

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McCormick, Stephen F.

This project supported the Copper Mountain Conference on Multigrid and Iterative Methods, held from 2007 to 2015, at Copper Mountain, Colorado. The subject of the Copper Mountain Conference Series alternated between Multigrid Methods in odd-numbered years and Iterative Methods in even-numbered years. Begun in 1983, the Series represents an important forum for the exchange of ideas in these two closely related fields. This report describes the Copper Mountain Conference on Multigrid and Iterative Methods, 2007-2015. Information on the conference series is available at http://grandmaster.colorado.edu/~copper/.

Gastroesophageal reflux disease burden in Iran.

PubMed

Delavari, Alireza; Moradi, Ghobad; Elahi, Elham; Moradi-Lakeh, Maziar

2015-02-01

Gastroesophageal reflux disease is one of the most common disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. The prevalence of this disease ranges from 5% to 20% in Asia, Europe, and North America. The aim of this study was to estimate the burden of gastroesophageal reflux disease in Iran. Burden of gastroesophageal reflux disease in Iran was estimated for one year from 21 March 2006 to 20 March 2007. The definition was adjusted with ICD-code of K21. Incident-based disability-adjusted life year (DALY) was used as the unit of analysis to quantify disease burden. A simplified disease model and DisMod II software were used for modeling. The annual incidence for total population of males and females in Iran was estimated 17.72 and 28.06 per 1000, respectively. The average duration of gastroesophageal reflux disease as a chronic condition was estimated around 10 years in both sexes. Total DALYs for an average of 59 symptomatic days per year was estimated 153,554.3 (60,330.8 for males and 93,223.5 for females).   The results of this study showed that reflux imposes high burden and high financial costs on the Iranian population. The burden of this disease in Iran is more similar to that of European countries rather than Asian countries. It is recommended to consider the disease as a public health problem and make decisions and public health plans to reduce the burden and financial costs of the disease in Iran.

Lesson 1: Mountains Matter.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Byers, Alton; Gilligan, Nancy; Golston, Syd; Linville, Rex

1999-01-01

Provides a lesson that enables students to explain the global importance of mountains by applying the five themes of geography (location, place, relationships within places, movement, and regions) to a particular mountain range. Explains that students work in teams to prepare a brochure about their mountain range. (CMK)

Evaluation of TIGGE Ensemble Forecasts of Precipitation in Distinct Climate Regions in Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aminyavari, Saleh; Saghafian, Bahram; Delavar, Majid

2018-04-01

The application of numerical weather prediction (NWP) products is increasing dramatically. Existing reports indicate that ensemble predictions have better skill than deterministic forecasts. In this study, numerical ensemble precipitation forecasts in the TIGGE database were evaluated using deterministic, dichotomous (yes/no), and probabilistic techniques over Iran for the period 2008-16. Thirteen rain gauges spread over eight homogeneous precipitation regimes were selected for evaluation. The Inverse Distance Weighting and Kriging methods were adopted for interpolation of the prediction values, downscaled to the stations at lead times of one to three days. To enhance the forecast quality, NWP values were post-processed via Bayesian Model Averaging. The results showed that ECMWF had better scores than other products. However, products of all centers underestimated precipitation in high precipitation regions while overestimating precipitation in other regions. This points to a systematic bias in forecasts and demands application of bias correction techniques. Based on dichotomous evaluation, NCEP did better at most stations, although all centers overpredicted the number of precipitation events. Compared to those of ECMWF and NCEP, UKMO yielded higher scores in mountainous regions, but performed poorly at other selected stations. Furthermore, the evaluations showed that all centers had better skill in wet than in dry seasons. The quality of post-processed predictions was better than those of the raw predictions. In conclusion, the accuracy of the NWP predictions made by the selected centers could be classified as medium over Iran, while post-processing of predictions is recommended to improve the quality.

31 CFR 560.551 - Student loan payments from persons in Iran authorized.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Iran authorized. 560.551 Section 560.551 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and... payments from persons in Iran authorized. United States depository institutions and private loan companies... payments from persons in Iran or ordinarily resident in Iran. ...

31 CFR 560.551 - Student loan payments from persons in Iran authorized.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Iran authorized. 560.551 Section 560.551 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and... payments from persons in Iran authorized. United States depository institutions and private loan companies... payments from persons in Iran or ordinarily resident in Iran. ...

Energy portfolio of Iran: A case study of solar desalination

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Besharati, Adib

Energy plays a very important role in the economic development of a country such as Iran where industrial progress and higher living standards increase demand for energy. Iran is one of the countries in the world that simultaneously produces and consumes large amounts of energy. Because of its geographic latitude and weather conditions, Iran has the potential to develop and use of both fossil and renewable energy sources. In South Iran, there are huge oil and gas resources, and at the same time high potential of solar radiation. However, at the present large-scale utilization, solar energy is prohibitively expensive for Iran. Therefore, this study investigates an economical way to utilize solar energy in a meaningful way for Iran. One of the possible uses of solar energy that is both economical and technically feasible is desalination of water using solar energy. People in South Iran live in different areas with relatively low population density. One of the critical problems in those areas is a lack of clean drinking water. As a result, there is an urgent need to investigate ways to produce clean water from the saltwater. Therefore, the present study conducts a case study of solar desalination in south Iran using solar. Different desalination methods, such as humidification dehumidification by using a solar collector, and reverse osmosis, are discussed. In the case study, a prototype desalination plant was considered and both technical and economic aspects of the plant were investigated in details. The results showed higher productivity of drinking water in reverse osmosis method for south Iran.

in Mapping of Gastric Cancer Incidence in Iran

PubMed

Asmarian, Naeimehossadat; Jafari-Koshki, Tohid; Soleimani, Ali; Taghi Ayatollahi, Seyyed Mohammad

2016-10-01

Background: In many countries gastric cancer has the highest incidence among the gastrointestinal cancers and is the second most common cancer in Iran. The aim of this study was to identify and map high risk gastric cancer regions at the county-level in Iran. Methods: In this study we analyzed gastric cancer data for Iran in the years 2003-2010. Areato- area Poisson kriging and Besag, York and Mollie (BYM) spatial models were applied to smoothing the standardized incidence ratios of gastric cancer for the 373 counties surveyed in this study. The two methods were compared in term of accuracy and precision in identifying high risk regions. Result: The highest smoothed standardized incidence rate (SIR) according to area-to-area Poisson kriging was in Meshkinshahr county in Ardabil province in north-western Iran (2.4,SD=0.05), while the highest smoothed standardized incidence rate (SIR) according to the BYM model was in Ardabil, the capital of that province (2.9,SD=0.09). Conclusion: Both methods of mapping, ATA Poisson kriging and BYM, showed the gastric cancer incidence rate to be highest in north and north-west Iran. However, area-to-area Poisson kriging was more precise than the BYM model and required less smoothing. According to the results obtained, preventive measures and treatment programs should be focused on particular counties of Iran. Creative Commons Attribution License

Western Mountain Initiative

Science.gov Websites

Home About WMI People Publications News Media Research Links Western Mountain Initiative The Western Mountain Initiative is a team of USGS, US Forest Service, and university scientists working to

Iran: World Oil Report 1991

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1991-08-01

This paper reports that at the end of its war with Iraq, Iran embarked on an urgent program to restore its productive capacity. This effort has been hindered by lack of hard currency and, hence, technology, parts, equipment, etc. Iran has been trying to improve relations with the U.S, over the past two years. Recently, the embargo on importing Iranian crude into the U.S. was lifted. Over the past year and a half, Iran accumulated enough money to resume imports of U.S. and other foreign drilling equipment. However, drilling has remained at a low level. Also, efforts to boost outputmore » have been slowed by war damage both on and offshore---particularly the latter---and serious BHP declines in major onshore fields that can only be corrected by ultra- high cost gas injection projects. Currently, large injection projects are only operating in three major fields: Gachsaran, Ahwaz and Marun.« less

Social Change and Dissent in Iran

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-05-01

on Opioid Agonist Maintenance Treatment (2002) Tehran, Iran, 25-27 June. UNODCCP (2002) Global illicit drug trends (yearly report). New York...Tabrizi, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Georgia State University: Iran: A Solution Rather Than A Problem : The Politics Of Reform Mr. Afshin Molavi...published numerous articles on the topics of Islam and science, post-modernity and Islamic movements, and globalization and human rights. Dr. Kaveh

Section of Permian deposits and fusulinids in the Halvan Mountains, Yazd province, Central Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leven, E. Ya.; Gorgij, M. N.

2009-04-01

The Permian section situated northwest of Tabas in the Halvan Mountains is studied and fusulinids occurring in the section are described. The Chili, Sartakht, and Hermez formations distinguished in the section are separated by horizons of bauxitic laterite and belong to the Khan Group formerly ranked as a synonymous formation. Fusulinids occur at two levels in the section. The lower one confined to the Chili Formation yields the so-called Kalaktash fusulinid assemblage of the late Sakmarian age. The second late Asselian assemblage has been discovered in pebbles from conglomerate-breccia in the basal laterite of the Sartakht Formation. A brief characterization of fusulinids is presented and three new species are described. The new Benshiella genus is discriminated from the Rugosofusulinidae family. As Skinner and Wilde (1965, 1966) changed the original diagnosis of the Pseudofusulina genus, we suggest, regarding all species, which have been attributed to this genus but do not satisfy the new diagnosis, as representing the new Nonpseudofusulina genus.

Iran’s Balancing Act in Afghanistan

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

of Pishin, near the Pakistan border (“Iran: Dual Attacks in Sistan- Balochistan ,” 2009). The Iranian government accuses the United States, the United...Contract=cms_Contents_I_News&r=362180 “Iran: Dual Attacks in Sistan- Balochistan ,” Stratfor, October 18, 2009. As of January 5, 2011: http

Regional Crustal Velocity Models for Northern Arabian Platform and Turkish-Iranian Plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aleqabi, G.; Wysession, M.; Ghalib, H.

2008-12-01

The geological structure of the Northern Arabian platform and surrounding mountains is dominated by the collision and suturing of the Arabian plate with the Eurasian plate and the formation of the Turkish-Iranian plateau. The structure of the Northern Arabian platform and surrounding region is poorly constrained. A recent deployment of 10 broadband seismometers in northern and central Iraq provides an opportunity to refine velocity models of the region. We have applied the Niching Genetic Algorithm waveform inversion technique to Rayleigh and Love waves traversing the Northern Arabian platform, the Zagros fold belt, the southern Turkish Plateau, the Iranian Plateau. Results show variations in crustal thickness and shear wave velocity between the Northern Arabian platform and the Turkish-Iranian plateau. In general the shear wave velocities are higher in the Northern Arabian platform than in the Plateaus. Variation of shear velocities within each of the provinces reflects the diversity in tectonic environment across the Zagros fold belt and the complex tectonic history of the region. Crustal thickness results show little crustal thickening has occurred due to collision.

Status of Transfusion Medicine Education in Iran.

PubMed

Javadzadeh Shahshahani, Hayedeh

2016-06-01

Optimal use of blood and blood components requires theoretical and practical knowledge in transfusion medicine. While the importance of education in transfusion medicine has long been recognized, a vacancy is widely felt in this regard in Iran. In this study, the current status of transfusion medicine education in Iran is evaluated using a review of studies conducted in this field. To access articles related to transfusion medicine education in Iran, an electronic search was performed in databases, including Magiran, SID, IranMedex, Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Scopus and the related articles were evaluated. Knowledge of transfusion medicine was not optimal in various medical groups and there was no effective theoretical and practical education and training for transfusion medicine in medical universities. Almost all the studies concluded that transfusion medicine curricula should be implemented for both undergraduate and postgraduate students, because of its great importance in clinical practice. Educational program of transfusion medicine is a basic need of medical education for medical students, interns, residents, nursing, and midwifery students in Iran. Considering our status and capacities and by using educational programs in the world, curricula are suggested for different educational levels. Implementation of these training programs plays a vital role in improving patients' safety and also reduces the high costs of treatment with blood products.

Reflections on Foreign Language Education in Iran

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farhady, Hossein; Hezaveh, Fattaneh Sajadi; Hedayati, Hora

2010-01-01

This article reflects upon foreign-language education in Iran. Contrary to its political and historical reputation in the world, Iran has not been well presented regarding its educational system in general and its foreign-language education in particular. Of course, a critical assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the Iranian education…

Human impacts to mountain streams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wohl, Ellen

2006-09-01

Mountain streams are here defined as channel networks within mountainous regions of the world. This definition encompasses tremendous diversity of physical and biological conditions, as well as history of land use. Human effects on mountain streams may result from activities undertaken within the stream channel that directly alter channel geometry, the dynamics of water and sediment movement, contaminants in the stream, or aquatic and riparian communities. Examples include channelization, construction of grade-control structures or check dams, removal of beavers, and placer mining. Human effects can also result from activities within the watershed that indirectly affect streams by altering the movement of water, sediment, and contaminants into the channel. Deforestation, cropping, grazing, land drainage, and urbanization are among the land uses that indirectly alter stream processes. An overview of the relative intensity of human impacts to mountain streams is provided by a table summarizing human effects on each of the major mountainous regions with respect to five categories: flow regulation, biotic integrity, water pollution, channel alteration, and land use. This table indicates that very few mountains have streams not at least moderately affected by land use. The least affected mountainous regions are those at very high or very low latitudes, although our scientific ignorance of conditions in low-latitude mountains in particular means that streams in these mountains might be more altered than is widely recognized. Four case studies from northern Sweden (arctic region), Colorado Front Range (semiarid temperate region), Swiss Alps (humid temperate region), and Papua New Guinea (humid tropics) are also used to explore in detail the history and effects on rivers of human activities in mountainous regions. The overview and case studies indicate that mountain streams must be managed with particular attention to upstream/downstream connections, hillslope

Iran Sanctions

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-04-09

that it is not selling gasoline to Iran); • ZhenHua Oil of China (China’s firms reportedly supply one-third of Iran’s gasoline imports);14 • Petroleos ...Austria) $3.2 billion 20 million tonnes of LNG annually by 2012 South Pars gas field (September 2009) Petroleos de Venezuela S.A.; 10% stake in

Epidemiological Distribution of Rodents as Potent Reservoirs for Infectious Diseases in the Provinces of Mazandaran, Gilan and Golestan, Northern Iran

PubMed Central

Esfandiari, Behzad; Pourshafie, Mohammad Reza; Gouya, Mohammad Mehdi; Khaki, Pejvak; Mostafavi, Ehsan; Darvish, Jamshid; Hanifi, Hamed

2017-01-01

Rodents are mammals that comprise more than 2000 species and approximately 30 families. There are many morphological and ecological differences among them as variations in their shape, size, weight and habitat. In addition to significant economic losses, rodents have a major role in the dissemination of infectious diseases caused by viruses, bacteria, parasites or other micro-organisms. Rodents are important reservoirs of diseases which have been observed in many cities of Iran provinces especially along Caspian Sea border to Alborz Mountain. The aim of this study is to assess the geographical distribution of rodents in three provinces of northern part of Iran as reservoir of potential endemic infectious diseases. Rodents in 10 major parts of each of the three provinces of Mazandaran, Gilan and Golestan, northern Iran were collected and a total of 404 rodents were trapped alive. They were determined by the key characteristics such as gender, genus, species, different locations and topological situation. Statistical analysis was performed to characterize the study sample and to correlate all variables and parameters. The distribution frequencies of three, five and six genera of rodents were identified in Mazandaran, Gilan and Golestan provinces respectively. The overall distribution frequency of eight genera of rodents in the three provinces were identified as Rattus (R.) norvegicus (67.3%), R. rattus (13.6%), Apodemus sylvaticus (13.9%), Arvicola (1%), Mus musculus (0.3%), Nesokia indica (2.5%), Cricetulus migrates (0.7%) and Rhombomys opimus (0.7%). The results of this study determined the geographic distribution of the rodents in the three northern provinces of Iran. It is indicated the association of various distribution and diversity of rodents with provincial location. The overall distribution frequency of eight genera of rodents was recognized in the above three provinces geographical locations. This study confirms epidemiological distribution of various

Iran's Denial of Education to Baha'is

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clarken, Rodney H.

2009-01-01

This paper briefly describes the background of the persecution of the Baha'is in Iran, especially the denial of education, and explores what could be done to alleviate this injustice, including enlisting the support of nations, organizations, media and people around the world. Baha'is are the largest religious minority in Iran and have been…

A Narrative Review of Acute Adult Poisoning in Iran

PubMed Central

Alinejad, Samira; Zamani, Nasim; Abdollahi, Mohammad; Mehrpour, Omid

2017-01-01

Poisoning is a frequent cause of referral to medical emergencies and a major health problem around the world, especially in developing countries. We aimed to review the epidemiology and pattern of adult poisoning in Iran in order to facilitate the early diagnosis and management of poisoning. The pattern of poisoning is different in various parts of Iran. Pharmaceutical compounds were the most common cause of poisoning in most parts of Iran. Pesticide-related toxicities were more common in northern agricultural regions, whereas bites and stings were seen more commonly in southern Iran. Carbon monoxide poisoning was common in cities with many motor vehicles such as Tehran and in colder climates such as in northern and western regions due to inadequately vented gas appliances such as stoves and heaters. Majoon Birjandi (containing cannabis) is a unique substance used in eastern Iran. Poisoning by opioids, tramadol, and pesticides (organophosphate and aluminum phosphide) has remained a common hazard in Iran. Poisoning-associated morbidity and mortality rates vary by region and have changed over time due to the introduction of new drugs and chemicals. Early diagnosis and proper treatment may be lifesaving; thus, understanding the general pattern of poisoning in different regions is important. PMID:28761199

48 CFR 25.703-2 - Iran Sanctions Act.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... integrity (see the Past Performance Information Retrieval System (including the Federal Awardee Performance.... (ii) Knowingly selling, leasing or providing to Iran goods, services, technology, information, or...) Knowingly selling, leasing, or providing to Iran goods, services, technology, information, or support with a...

48 CFR 25.703-2 - Iran Sanctions Act.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... integrity (see the Past Performance Information Retrieval System (including the Federal Awardee Performance.... (ii) Knowingly selling, leasing or providing to Iran goods, services, technology, information, or...) Knowingly selling, leasing, or providing to Iran goods, services, technology, information, or support with a...

Patient rights in Iran: a review article.

PubMed

Joolaee, Soodabeh; Hajibabaee, Fatemeh

2012-01-01

A significant development for conducting research on patient rights has been made in Iran over the past decade. This study is conducted in order to review and analyze the previous studies that have been made, so far, concerning patient rights in Iran. This is a comprehensive review study conducted by searching the Iranian databases, Scientific Information Database, Iranian Research Institute for Information Science and Technology, Iran Medex and Google using the Persian equivalent of keywords for 'awareness', 'attitude', and 'patient rights'. For pertinent Iranian papers published in English, scientific databases PubMed, and Google Scholar were searched using the keyword 'patient rights' and 'Iran'. A total of 41 Persian and five English articles were found for these keywords, only 26 of which fulfilled the objective of our study. The increasing number of papers published indicates that from 1999 onwards, this subject has begun to draw the attention of Iranian researchers in a progressive fashion and Iranian papers in English have also been compiled and published in international sources.

Association of Sub-continental and Asthenosphere related Volcanism in NW Iran,Implication forMantle thermal perturbation induced by slab break off and collision event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jahangiri, A.

2017-12-01

Cenozoic magmatic rocks occur extensively in the north of the Zagros suture zone and constitute a significant component of the continental crust in this segment of the Alpine-Himalayan orogenic belt. They range in age from Eocene to quaternary. Miocene to Plio-Quaternary volcanism with post-collisional related significant is covered vast areas in NW Iran. These volcanic rocks can be divided into three different sub-groups on the basis of their mineralogy, geochemistry and magma sources including: 1. alkaline leucite-bearing mafic rocks, which are characterized with high ratios of K2O/Na2O, high content LILE and low HFS elements like Ti, Nb and Ta. They are display fractionated REE patterns and based on different discrimination diagrams show similarity with subduction related magmas. 2- Olivine basalt to trachy-basaltic samples which shows similarity to within plate basalts with high content of TiO2, Nb, Ta and fractionated REE pattern. However, compared with a global average of OIB, they are display slightly higher LIL elements and lower HFS elements concentrations, features that resemble to the arc magmas and suggest that the source of the magmas may have been contaminated by slab-derived fluids. These rocks have simple mineralogical composition with plagioclase, clinopyroxene and olivine. 3- Dominant dacitic volcanic rocks with adakitic geochemical characteristics such as highly fractionate REE pattern and high Sr/Y ratio. Generation of adakitic magmas can be related to increased temperatures in the subduction zone due to mantle upwelling and slab tearing. Subsequent asthenospheric upwelling could be caused direct melting of sub-continental mantle to produce the alkaline magmas, with high contents of K2O, MgO and volatile rich phase's potassic magmas that led to crystallization of leucite, phlogopite, apatite and olivine in studied samples. Rupture of the continental lithosphere by strike-slip-related transtensional deformation might have caused decompression

Seismic hazard estimation of northern Iran using smoothed seismicity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khoshnevis, Naeem; Taborda, Ricardo; Azizzadeh-Roodpish, Shima; Cramer, Chris H.

2017-07-01

This article presents a seismic hazard assessment for northern Iran, where a smoothed seismicity approach has been used in combination with an updated seismic catalog and a ground motion prediction equation recently found to yield good fit with data. We evaluate the hazard over a geographical area including the seismic zones of Azerbaijan, the Alborz Mountain Range, and Kopeh-Dagh, as well as parts of other neighboring seismic zones that fall within our region of interest. In the chosen approach, seismic events are not assigned to specific faults but assumed to be potential seismogenic sources distributed within regular grid cells. After performing the corresponding magnitude conversions, we decluster both historical and instrumental seismicity catalogs to obtain earthquake rates based on the number of events within each cell, and smooth the results to account for the uncertainty in the spatial distribution of future earthquakes. Seismicity parameters are computed for each seismic zone separately, and for the entire region of interest as a single uniform seismotectonic region. In the analysis, we consider uncertainties in the ground motion prediction equation, the seismicity parameters, and combine the resulting models using a logic tree. The results are presented in terms of expected peak ground acceleration (PGA) maps and hazard curves at selected locations, considering exceedance probabilities of 2 and 10% in 50 years for rock site conditions. According to our results, the highest levels of hazard are observed west of the North Tabriz and east of the North Alborz faults, where expected PGA values are between about 0.5 and 1 g for 10 and 2% probability of exceedance in 50 years, respectively. We analyze our results in light of similar estimates available in the literature and offer our perspective on the differences observed. We find our results to be helpful in understanding seismic hazard for northern Iran, but recognize that additional efforts are necessary to

YUCCA MOUNTAIN SITE DESCRIPTION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

A.M. Simmons

The ''Yucca Mountain Site Description'' summarizes, in a single document, the current state of knowledge and understanding of the natural system at Yucca Mountain. It describes the geology; geochemistry; past, present, and projected future climate; regional hydrologic system; and flow and transport within the unsaturated and saturated zones at the site. In addition, it discusses factors affecting radionuclide transport, the effect of thermal loading on the natural system, and tectonic hazards. The ''Yucca Mountain Site Description'' is broad in nature. It summarizes investigations carried out as part of the Yucca Mountain Project since 1988, but it also includes work donemore » at the site in earlier years, as well as studies performed by others. The document has been prepared under the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management quality assurance program for the Yucca Mountain Project. Yucca Mountain is located in Nye County in southern Nevada. The site lies in the north-central part of the Basin and Range physiographic province, within the northernmost subprovince commonly referred to as the Great Basin. The basin and range physiography reflects the extensional tectonic regime that has affected the region during the middle and late Cenozoic Era. Yucca Mountain was initially selected for characterization, in part, because of its thick unsaturated zone, its arid to semiarid climate, and the existence of a rock type that would support excavation of stable openings. In 1987, the United States Congress directed that Yucca Mountain be the only site characterized to evaluate its suitability for development of a geologic repository for high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel.« less

Iran's Implicit Philosophy of Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bagheri Noaparast, Khosrow

2018-01-01

This paper aims to extract Iran's philosophy of education from two sources of the constitution and the course of practice in educational institutions. Regarding the first source, it is argued that parallel to the two main threads of the constitution, Iran's main elements of philosophy of education are expected to be derived from; (1) Islam and (2)…

3 CFR - Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Iran

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... to Iran Presidential Documents Other Presidential Documents Notice of November 12, 2013 Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Iran On November 14, 1979, by Executive Order 12170, the President declared a national emergency with respect to Iran and, pursuant to the International Emergency...

3 CFR - Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Iran

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... to Iran Presidential Documents Other Presidential Documents Notice of November 7, 2011 Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Iran On November 14, 1979, by Executive Order 12170, the President declared a national emergency with respect to Iran, pursuant to the International Emergency...

3 CFR - Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Iran

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... to Iran Presidential Documents Other Presidential Documents Notice of November 9, 2012 Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Iran On November 14, 1979, by Executive Order 12170, the President declared a national emergency with respect to Iran and, pursuant to the International Emergency...

3 CFR - Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Iran

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... to Iran Presidential Documents Other Presidential Documents Notice of November 10, 2010 Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Iran On November 14, 1979, by Executive Order 12170, the President declared a national emergency with respect to Iran, pursuant to the International Emergency...

Pharmaceutical laws and regulations in Iran: An overview

PubMed Central

Zaboli, Pardis; Hashemi-Meshkini, Amir; Varmaghani, Mehdi; Gholami, Hadi; Vazirian, Iman; Zekri, Hedieh-Sadat; Eslamitabar, Shahriar; Kebriaeezadeh, Abbas

2016-01-01

The pharmaceutical legal framework is a very important infrastructure in achieving predefined goals in pharmaceutical sector: Accessibility, quality, and rational use of medicine. This study aims to review the current pharmaceutical sector-related legal provisions in Iran where the Food and Drug Organization (FDO) is in charge of regulating all issues related to the pharmaceutical sector. The main laws and regulations enacted by parliament and cabinet and even internal regulations enacted by the Ministry of Health or Iran FDO are reviewed. Different laws and regulations are categorized according to the main goals of Iran national drug policy. PMID:27512704

Social Movements in Post-Revolutionary Iran

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-01

Comparative Perspective,” World Politics 38, no. 3 (1986), 383. 21 Ali Gheissari and Vali Nasr, Democracy in Iran: History and the Quest for Liberty...Arshin Adib-Monghaddam, “The Pluralistic Momentum in Iran and the Future of the Reform Movement,” Third World Quarterly 27, no. 4 (2006), 665. 14...et al., Mullahs, Guards, and Bonyad, 23. 64 Riaz Hassan, “Iran’s Islamic Revolutionaries: Before and After the Revolution,” Third World Quarterly 6

The Iran Nuclear Crisis: An Update

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sagan, Scott

2007-05-07

Will Iran develop nuclear weapons capabilities and what effects would such capabilities have on international peace and security? Despite two recent U.N. Security Council resolutions sanctioning Iran for its nuclear activities, the government in Tehran continues to press ahead with efforts to expand its uranium enrichment program to industrial scale. But both the Tehran regime and the Iranian people remain divided on the nuclear question, creating opportunities for a negotiated settlement. It is essential for US security that the Iranian program be contained, for nuclear weapons in Iran would increase risks of regional instability, terrorist use, and further proliferation. Themore » U.S. and its negotiating partners have already missed a number of potential opportunities for a diplomatic breakthrough, but the right mix of incentives designed to address the reasons driving Iran’s nuclear program could still succeed in producing an acceptable outcome.« less

Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-04-18

have relocated to New York. In September 2010, criticized Ahmadinejad for minimizing the effects of growing international sanctions against Iran...Minister Ataollah Mohajerani, and Mohsen Kadivar. Some well known dissidents who remained in Iran and were arrested in 2010 include filmmaker Jafar...rebuild his authority and to parry the effects of international sanctions. Many middle class Iranians have long criticized Ahmadinejad for favoring

3 CFR - Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Iran

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States constituted by the situation in Iran... to Iran Presidential Documents Other Presidential Documents Notice of November 12, 2009 Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Iran On November 14, 1979, by Executive Order 12170, the...

Active faulting, earthquakes, and restraining bend development near Kerman city in southeastern Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, Richard Thomas; Talebian, Morteza; Saiffori, Sohei; Sloan, Robert Alastair; Rasheedi, Ali; MacBean, Natasha; Ghassemi, Abbas

2010-08-01

We provide descriptions of strike-slip and reverse faulting, active within the late Quaternary, in the vicinity of Kerman city in southeastern Iran. The faults accommodate north-south, right-lateral, shear between central Iran and the Dasht-e-Lut depression. The regions that we describe have been subject to numerous earthquakes in the historical and instrumental periods, and many of the faults that are documented in this paper constitute hazards for local populations, including the city of Kerman itself (population ˜200,000). Faults to the north and east of Kerman are associated with the transfer of slip from the Gowk to the Kuh Banan right-lateral faults across a 40 km-wide restraining bend. Faults south and west of the city are associated with oblique slip on the Mahan and Jorjafk systems. The patterns of faulting observed along the Mahan-Jorjafk system, the Gowk-Kuh Banan system, and also the Rafsanjan-Rayen system further to the south, appear to preserve different stages in the development of these oblique-slip fault systems. We suggest that the faulting evolves through time. Topography is initially generated on oblique slip faults (as is seen on the Jorjafk fault). The shortening component then migrates to reverse faults situated away from the high topography whereas strike-slip continues to be accommodated in the high, mountainous, regions (as is seen, for example, on the Rafsanjan fault). The reverse faults may then link together and eventually evolve into new, through-going, strike-slip faults in a process that appears to be occurring, at present, in the bend between the Gowk and Kuh Banan faults.

YUCCA MOUNTAIN PROJECT - A BRIEFING --

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NA

2003-08-05

This report has the following articles: Nuclear waste--a long-term national problem; Spent nuclear fuel; High-level radioactive waste; Radioactivity and the environment; Current storage methods; Disposal options; U.S. policy on nuclear waste; The focus on Yucca Mountain; The purpose and scope of the Yucca Mountain Project; The approach for permanently disposing of waste; The scientific studies at Yucca Mountain; The proposed design for a repository at Yucca Mountain; Natural and engineered barriers would work together to isolate waste; Meticulous science and technology to protect people and the environment; Licensing a repository; Transporting waste to a permanent repository; The Environmental Impact Statementmore » for a repository; Current status of the Yucca Mountain Project; and Further information available on the Internet.« less

Assessing the Factors Associated With Iran's Intra-Industry Trade in Pharmaceuticals.

PubMed

Yusefzadeh, Hassan; Hadian, Mohammad; Abolghasem Gorji, Hassan; Ghaderi, Hossein

2015-03-30

Pharmaceutical industry is a sensitive and profitable industry. If this industry wants to survive, it should be able to compete well in international markets. So, study of Iran's intra-industry trade (IIT) in pharmaceuticals is essential in order to identify competitiveness potential of country and boost export capability in the global arena. This study assessed the factors associated with Iran's intra-industry trade in pharmaceuticals with the rest of the world during the 2001-2012 periods using seasonal time series data at the four-digit SITC level. The data was collected from Iran's pharmaceutical Statistics, World Bank and International Trade Center. Finally, we discussed a number of important policy recommendations to increase Iran's IIT in pharmaceuticals. The findings indicated that economies of scale, market structure and degree of economic development had a significantly positive impact on Iran's intra-industry trade in pharmaceuticals and tariff trade barriers were negatively related to IIT. Product differentiation and technological advancement didn't have the expected signs. In addition, we found that Iran's IIT in pharmaceuticals have shown an increasing trend during the study period. Thus, the composition of Iran trade in pharmaceuticals has changed from inter-industry trade to intra-industry trade. In order to get more prepared for integration into the global economy, the development of Iran's IIT in pharmaceuticals should be given priority. Therefore, paying attention to IIT could have an important role in serving pharmaceutical companies in relation to pharmaceutical trade.

Mountain Weather and Climate, Third Edition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hastenrath, Stefan

2009-05-01

For colleagues with diverse interests in the atmosphere, glaciers, radiation, landforms, water resources, vegetation, human implications, and more, Mountain Weather and Climate can be a valuable source of guidance and literature references. The book is organized into seven chapters: 1, Mountains and their climatological study; 2,Geographical controls of mountain meteorological elements; 3, Circulation systems related to orography; 4, Climatic characteristics of mountains; 5, Regional case studies; 6, Mountain bioclimatology; and 7, Changes in mountain climates. These chapters are supported by l78 diagrams and photographs, 47 tables, and some 2000 literature references. The volume has an appendix of units and energy conversion factors and a subject index, but it lacks an author index.

Iran rebuilds family planning services.

PubMed

Butta, P

1993-07-01

After the revolution, the Islamic Republic of Iran instituted pronatalist policies which included lowering the minimum marriage age for girls to 9 years, abolishing some laws securing women's rights, and limiting availability of family planning (FP) services. By 1983, Iran's population growth rate was 3.9% which was among the highest worldwide. Before the revolution, Iran had 37 million people. About 2 million more people were added each year, resulting in a population size of 60 million by 1992. By the mid-1980s, economic development stood idle, there were not enough houses, children attended schools on 3 shifts, and malnutrition was spreading. In 1989, the government formed a population council and reestablished FP services. It also increased the minimum age of marriage for girls to 13 years, slightly improved women status, and eliminated fertility incentives for couples with at least 4 children. It also significantly increased funding for FP (from 560 million to 13 billion rials between 1990 and 1992). Government spending for FP will likely increase 2% annually until 2011. The government initiated a promotion of FP mass media campaign, emphasizing a 2-child family. Some posters showed a family with 2 girls. The mass media campaign promoted specific contraceptive methods (even tubal occlusion and vasectomy), a practice other Middle Eastern countries not do. 80% of sterilization acceptors claimed to learn about sterilization from the radio or newspapers. The Ministry of Health has invited the Association for Voluntary Surgical Contraception (AVSC) to help with its campaign to update sterilization techniques, including the non scalpel vasectomy technique. AVSC hopes to become even more involved in helping Iran update its national FP program.

Knowledge of healthy lifestyle in Iran: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Ghanei, Mostafa; Ahmady, Khodabakhsh; Babaei, Mansour; Tavana, Ali Mehrabi; Bahadori, Mohammadkarim; Ebadi, Abbas; Poursaid, Syed Masood

2016-01-01

Introduction Lifestyle is a set of goals, plans, values, attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs manifested in the personal and family life of the individual and in her or his social interactions. It is an interdisciplinary concept that involves a health-oriented view of the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual domains of life. Despite their great importance, there is not much knowledge in Iran about healthy lifestyles. The present study is an attempt to address the knowledge of healthy lifestyle in Iran through a review of the literature on the subject. Methods The present systematic review searched Elsevier, SID, Pub Med, Magiran, IranMedex, and Google Scholar databases for relevant articles published between 2000 and 2014. We used various keywords for the searches, including knowledge, lifestyle, health, and Iran. As a result, 62 articles were included in the study. Results There has been a dramatic increase in the publication of articles on lifestyle in Iran over the past 10 years. The results obtained showed that 64% of the articles addressed physical health, 14% addressed psychological health, 10% addressed social health, and 12% addressed spiritual health. Most lifestyle studies conducted in Iran have focused on physical health, and a few have examined the psychological, social, and spiritual aspects of lifestyle. None of the studies has examined the knowledge map of healthy lifestyles in Iran. Conclusion Given the changes in the causes of mortality from infectious and chronic diseases that impose greater medication and treatment costs on the society, and since diseases caused by unhealthy lifestyles have become the leading cause of death, it is essential for health researchers to focus on the root cause of these diseases, i.e., lifestyle and human behaviors. PMID:27123231

The history of organ donation and transplantation in Iran.

PubMed

Ghods, Ahad J

2014-03-01

The first kidney transplant in Iran was performed in 1967, and this was the first organ transplant in countries that are current members of the Middle East Society for Organ Transplantation. In 1988, in response to the long waiting list at the Iranian Ministry of Health for kidney transplant, a state-regulated living-unrelated donor kidney transplant program was adopted. By 1999, the kidney transplant waiting list in Iran was eliminated. In 1989, a fatwa (religious approval) from the Supreme Religious Leader was obtained that recognized brain death and allowed deceased-donor organ transplant. Subsequently, transplant centers began performing deceased-donor kidney, liver, and heart transplants. In 2000, the Brain Death and Organ Transplantation Act was passed by the Iranian parliament, legalizing deceased-donor organ transplant. The transplant team at Shiraz began performing more deceased-donor kidney and liver transplants and became a successful deceased-donor organ transplant model in the country. By the end of 2012, there were 34166 kidney (including 4436 deceased-donor) and 2021 liver (including 1788 deceased-donor), 482 heart, 147 pancreas, 63 lung, and several intestine and multiorgan transplants performed in Iran. In 2011, there were 2771 solid-organ transplants performed in Iran (37 transplants per million population), and Iran ranked as number 33 among the 50 most active countries worldwide. In 2011 and 2012, Iran was ahead of all country members of the Middle East Society for Organ Transplantation in performing deceased-donor kidney and liver transplants.

Iran Sanctions

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-05-04

North Korea Non- Proliferation Act) authorizes sanctions on foreign persons (individuals or corporations , not countries or governments ) that are...intended to reduce the revenue available to Iran’s government and to generate domestic pressure within Iran to adopt policies more acceptable to the...a key Iranian economic vulnerability because Iran’s government revenues are approximately 80% dependent on oil revenues and in need of substantial

Iran Sanctions

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-10-15

clarifying that it is the responsibility of the Treasury Department to implement those ISA sanctions that involve the financial sector , including bans on...international investment in Iran’s energy sector ; the provision of trade credits to Iran; or all financial dealings with Iranian banks. Table 1...various U.N. resolutions. November 21, 2011: Treasury Department names Iranian financial sector as a jurisdiction of primary money laundering

76 FR 24410 - Financial Crimes Enforcement Network; Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-02

... Financial Crimes Enforcement Network; Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of... congressional mandate to prescribe regulations under section 104(e) of the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions... financial institution designated by the U.S. Government in connection with Iran's proliferation of weapons...

Ural Mountains, Russia

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-10-06

This image from NASA Terra spacecraft shows the Ural Mountains, which run 2500 km north-south through western Russia, and form the boundary between Europe and Asia. Since the 17th century, the mountains were exploited for their deposits of iron, copper, gold, coal, oil, mica and gemstones. The Urals are among the world's oldest existing mountain ranges, having been formed about 275 million years ago due to the collision of the Laurussia supercontinent with the continent of Kazakhstania. The image was acquired July 13, 2011, covers an area of 39 by 62 km, and is located near 65.5 degrees north, 59.9 degrees east. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19795

Recreational mountain biking injuries.

PubMed

Aitken, S A; Biant, L C; Court-Brown, Charles M

2011-04-01

Mountain biking is increasing in popularity worldwide. The injury patterns associated with elite level and competitive mountain biking are known. This study analysed the incidence, spectrum and risk factors for injuries sustained during recreational mountain biking. The injury rate was 1.54 injuries per 1000 biker exposures. Men were more commonly injured than women, with those aged 30-39 years at highest risk. The commonest types of injury were wounding, skeletal fracture and musculoskeletal soft tissue injury. Joint dislocations occurred more commonly in older mountain bikers. The limbs were more commonly injured than the axial skeleton. The highest hospital admission rates were observed with head, neck and torso injuries. Protective body armour, clip-in pedals and the use of a full-suspension bicycle may confer a protective effect.

Iran’s Strategic Intentions and Capabilities

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-04-01

success (diverting attention from domestic problems) and its claim of equality to the great powers. - Iran lacks the resources to engage in an extensive...billion, despite renegotiations on a bilateral basis with Japanese, German and French banks. Following several years when its doors were relatively wide...perceived unpopularity of the present system. During the first decade after the 1979 revolution, Islamic Iran’s leaders took great pride in the hundreds

Mountain Pine Beetle

Treesearch

Gene D. Amman; Mark D. McGregor; Robert E. Jr. Dolph

1989-01-01

The mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins, is a member of a group of beetles known as bark beetles: Except when adults emerge and attack new trees, the mountain pine beetle completes its life cycle under the bark. The beetle attacks and kills lodgepole, ponderosa, sugar, and western white pines. Outbreaks frequently develop in lodgepole pine stands that...

Flow directionality, mountain barriers and functional traits determine diatom metacommunity structuring of high mountain streams.

PubMed

Dong, Xiaoyu; Li, Bin; He, Fengzhi; Gu, Yuan; Sun, Meiqin; Zhang, Haomiao; Tan, Lu; Xiao, Wen; Liu, Shuoran; Cai, Qinghua

2016-04-19

Stream metacommunities are structured by a combination of local (environmental filtering) and regional (dispersal) processes. The unique characters of high mountain streams could potentially determine metacommunity structuring, which is currently poorly understood. Aiming at understanding how these characters influenced metacommunity structuring, we explored the relative importance of local environmental conditions and various dispersal processes, including through geographical (overland), topographical (across mountain barriers) and network (along flow direction) pathways in shaping benthic diatom communities. From a trait perspective, diatoms were categorized into high-profile, low-profile and motile guild to examine the roles of functional traits. Our results indicated that both environmental filtering and dispersal processes influenced metacommunity structuring, with dispersal contributing more than environmental processes. Among the three pathways, stream corridors were primary pathway. Deconstructive analysis suggested different responses to environmental and spatial factors for each of three ecological guilds. However, regardless of traits, dispersal among streams was limited by mountain barriers, while dispersal along stream was promoted by rushing flow in high mountain stream. Our results highlighted that directional processes had prevailing effects on metacommunity structuring in high mountain streams. Flow directionality, mountain barriers and ecological guilds contributed to a better understanding of the roles that mountains played in structuring metacommunity.

Synoptic patterns leading to hailstorm in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salahi, Bromand; Nohegar, Ahmad; Behrouzi, Mahmoud; Aalijahan, Mehdi

2018-03-01

The purpose of this study was to extract the synoptic patterns of 500 mb geopotential height and the sea level pressure leading to form hail in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, Iran. To this end, at first, we explored hail occurrence in different areas of the province under investigation. Then, using sea level pressure and 500 mb geopotential height data, the patterns of hail occurrence were investigated through hierarchical clustering and Ward's method. The level of 500 mb patterns resulting in hail formation in the area include: (1) settlement of a cut-off low pressure blocking in Turkey and Iran's position in downstream of trough and injection of humidity coming from the Red Sea; (2) settlement of low ridge in northern Europe and Iran lying in downstream of the trough and injection of humidity of the Mediterranean Sea; (3) settlement of a cut-off low pressure in east of Europe and Iran lying in downstream of the trough; and (4) settlement of a deep trough in the Mediterranean Sea, formation of an omega-shaped blocking in Northern Europe and Iran lying in downstream of the trough. At sea level, the following patterns have caused hail formation in Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province: (1) settlement of low pressure in Iran and Russia accompanying high pressure in Taklimakan Desert and east of Europe; (2) settlement of low pressure in Iran and high pressure in Egypt, northern Europe, and Taklimakan Desert; and (3) settlement of low pressure in Iran, Saudi Arabia and south of Italy and high pressure in Egypt and Siberia.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever

MedlinePlus

... spotted fever on the foot Rocky Mountain spotted fever, petechial rash Antibodies Deer and dog tick References McElligott SC, Kihiczak GG, Schwartz RA. Rocky Mountain spotted fever and other rickettsial infections. In: Lebwohl MG, Heymann ...

Sanctioned State: The Effects of International Sanctions on Iran’s Internal Politics

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-06-01

Iranian governmental policies.14 Additionally, the loss of tax revenue due to continued international disinvestment from Iran and announced...americanexperience/features/primary-resources/reagan-iran-contra/. Unattributed, “IRAN-CONTRA REPORT; Arms, Hostages and Contras: How a Secret ...hostages-contras- secret -foreign-policy- unraveled.html. 44See Iraq Oil-for-Food program, African conflict diamond sales, and the Iran-Contra affair

Pasteur Institute of Iran--an evaluation model.

PubMed

Dejman, Masoumeh; Habibi, Elham; Baradarn Eftekhari, Monir; Falahat, Katayoun; Malekafzali, Hossein

2014-07-01

Pasteur Institute of Iran was established in 1919 with the aim to produce vaccines and prevent communicable diseases in Iran. Over time, their activities extended into areas of research, education and services. Naturally, such a vast development begs establishment of a comprehensive management and monitoring system. With this outlook, the present study was carried out with the aim to design a performance assessment model for Pasteur Institute of Iran that, in addition to determining evaluation indicators, it could prepare the necessary grounds for providing a unified assessment model for the global network of the Pasteur Institutes. This study was designed and performed in 4 stages: first; design of indicators and determining their scores. Second; editing indicators according to the outcome of discussions and debates held with members of Research Council of Pasteur Institute of Iran. Third; implementation of a pilot model based on the Institute's activities in 2011. Fourth; providing the pilot model feedback to the stakeholders and finalizing the model according to an opinion survey. Based on the results obtained, the developed indicators for Pasteur Institute of Iran evaluation were designed in 10 axes and 18 sub-axes, which included 101 major and 58 minor indicators. The axes included governance and leadership, resources and facilities, capacity building, knowledge production and collaborations, reference services, economic value of products and services, participation in industrial exhibitions, status of the institute, satisfaction and institute's role in health promotion. The indicators presented in this article have been prepared based on the balance in the Institute's four missions, to provide the basis for assessment of the Institute's activities in consecutive years, and possibility of comparison with other institutes worldwide.

A Study of Comparative Advantage and Intra-Industry Trade in the Pharmaceutical Industry of Iran.

PubMed

Yusefzadeh, Hassan; Rezapour, Aziz; Lotfi, Farhad; Ebadifard Azar, Farbod; Nabilo, Bahram; Abolghasem Gorji, Hassan; Hadian, Mohammad; Shahidisadeghi, Niusha; Karami, Atiyeh

2015-04-23

Drug costs in Iran accounts for about 30% of the total health care expenditure. Moreover, pharmaceutical business lies among the world's greatest businesses. The aim of this study was to analyze Iran's comparative advantage and intra-industry trade in pharmaceuticals so that suitable policies can be developed and implemented in order to boost Iran's trade in this field. To identify Iran's comparative advantage in pharmaceuticals, trade specialization, export propensity, import penetration and Balassa and Vollrath indexes were calculated and the results were compared with other pharmaceutical exporting countries. The extent and growth of Iran's intra-industry trade in pharmaceuticals were measured and evaluated using the Grubel-Lloyd and Menon-Dixon indexes. The required data was obtained from Iran's Customs Administration, Iran's pharmaceutical Statistics, World Bank and International Trade Center. The results showed that among pharmaceutical exporting countries, Iran has a high level of comparative disadvantage in pharmaceutical products because it holds a small share in world's total pharmaceutical exports. Also, the low extent of bilateral intra-industry trade between Iran and its trading partners in pharmaceuticals shows the trading model of Iran's pharmaceutical industry is mostly inter-industry trade rather than intra-industry trade. In addition, the growth of Iran's intra-industry trade in pharmaceuticals is due to its shares of imports from pharmaceutical exporting countries to Iran and exports from Iran to its neighboring countries. The results of the analysis can play a valuable role in helping pharmaceutical companies and policy makers to boost pharmaceutical trade.

Medical biotechnology trends and achievements in iran.

PubMed

Mahboudi, Fereidoun; Hamedifar, Haleh; Aghajani, Hamideh

2012-10-01

A healthcare system has been the most important priority for all governments worldwide. Biotechnology products have affected the promotion of health care over the last thirty years. During the last several decades, Iran has achieved significant success in extending healthcare to the rural areas and in reducing the rates of infant mortality and increasing population growth. Biomedical technology as a converging technology is considered a helpful tool to fulfill the Iranian healthcare missions. The number of biotechnology products has reached 148 in 2012. The total sales have increased to 98 billion USD without considering vaccines and plasma derived proteins in 2012. Iran is one of the leading countries in the Middle East and North Africa in the area of Medical biotechnology. The number of biotechnology medicines launched in Iran is 13 products until 2012. More than 15 products are in pipelines now. Manufacturers are expecting to receive the market release for more than 8 products by the end of 2012. Considering this information, Iran will lead the biotechnology products especially in area of biosimilars in Asia after India in next three years. The present review will discuss leading policy, decision makers' role, human resource developing system and industry development in medical biotechnology.

Medical Biotechnology Trends and Achievements in Iran

PubMed Central

Mahboudi, Fereidoun; Hamedifar, Haleh; Aghajani, Hamideh

2012-01-01

A healthcare system has been the most important priority for all governments worldwide. Biotechnology products have affected the promotion of health care over the last thirty years. During the last several decades, Iran has achieved significant success in extending healthcare to the rural areas and in reducing the rates of infant mortality and increasing population growth. Biomedical technology as a converging technology is considered a helpful tool to fulfill the Iranian healthcare missions. The number of biotechnology products has reached 148 in 2012. The total sales have increased to 98 billion USD without considering vaccines and plasma derived proteins in 2012. Iran is one of the leading countries in the Middle East and North Africa in the area of Medical biotechnology. The number of biotechnology medicines launched in Iran is 13 products until 2012. More than 15 products are in pipelines now. Manufacturers are expecting to receive the market release for more than 8 products by the end of 2012. Considering this information, Iran will lead the biotechnology products especially in area of biosimilars in Asia after India in next three years. The present review will discuss leading policy, decision makers’ role, human resource developing system and industry development in medical biotechnology. PMID:23407888

Man-induced transformation of mountain meadow soils of Aragats mountain massif (Armenia)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Avetisyan, M. H.

2018-01-01

The article considers issues of degradation of mountain meadow soils of the Aragats mountain massif of the Republic of Armenia and provides the averaged research results obtained for 2013 and 2014. The present research was initiated in the frames of long-term complex investigations of agroecosystems of Armenia’s mountain massifs and covered sod soils of high mountain meadow pasturelands and meadow steppe grasslands lying on southern slope of Mt. Aragats. With a purpose of studying the peculiarities of migration and transformation of flows of major nutrients namely carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus in study mountain meadow and meadow steppe belts of the Aragats massif we investigated water migration of chemical elements and regularities of their leaching depending on different belts. Field measurement data have indicated that organic carbon and humus in a heavily grazed plot are almost twice as low as on a control site. Lysimetric data analysis has demonstrated that heavy grazing and illegal deforestation have brought to an increase in intrasoil water acidity. The results generated from this research support a conclusion that a man’s intervention has brought to disturbance of structure and nutrient and water regimes of soils and loss of significant amounts of soil nutrients throughout the studied region.

A systematic review of wild grass exploitation in relation to emerging cereal cultivation throughout the Epipalaeolithic and aceramic Neolithic of the Fertile Crescent.

PubMed

Weide, Alexander; Riehl, Simone; Zeidi, Mohsen; Conard, Nicholas J

2018-01-01

The present study investigates the occurrence of wild grasses at Epipalaeolithic and aceramic Neolithic sites in the Near East in order to assess their role in subsistence economies alongside the emergence of cereal cultivation. We use Chogha Golan in the foothills of the central Zagros Mountains (ca. 11.7-9.6 ka cal. BP) as a case study, where the archaeobotanical data suggest the frequent exploitation of a complex of wild grasses for almost 2,000 years. Domesticated emmer replaced these wild grasses as the major food resources towards the end of occupation at the site (ca. 9.8 ka cal. BP). We discuss possible implications of this development and conclude that the traditional concept of pre-domestication cultivation seems unsuited for explaining the patterns from Chogha Golan. These data are in good accordance with the overall picture in the Zagros Mountains, where wild grasses were routinely gathered throughout the early Holocene. In contrast, wild grasses were gradually replaced by wild cereals in the Levantine corridor since the end of the Pleistocene. However, several sites located in this region provide evidence for a continuous exploitation of wild grasses alongside emerging cereal cultivation and most of these taxa were part of the earliest segetal floras that evolved with the appearance of domestic cereals throughout the 11th millennium cal. BP. Some sites contemporary to the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B still provide evidence for the usage of wild grasses, which possibly reflects the utilization of edible arable weeds and continuous gathering of wild grasses by more mobile groups.

A systematic review of wild grass exploitation in relation to emerging cereal cultivation throughout the Epipalaeolithic and aceramic Neolithic of the Fertile Crescent

PubMed Central

Riehl, Simone; Zeidi, Mohsen; Conard, Nicholas J.

2018-01-01

The present study investigates the occurrence of wild grasses at Epipalaeolithic and aceramic Neolithic sites in the Near East in order to assess their role in subsistence economies alongside the emergence of cereal cultivation. We use Chogha Golan in the foothills of the central Zagros Mountains (ca. 11.7–9.6 ka cal. BP) as a case study, where the archaeobotanical data suggest the frequent exploitation of a complex of wild grasses for almost 2,000 years. Domesticated emmer replaced these wild grasses as the major food resources towards the end of occupation at the site (ca. 9.8 ka cal. BP). We discuss possible implications of this development and conclude that the traditional concept of pre-domestication cultivation seems unsuited for explaining the patterns from Chogha Golan. These data are in good accordance with the overall picture in the Zagros Mountains, where wild grasses were routinely gathered throughout the early Holocene. In contrast, wild grasses were gradually replaced by wild cereals in the Levantine corridor since the end of the Pleistocene. However, several sites located in this region provide evidence for a continuous exploitation of wild grasses alongside emerging cereal cultivation and most of these taxa were part of the earliest segetal floras that evolved with the appearance of domestic cereals throughout the 11th millennium cal. BP. Some sites contemporary to the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B still provide evidence for the usage of wild grasses, which possibly reflects the utilization of edible arable weeds and continuous gathering of wild grasses by more mobile groups. PMID:29293519

Iran Sanctions

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-09

suppliers who might ignore a U.S. law, and possibly even a U.N. resolutions along these lines. Iran and Venezuela ( Petroleos de Venezuela S.A...although they reportedly have reduced supplies because of Iran’s increasingly outcast international status. Petroleos de Venezuela might be affected...gas field (September 2009) Petroleos de Venezuela S.A.; 10% stake in venture $760 million Abadan refinery upgrade and expansion; building a new

Iran Sanctions

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-09

the Iran-Syria-North Korea Non- Proliferation Act) authorizes sanctions on foreign persons (individuals or corporations , not countries or governments ...view—increasingly shared by major allies—is that sanctions should target Iran’s energy sector that provides about 80% of government revenues. U.S...its government revenue. Iran’s oil sector is as old as the petroleum industry itself, and Iran’s onshore oil fields and oil industry infrastructure are

Iran Sanctions

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-10-11

as sales to Iran of Indian products, including wheat, pharmaceuticals, rice, sugar , soybeans, auto parts, and other products. Still, there is a large... Sweetening Plant CRS conversation with Embassy of S. Korea in Washington, D.C, July 2010 Contract signed but then abrogated by S. Korean firm G and...and Beverage JLT for receiving payments on behalf of Jam Petrochemical Entities Designated as Human Rights Abusers or Limiting Free Expression Under

Iran: Regional Perspectives and U.S. Policy

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-13

unwilling to publicly challenge Iran on the issue because of their economic dependence on or relationships with Iran...of Iran’s neighbors, like Iraq, and poses direct military threats to others, like Israel and Lebanon. It also directly challenges U.S. efforts to...reports that a former speaker of the Iranian parliament and then- aide to Iran’s Supreme Leader had referred to Bahrain as Iran’s 14th province sparked a

76 FR 13283 - Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Iran

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-10

... National Emergency With Respect to Iran On March 15, 1995, by Executive Order 12957, the President declared a national emergency with respect to Iran pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers... of Iran. On May 6, 1995, the President issued Executive Order 12959, imposing more comprehensive...

Iranian speleothems: Investigating Quaternary climate variability in semi-arid Western Asia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carolin, Stacy; Morgan, Jacob; Peckover, Emily; Walker, Richard; Henderson, Gideon; Rowe, Peter; Andrews, Julian; Ersek, Vasile; Sloan, Alastair; Talebian, Morteza; Fattahi, Morteza; Nezamdoust, Javad

2016-04-01

Rapid population growth and limited water supply has highlighted the need for vigorous water resource management practices in the semi-arid regions of Western Asia. One significant unknown in this discussion is the future change in rainfall amount due to the consequential effects of today's greenhouse gas forcing on the regional climate system. Currently, there is little paleoclimate proxy data in Western Asia to extend climate records beyond the limits of the instrumental period, leaving scant evidence to investigate the system's response to various climate forcings on different timescales. Here we present a synthesis of speleothem climate records across northern Iran, from the wetter climate of the Alborz and Zagros mountain ranges to the dry northeast, in order to investigate the magnitude of past climate variability and the forcings responsible. The stalagmites collected from the west and north-central mountain ranges, areas with ~200-400mm mean annual precipitation mostly falling within the fall-winter-spring months, all demonstrate growth limited to the interglacial periods of the Quaternary. We present overlapping Holocene stable isotope records with a complementary trace element record to assist in interpreting the isotopic variability. One of the records is sampled at <4yr resolution and spans 3.7-5.3 kyBP, a contested period of catastrophic droughts that allegedly eradicated civilizations in areas of the near East. Imposed upon decadal-scale variability, the record reveals a 1,000-yr gradual trend toward enriched stable oxygen isotope values, interpreted as a trend toward drier conditions, which ends with an abrupt 300-yr cessation in growth beginning at 4.3 kyBP, coincident with the so-called 4.2 kyBP drought event. From the northeast Iranian plateau, we present a new stalagmite record that spans the penultimate deglaciation and Stages 5e-5a. This region presently receives limited rain annually (~100-300mm/yr, regularly falling between November and May

Full-waveform inversion for the Iranian plateau

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masouminia, N.; Fichtner, A.; Rahimi, H.

2017-12-01

We aim to obtain a detailed tomographic model for the Iranian plateau facilitated by full-waveform inversion. By using this method, we intend to better constrain the 3-D structure of the crust and the upper mantle in the region. The Iranian plateau is a complex tectonic area resulting from the collision of the Arabian and Eurasian tectonic plates. This region is subject to complex tectonic processes such as Makran subduction zone, which runs along the southeastern coast of Iran, and the convergence of the Arabian and- Eurasian plates, which itself led to another subduction under Central Iran. This continent-continent collision has also caused shortening and crustal thickening, which can be seen today as Zagros mountain range in the south and Kopeh Dagh mountain range in the northeast. As a result of such a tectonic activity, the crust and the mantle beneath the region are expected to be highly heterogeneous. To further our understanding of the region and its tectonic history, a detailed 3-D velocity model is required.To construct a 3-D model, we propose to use full-waveform inversion, which allows us to incorporate all types of waves recorded in the seismogram, including body waves as well as fundamental- and higher-mode surface waves. Exploiting more information from the observed data using this approach is likely to constrain features which have not been found by classical tomography studies so far. We address the forward problem using Salvus - a numerical wave propagation solver, based on spectral-element method and run on high-performance computers. The solver allows us to simulate wave field propagating in highly heterogeneous, attenuating and anisotropic media, respecting the surface topography. To improve the model, we solve the optimization problem. Solution of this optimization problem is based on an iterative approach which employs adjoint methods to calculate the gradient and uses steepest descent and conjugate-gradient methods to minimize the objective

Methamphetamine-associated psychosis: a new health challenge in Iran

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

The rapidly growing popularity of methamphetamine use in Iran has posed a new health challenge to the Iranian health sector. Methamphetamine-associated psychosis (MAP) has been frequently reported in Iran in recent years. Although methamphetamine use and MAP are considerable health problems in Iran but there is still a need to conduct epidemiological studies on the prevalence of MAP and its health-related problems. The present paper emphasizes that health policy makers should consider the immediate needs of drug users, their families and the community to be informed about the detrimental health effects associated with MAP. Although MAP could be managed by prescribing benzodiazepines and psychiatric medications but the most effective regime for stabilizing patients with MAP still needs to be studied in Iran. Constant collaborations among psychiatric services and outpatient psychotherapeutic services should be established to successfully manage MAP in Iran. Iranian clinicians especially emergency medicine specialists should be informed about the differences between the two forms of transient and recurrent MAP in order to implement appropriate pharmacological therapies to manage MAP. It is hoped that special training courses are designed and implemented by health policy makers to inform clinicians, health providers and especially emergency medicine specialists to effectively deal with MAP. PMID:23577655

Io: Mountains and crustal extension

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heath, M. J.

1985-01-01

It is argued that there is good reason to conclude that mountains on Io, like those on Earth, are subject to growth and decay. The decay of mountains will be assisted by the ability of SO sub 2 to rot silicate rock and by explosive escape of sub-surface SO sub 2 from aquifers (Haemus Mons is seen to be covered by bright material, presumably fallout from a SO sub 2 rich plume which had been active on the mountain flanks). On the west side of the massif at 10 degrees S, 270 degrees W a rugged surface consists of long ridges running perpendicular to the downslope direction, suggesting tectonic denudation with crustal blocks sliding down the mountain flank. Tectonic denudation may be assisted, as in the case of the Bearpaw Mountains, Montana by overloading mountain flanks with volcanic products. The surfaces of some massifs exhibit a well developed, enigmatic corrugated terrain, consisting of complex ridge systems. Ridges may bifurcate, anastomose to form closed depressions and form concentric loops. Taken together, observations of morphology, heat flux, surface deposits and styles of volcanism may point to the existence of lithosphere domains with distinct compositions and tectonic regimes.

31 CFR 560.201 - Prohibited importation of goods or services from Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... services from Iran. 560.201 Section 560.201 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and... SANCTIONS REGULATIONS Prohibitions § 560.201 Prohibited importation of goods or services from Iran. Except... services of Iranian origin or owned or controlled by the Government of Iran, other than information and...

31 CFR 560.201 - Prohibited importation of goods or services from Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... services from Iran. 560.201 Section 560.201 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and... SANCTIONS REGULATIONS Prohibitions § 560.201 Prohibited importation of goods or services from Iran. Except... services of Iranian origin or owned or controlled by the Government of Iran, other than information and...

31 CFR 560.201 - Prohibited importation of goods or services from Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... services from Iran. 560.201 Section 560.201 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and... REGULATIONS Prohibitions § 560.201 Prohibited importation of goods or services from Iran. Except as otherwise... origin or owned or controlled by the Government of Iran, other than information and informational...

31 CFR 560.201 - Prohibited importation of goods or services from Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... services from Iran. 560.201 Section 560.201 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and... REGULATIONS Prohibitions § 560.201 Prohibited importation of goods or services from Iran. Except as otherwise... origin or owned or controlled by the Government of Iran, other than information and informational...

31 CFR 560.201 - Prohibited importation of goods or services from Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... services from Iran. 560.201 Section 560.201 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations Relating to Money and... REGULATIONS Prohibitions § 560.201 Prohibited importation of goods or services from Iran. Except as otherwise... origin or owned or controlled by the Government of Iran, other than information and informational...

Late Eocene Inversion and Exhumation of the Sivas Basin (Central Anatolia) Based On Low-Temperature Thermochronometry: Implications for Diachronous Initiation of Arabia-Eurasia Collision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darin, M. H.; Umhoefer, P. J.; Thomson, S. N.; Schleiffarth, W. K.

2017-12-01

The timing of initial Arabia-Eurasia collision along the Bitlis-Zagros suture is controversial, with widely varying estimates from middle Eocene to late Miocene ( 45-10 Ma). The Cenozoic Sivas Basin (central Anatolia) preserves a detailed record of the initial stages of Arabia collision directly north of the suture in the Eurasian foreland. New apatite fission track and (U-Th)/He thermochronology data from Late Cretaceous to Paleogene units indicate rapid basin inversion and initiation of the north-vergent Southern Sivas Fold and Thrust Belt (SSFTB) during the late Eocene to early Oligocene ( 40-30 Ma), consistent with the age of a basin-wide unconformity and switch from marine to nonmarine sedimentation. We interpret late Eocene exhumation and the predominantly north-vergent kinematics of the SSFTB to reflect northward propagation of contraction into the Sivas retro-foreland basin due to initial collision of the Arabian passive margin with the Anatolide-Tauride block along the southern Eurasian margin during the late middle Eocene. We test this hypothesis by comparing our new results with regional-scale compilations of both published thermochronology and geochronology data from the entire Arabia-Eurasia collision zone. Low-temperature thermochronology data from eastern Anatolia, the Caucasus, Zagros, and Alborz demonstrate that rapid cooling and intraplate deformation occurred across much of the Eurasian foreland during the middle Eocene to early Oligocene ( 45-30 Ma). Our regional compilation of published geochronology data from central and eastern Anatolia reveals a distinct magmatic lull during the latest Eocene, Oligocene, and earliest Miocene (ca. 38-20 Ma), slightly earlier than a diachronous magmatic lull initiating at 25-5 Ma from northwest to southeast in Iran (Chiu et al., 2013). These results support a tectonic model for diachronous collision in which initial collision of the Arabia promontory occurred in central-eastern Anatolia during the middle

Mantle Subduction and Uplift of Intracontinental Mountains: A Case Study from the Chinese Tianshan Mountains within Eurasia.

PubMed

Li, Jinyi; Zhang, Jin; Zhao, Xixi; Jiang, Mei; Li, Yaping; Zhu, Zhixin; Feng, Qianwen; Wang, Lijia; Sun, Guihua; Liu, Jianfeng; Yang, Tiannan

2016-06-29

The driving mechanism that is responsible for the uplift of intracontinental mountains has puzzled geologists for decades. This study addresses this issue by using receiver function images across the Chinese Tianshan Mountains and available data from both deep seismic profiles and surface structural deformation. The near-surface structural deformation shows that the Tianshan crust experienced strong shortening during the Cenozoic. The receiver function image across the Tianshan Mountains reveals that the lithosphere of the Junggar Basin to the north became uncoupled along the Moho, and the mantle below the Moho subducted southwards beneath the northern part of the Tianshan Mountains, thereby thickening the overlying crust. Similar deep structures, however, are not observed under the Tarim Basin and the adjacent southern Tianshan Mountains. This difference in the deep structures correlates with geomorphological features in the region. Thus, a new model of mantle subduction, herein termed M-type subduction, is proposed for the mountain-building processes in intracontinental compressional settings. The available geomorphological, geological and seismic data in the literatures show that this model is probably suitable for other high, linear mountains within the continent.

78 FR 16395 - Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Iran

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-14

...--Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Iran #0; #0; #0; Presidential Documents #0; #0; #0;#0... With Respect to Iran On March 15, 1995, the President issued Executive Order 12957, which declared a national emergency with respect to Iran and, pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act...

77 FR 67739 - Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Iran

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-13

...--Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Iran #0; #0; #0; Presidential Documents #0; #0; #0;#0... Emergency With Respect to Iran On November 14, 1979, by Executive Order 12170, the President declared a national emergency with respect to Iran and, pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act...

78 FR 68321 - Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Iran

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-13

...--Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Iran #0; #0; #0; Presidential Documents #0; #0; #0;#0... Emergency With Respect to Iran On November 14, 1979, by Executive Order 12170, the President declared a national emergency with respect to Iran and, pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act...

76 FR 70033 - Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Iran

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-09

...--Continuation of the National Emergency With Respect to Iran #0; #0; #0; Presidential Documents #0; #0; #0;#0... Emergency With Respect to Iran On November 14, 1979, by Executive Order 12170, the President declared a national emergency with respect to Iran, pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U...

Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-04-25

1979 revolution, but U.S. anti-dumping tariffs imposed on Iranian pistachio nut imports in 1986 (over 300%) dampened imports of that product. In...January 2003, the tariff on roasted pistachios was CRS-47 63 “Iran Says Halliburton Won Drilling Contract.” Washington Times, January 11, 2005. 64 Boyd...Roderick. “Halliburton Agrees to Leave Iran, Thompson Says.” New York Sun, March 25, 2005. lowered to 22% and on raw pistachios to 163%. In

Iran: U.S. Concerns and Policy Responses

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-02

embargo by the European Union to go into full effect by July 1, 2012—there are growing indications that the regime feels economic pressure. Iran’s...Mohajerani, and Mohsen Kadivar. Some well known dissidents who remained in Iran and were arrested in 2010 include filmmaker Jafar Panahi and journalist...7 The designation was made under the authority of the Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 (P.L. 104-132). Iran: U.S. Concerns and

Islam and cannabis: Legalisation and religious debate in Iran.

PubMed

Ghiabi, Maziyar; Maarefvand, Masoomeh; Bahari, Hamed; Alavi, Zohreh

2018-06-01

Iran is currently discussing cannabis and opium regulations, which could bring a legalisation of drug consumption through a state supervised system. The article engages with the question of cannabis by looking at the legal interpretation of religious authorities in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The choice of Iran is justified for several reasons: firstly, Iran has a long history of drug use and cannabis has been part of the country's intoxicant traditions since times immemorial; secondly, the Iranian state is unique in that it combines religious exegesis with political machination through official channels; finally, among all Middle East and Islamic countries, Iran is at the avant-garde in experimenting in the field of drugs policy which makes an excellent case for the study of cannabis regulation. The article is the result of a direct engagement with Iran's leading Shi'a authorities, the maraje'-e taqlid, 'source of emulation'. The authors redacted a list of eight questions (estefta'at) about the status of cannabis in Iranian society. It questioned cannabis' legality in Islam, its potential medical use, the feasibility of domestic production and other relevant aspects of its social-religious life. Based on the responses, the authors analysed the difference in opinions among the religious scholars and speculate on the possibility of policy reform. Given the dearth of scholarly work about illicit drugs in the Islamic world, about which many readers might not be familiar, the article opens with an overview of the place of cannabis in the history of Islamic societies. It discusses terminological ambiguities, references in religious texts and traditions, and the general interpretations within Muslim religious schools of thought. Then, it discusses the status of cannabis in contemporary Iran before tackling the responses provided by the religious scholars. Eventually, the paper puts forward reflections about the potential implications for future policy developments on

Iran plans huge private sector MTBE plant

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Alperowicz, N.

1992-01-15

An export-oriented 1-million m.t./year methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) plant is planned as one of Iran`s private sector investment projects. State-owned National Petrochemical Co (NPC; Tehran) and the Dubai-based Iranian businessman Abdul Wahab Galadari have signed a letter of intent allowing Galadari to develop the venture. Colt Engineering (Calgary, AL) is assisting Galadari with costs, planning and technology selection for the estimated $300-million plus venture. An important meeting with NPC is scheduled end of this month, says Galadari, and a financial package should be put together by end of March or April. The facility will most likely be wholly-owned by themore » Galadari family, roughly 50% by members resident in Iran and the remainder by the Dubai-based concern A.W. Galadari Sons. NPC says it may take a token shareholding in the venture.« less

HOSPITAL-BASED HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT IN IRAN.

PubMed

Mohtasham, Farideh; Majdzadeh, Reza; Jamshidi, Ensiyeh

2017-01-01

Hospitals with health technology assessment (HTA) programs have reported its positive effects on the management of resources and costs. This study aimed to identify the barriers faced by hospital-based HTA (HBHTA) in Iran by inductive content analysis of stakeholders' and decision-makers' points of view. The key individuals and organizations that could provide rich, relevant, and diverse data in response to the research question were purposively selected for the interviews and focus group discussion. Twelve stakeholders from seven public hospitals participated in the interviews. Another eighteen stakeholders from twelve HBHTA-related organizations took part in the focus group discussion. Most of the hospitals' senior management team did not feel the need for HBHTA and believed that in Iran a systematic process like HTA faces many challenges. The stakeholders participating in this study highlighted the significance of certain points that needed to be addressed before establishing HBHTA in Iran.

Pasteur Institute of Iran- An Evaluation Model

PubMed Central

Dejman, Masoumeh; Habibi, Elham; Baradarn Eftekhari, Monir; Falahat, Katayoun; Malekafzali, Hossein

2014-01-01

Background: Pasteur Institute of Iran was established in 1919 with the aim to produce vaccines and prevent communicable diseases in Iran. Over time, their activities extended into areas of research, education and services. Naturally, such a vast development begs establishment of a comprehensive management and monitoring system. With this outlook, the present study was carried out with the aim to design a performance assessment model for Pasteur Institute of Iran that, in addition to determining evaluation indicators, it could prepare the necessary grounds for providing a unified assessment model for the global network of the Pasteur Institutes. Method: This study was designed and performed in 4 stages: first; design of indicators and determining their scores. Second; editing indicators according to the outcome of discussions and debates held with members of Research Council of Pasteur Institute of Iran. Third; implementation of a pilot model based on the Institute’s activities in 2011. Fourth; providing the pilot model feedback to the stakeholders and finalizing the model according to an opinion survey. Results: Based on the results obtained, the developed indicators for Pasteur Institute of Iran evaluation were designed in 10 axes and 18 sub-axes, which included 101 major and 58 minor indicators. The axes included governance and leadership, resources and facilities, capacity building, knowledge production and collaborations, reference services, economic value of products and services, participation in industrial exhibitions, status of the institute, satisfaction and institute’s role in health promotion. Conclusion: The indicators presented in this article have been prepared based on the balance in the Institute’s four missions, to provide the basis for assessment of the Institute’s activities in consecutive years, and possibility of comparison with other institutes worldwide. PMID:24842146

Socioeconomic inequality in hypertension in Iran.

PubMed

Fateh, Mansooreh; Emamian, Mohammad Hassan; Asgari, Fereshteh; Alami, Ali; Fotouhi, Akbar

2014-09-01

Hypertension covers a large portion of burden of diseases, especially in the developing countries. The unequal distribution of hypertension in the population may affect 'health for all' goal. This study aimed to investigate the socioeconomic inequality of hypertension in Iran and to identify its influencing factors. We used data from Iran's surveillance system for risk factors of noncommunicable diseases which was conducted on 89 400 individuals aged 15-64 years in 2005. To determine the socioeconomic status of participants, a new variable was created using a principal component analysis. We examined hypertension at different levels of this new variable and calculated slop index of inequality (SII) and concentration index (C) for hypertension. We then applied Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition analysis to determine the causes of inequality. The SII and C for hypertension were -32.3 and -0.170, respectively. The concentration indices varied widely between different provinces in Iran and was lower (more unequal) in women than in men. There was significant socioeconomic inequality in hypertension. The results of decomposition indicated that 40.5% of the low-socioeconomic group (n = 18190) and 16.4% of the high-socioeconomic group (n = 16335) had hypertension. Age, education level, sex and residency location were the main associated factors of the difference among groups. According to our results, there was an inequality in hypertension in Iran, so that individuals with low socioeconomic status had a higher prevalence of hypertension. Age was the most contributed factor in this inequality and women in low-socioeconomic group were the most vulnerable people for hypertension.

Factor XIII deficiency in Iran: a comprehensive review of the literature.

PubMed

Dorgalaleh, Akbar; Naderi, Majid; Hosseini, Maryam Sadat; Alizadeh, Shaban; Hosseini, Soudabeh; Tabibian, Shadi; Eshghi, Peyman

2015-04-01

Factor XIII deficiency (FXIIID) is a rare bleeding disorder with an estimated prevalence of 1 in 2-million population worldwide. In Iran, a Middle Eastern country with a high rate of consanguineous marriages, there are approximately 473 patients afflicted with FXIIID. An approximately 12-fold higher prevalence of FXIIID is estimated in Iran in comparison with overall worldwide frequency. In this study, we have undertaken a comprehensive review on different aspects of FXIIID in the Iranian population. The distribution of this disease in different regions of Iran reveals that Sistan and Baluchestan Province has not only the highest number of patients with FXIIID in Iran but the highest global incidence of this condition. Among Iranian patients, umbilical cord bleeding, hematoma, and prolonged wound bleeding are the most frequent clinical manifestations. There are several disease causing mutations in Iranian patients with FXIIID, with Trp187Arg being the most common mutation in FXIIID in Iran. Traditionally, the management of FXIIID in Iran was only based on administration of fresh frozen plasma or cryoprecipitate, until 2009 when FXIII concentrate became available for patient management. Various studies have evaluated the efficacy and safety of prophylactic regimens in different situations with valuable findings. Although the focus of this study is on Iran, it offers considerable insight into FXIIID, which can be applied more extensively to improve the management and quality of life in all affected patients. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Iran Sanctions

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-12-13

government revenues, and try to isolate Iran, particularly its Revolutionary Guard Corps, from the international financial system. U.S. efforts to curb...Hizbollah, Hamas, and Palestine Islamic Jihad. Iran’s petroleum sector generates about 20% of Iran’s GDP, and 80% of its government revenue. Iran’s oil...probably could not practically, compel any foreign government to take action against one of its firms. The pre-2010 version of ISA requires the

Iran Sanctions

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-02-10

Korea-Syria Non- Proliferation Act (INKSNA) authorizes sanctions on foreign persons (individuals or corporations , not countries or governments ) that...financial system and had asked the German government to order it closed.42 On May 23, 2011, the EU named EIH and about 100 other entities as Iran...The energy sector provides nearly 70% of Iran’s government revenues. Iran’s alarm stems from the potential loss of oil sales as a result of: • A

Iran Sanctions

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-08-03

increasingly shared by major allies—is that sanctions should target Iran’s energy sector that provides about 80% of government revenues. U.S. efforts...Hamas, and Palestine Islamic Jihad. Iran’s petroleum sector generates about 20% of Iran’s GDP, and 80% of its government revenue. Iran’s oil sector is...practically, compel any foreign government to take action against one of its firms. Amendments added by P.L. 111-195, the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions

Iran Sanctions

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-04-02

currency and can use it to buy rials—or services denominated in rials—cheaply. • These difficulties—shipping, currency devaluation , and others—have...increasingly trading through barter arrangements rather than hard currency exchange. The pullout from Iran by major international firms has slowed Iran’s...countries to the concept of sanctioning Iran’s Central Bank was based on humanitarian grounds. One of the Central Bank’s roles is to keep Iran’s currency

Iran Sanctions

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-28

services denominated in rials—cheaply. • These difficulties—shipping, currency devaluation , and others—have driven up the costs to the Iranian trading...increasingly trading through barter arrangements rather than hard currency exchange. The pullout from Iran by major international firms have slowed...One of the Central Bank’s roles is to keep Iran’s currency , the rial, stable. It does so by using hard currency to buy rials to raise the currency

Iran Sanctions

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-04-26

can use it to buy rials—or services denominated in rials—cheaply. • These difficulties—shipping, currency devaluation , and others—have driven up the...increasingly trading through barter arrangements rather than hard currency exchange. The pullout from Iran by major international firms has slowed Iran’s...countries to the concept of sanctioning Iran’s Central Bank was based on humanitarian grounds. One of the Central Bank’s roles is to keep Iran’s currency

A sightability model for mountain goats

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rice, C.G.; Jenkins, K.J.; Chang, W.-Y.

2009-01-01

Unbiased estimates of mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus) populations are key to meeting diverse harvest management and conservation objectives. We developed logistic regression models of factors influencing sightability of mountain goat groups during helicopter surveys throughout the Cascades and Olympic Ranges in western Washington during summers, 20042007. We conducted 205 trials of the ability of aerial survey crews to detect groups of mountain goats whose presence was known based on simultaneous direct observation from the ground (n 84), Global Positioning System (GPS) telemetry (n 115), or both (n 6). Aerial survey crews detected 77 and 79 of all groups known to be present based on ground observers and GPS collars, respectively. The best models indicated that sightability of mountain goat groups was a function of the number of mountain goats in a group, presence of terrain obstruction, and extent of overstory vegetation. Aerial counts of mountain goats within groups did not differ greatly from known group sizes, indicating that under-counting bias within detected groups of mountain goats was small. We applied HorvitzThompson-like sightability adjustments to 1,139 groups of mountain goats observed in the Cascade and Olympic ranges, Washington, USA, from 2004 to 2007. Estimated mean sightability of individual animals was 85 but ranged 0.750.91 in areas with low and high sightability, respectively. Simulations of mountain goat surveys indicated that precision of population estimates adjusted for sightability biases increased with population size and number of replicate surveys, providing general guidance for the design of future surveys. Because survey conditions, group sizes, and habitat occupied by goats vary among surveys, we recommend using sightability correction methods to decrease bias in population estimates from aerial surveys of mountain goats.

Sero-survey of Avian Influenza in backyard poultry and wild bird species in Iran-2014.

PubMed

Fallah Mehrabadi, M H; Bahonar, A R; Vasfi Marandi, M; Sadrzadeh, A; Tehrani, F; Salman, M D

2016-06-01

In almost all villages in Iran backyard birds, especially chickens, are kept for egg and meat production. AI H9N2 subtype is endemic in Iran. Therefore, estimation of AI prevalence among these birds is important to determine the risk of transmission of infection to commercial farms. The aim of this study was to estimate subclinical infections or previous exposure to H5, H7, and H9 subtypes and to identify potentially important determinants of prevalence of this infectious at premises level in backyard poultry, bird gardens, zoos, and wild bird markets in Iran. A survey was conducted using a cross-sectional design throughout the entire country. A total of 329 villages, seven bird gardens, three zoos and five wild bird markets were included. In each village four families that kept birds were included in the collection of biological samples and background information. The Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) was used as the screening test and all ELISA-positive samples were examined with the HI test to differentiate H5, H7, and H9. Among the bird gardens, eight of 15 premises (53.3%) were positive in both the ELISA test and HI for H9N2. Testing of samples collected in the villages revealed that 296 out of 329 villages (90%) had positive ELISA tests and also HI tests for H9. The HI-H9 mean titers in positive units were significantly higher than negative units (P<.001). This study revealed no significant statistical differences between risk variables in seropositive and seronegative bird gardens in the case of H9 (P>.05). The results of this study showed that among the risk variables, mountainous area was a protective factor and lack of hygienic disposal of dead birds was a risk factor for AI; this was also observed in rural poultry. The high sero-prevalence of influenza H9N2 in rural domestic poultry indicates that the disease is endemic. It is necessary to include backyard poultry in any surveillance system and control strategy due to the existence of AIV in

Excavation multiple up drafting tunnels in coastal mountains: A simple solution to resist against the severe drought in sub tropical zones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daei, Mohammad Ali; Daei, Manizheh; Daei, Bijan

2017-04-01

At many sub tropical places in the globe, including the Persian Gulf in the south of Iran, there is continuously a tremendous amount of steam in the air, but it fails to transform to cloud because of the surrounding overheated lands. Reduction in precipitation in these regions has been extraordinary in recent years. The most probable reason is the global warming phenomena. Many dried forest remains, in these regions are referring to much more precipitations not long ago. All around the Persian Gulf, Oman Sea, Arab sea, and red sea there are enough steam to produce good precipitation nearly year round. The main missed requirement in this zone is the coldness. This fact can be well understand from a narrow green strip in Dhofar which is indebted to a cold oceanic stream that approaches to local shore during four months yearly. This natural cold stream helps a better condensation of water vapor and more precipitation but only in a narrow mountainous land. Based on this natural phenomenon, we hypothesize a different design to cool the water vapor with the same result. Prevention of close contact between the water vapors and hot lands by shooting the steam directly into the atmosphere may help to produce more cloud and rain. Making multiple vertical tunnels in mountains for upright conducting of humid air into the atmosphere can be a solution. Fortunately there are a few high mountain ranges alongside of the coastline in south part of Iran. So excavation of drafting tunnels in these mountains seems reasonable. These structures act passively, but for long term do their work without consuming energy, and making pollution. These earth tubes in some aspects resemble to Kariz, another innovative structure which invented by ancient Iranians, thousands of years ago in order to extract water from dry lands in deserts. Up drafting earth channels can be supposed as a wide vertical kariz which conduct water vapor into the atmosphere from the hot land near a warm sea, something

Mechanical restoration of large-scale folded multilayers using the finite element method: Application to the Zagros Simply Folded Belt, N-Iraq

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frehner, Marcel; Reif, Daniel; Grasemann, Bernhard

2010-05-01

There are a large number of numerical finite element studies concerned with modeling the evolution of folded geological layers through time. This body of research includes many aspects of folding and many different approaches, such as two- and three-dimensional studies, single-layer folding, detachment folding, development of chevron folds, Newtonian, power-law viscous and more complex rheologies, influence of anisotropy, pure-shear, simple-shear and other boundary conditions and so forth. In recent years, studies of multilayer folding emerged, thanks to more advanced mesh generator software and increased computational power. Common to all of these studies is the fact that they consider a forward directed time evolution, as in nature. Very few studies use the finite element method for reverse-time simulations. In such studies, folded geological layers are taken as initial conditions for the numerical simulation. The folding process is reversed by changing the signs of the boundary conditions that supposedly drove the folding process. In such studies, the geometry of the geological layers before the folding process is searched and the amount of shortening necessary for the final folded geometry can be calculated. In contrast to a kinematic or geometric fold restoration procedure, the described approach takes the mechanical behavior of the geological layers into account, such as rheology and the relative strength of the individual layers. This approach is therefore called mechanical restoration of folds. In this study, the concept of mechanical restoration is applied to a two-dimensional 50km long NE-SW-cross-section through the Zagros Simply Folded Belt in Iraqi Kurdistan, NE from the city of Erbil. The Simply Folded Belt is dominated by gentle to open folding and faults are either absent or record only minor offset. Therefore, this region is ideal for testing the concept of mechanical restoration. The profile used is constructed from structural field measurements

History of Medical Parasitology and Parasitic Infections in Iran.

PubMed

Edrissian, Gholamhossein; Rokni, Mohammad Bagher; Mohebali, Mehdi; Nateghpour, Mehdi; Mowlavi, Gholamreza; Bahadori, Moslem

2016-08-01

Parasites and parasitic diseases have been prevalent in Iran according to Iranian ancient scholars and physicians' inscriptions dating back to 865-1496. Some protozoan diseases such as malaria and cutaneous leishmaniasis have been introduced by clinical manifestations and helminthic infections by size and morphology of the worms. Scientific studies of Parasitology started in Iran from 1833, first by foreign physicians and continued from 1909 by Iranian researchers. The pioneer medical parasitologists of Iran were Dr N. Ansari and Dr. Sh. Mofidi who established the Department of Medical Parasitology in the School of Medicine, University of Tehran, 1939. Afterward, a considerable number of researchers and professors of parasitology have been active in training and research works in the fields of medical parasitology throughout the entire nation. At present, some significant parasitic diseases such as bilharsiasis and dracunculiasis are more or less eradicated and malaria is in the elimination phase. The prevalence of most helminthic infections has considerably decreased. Most of the departments of medical Parasitology in Iran are active in training MD, MSPH and PhD students. The Iranian Society of Parasitology established in 1994 is active with many eligible members and its creditable publication, the Iranian Journal of Parasitology, published seasonally since 2006. From 1833, when the scientific studies of Parasitology have started in Iran up to 2013, many researchers have been done on various fields of medical Parasitology and parasitic diseases in Iran and 2517 papers in English and 1890 papers in Persian have been published in national and international scientific journals. In addition, more than 420 books related in the field of medical parasitology field have been published in Persian language.

Iran sets sights on 5 million b/d of crude

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1992-09-21

This paper reports that Iran, currently producing 3.2 million b/d of oil, has set a production target of 5 million b/d by March 1994. On the way to that target Iran's oil flow will climb to 4 million b/d by March 1993, says A. Moshtaqhian, director of exploration and production for National Iranian Oil Co. (NIOC). With oil reserves of about 100 million bbl, Iran will find it easy to increase productive capacity, Moshtaqhian told the Gulf Oil and Politics publication.

Global Measurements of Stratospheric Mountain Waves from Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eckermann, Stephen D.; Preusse, Peter; Jackman, Charles H. (Technical Monitor)

1999-01-01

Temperatures acquired by the Cryogenic Infrared Spectrometers and Telescopes for the Atmosphere (CRISTA) during shuttle mission STS-66 have provided measurements of stratospheric mountain waves from space. Large-amplitude, long-wavelength mountain waves at heights of 15 to 30 kilometers above the southern Andes Mountains were observed and characterized, with vigorous wave breaking inferred above 30 kilometers. Mountain waves also occurred throughout the stratosphere (15 to 45 kilometers) over a broad mountainous region of central Eurasia. The global distribution of mountain wave activity accords well with predictions from a mountain wave model. The findings demonstrate that satellites can provide the global data needed to improve mountain wave parameterizations and hence global climate and forecast models.

National Strategies of Ophthalmic Education in Iran

PubMed Central

Entezari, A; Javadi, MA; Einollahi, B

2012-01-01

Background: Academic medicine is in a state of dramatic transformation. For this reason strategic thinking is the most essential part of educational planning. The main purpose of the present study was developing the strategic educational planning of Ophthalmology in Iran from 2007 to 2010 Methods: A qualitative investigation using focus group discussion has been implemented successfully for developing educational planning. Six to twelve representatives of key stakeholders in the ophthalmic education of Iran participated to this study. Results: Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of ophthalmology education in Iran were analyzed. Strategic goals in education, research, and health service providing domains were being developed. Educational goals were defined as training of human resources in accordance with the community needs at the level of general practitioner, specialist, and fellowships in ophthalmology. Research goals of the program were defined as scientific inter-departmental and international communications, in order to promote the level of education, research, and treatment in the country. Also, in the field of health services according to the community needs, providing services by the means of advanced and cost effective methods were defined as strategic objectives. Conclusion: Based on this strategic plan in the last three years ophthalmic education in Iran shall be many changes in educational, research and health care provision for social accountability. PMID:23113125

Obesity and its socioeconomic determinants in Iran.

PubMed

Emamian, Mohammad Hassan; Fateh, Mansooreh; Hosseinpoor, Ahmad Reza; Alami, Ali; Fotouhi, Akbar

2017-08-01

To investigate the socioeconomic inequality of obesity and its determinants in Iran. Data was from Iran's surveillance system for risk factors of non-communicable diseases which was conducted on 89,400 individuals aged 15-64 years in 2005. Principal component analysis was used to create a new variable for defining socioeconomic status of participants. We assessed inequality by calculating a slop index of inequality and concentration index for obesity. Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition analysis was used to determine the determinants of inequality. The slop index of inequality and concentration index for obesity was -13.1 (95% Confidence Intervals [CI]: -16.3 to -9.8) percentage points and -0.123, respectively. The level of inequality varied widely between different provinces in Iran and was more severe in women and urban population. Obesity persisted in 20.2% (95% CI: 19.4-20.9) of the low-socioeconomic group and 11.0% (95% CI: 10.5-11.6) of the high-socioeconomic group. More than 90% of this gap was due to differences of independent variables (mainly age, gender and marital status) in two socioeconomic status groups. A pro-rich inequality existed in the obesity in Iran. Older age, female gender and rural residency contributed most to the economic inequality of obesity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mountain pine beetle in southwestern white pine in the Pinaleno Mountains

Treesearch

Ann M. Lynch; Christopher D. O' Connor

2013-01-01

Mountain pine beetle has rarely been found in the Madrean Sky Island Archipelago and has not been reported from the Pinaleño Mountains until recently. This insect began killing southwestern white pine in 1996 or earlier, with additional mortality each year since. Activity has increased in the last 2 years. The life cycle in the Pinaleños during this time has been...

Tularemia, a re-emerging infectious disease in Iran and neighboring countrie

PubMed Central

Zargar, Afsaneh; Maurin, Max; Mostafavi, Ehsan

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVES: Tularemia is a zoonotic disease transmitted by direct contact with infected animals and through arthropod bites, inhalation of contaminated aerosols, ingestion of contaminated meat or water, and skin contact with any infected material. It is widespread throughout the northern hemisphere, including Iran and its neighbors to the north, northeast, and northwest. METHODS: In this paper, the epidemiology of tularemia as a re-emerging infectious disease in the world with a focus on Iran and the neighboring countries is reviewed. RESULTS: In Iran, positive serological tests were first reported in 1973, in wildlife and domestic livestock in the northwestern and southeastern parts of the country. The first human case was reported in 1980 in the southwest of Iran, and recent studies conducted among at-risk populations in the western, southeastern, and southwestern parts of Iran revealed seroprevalences of 14.4, 6.52, and 6%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Several factors may explain the absence of reported tularemia cases in Iran since 1980. Tularemia may be underdiagnosed in Iran because Francisella tularensis subspecies holarctica is likely to be the major etiological agent and usually causes mild to moderately severe disease. Furthermore, tularemia is not a disease extensively studied in the medical educational system in Iran, and empirical therapy may be effective in many cases. Finally, it should be noted that laboratories capable of diagnosing tularemia have only been established in the last few years. Since both recent and older studies have consistently found tularemia antibodies in humans and animals, the surveillance of this disease should receive more attention. In particular, it would be worthwhile for clinical researchers to confirm tularemia cases more often by isolating F. tularensis from infected humans and animals. PMID:25773439

Family Life and Developmental Idealism in Yazd, Iran

PubMed Central

Abbasi-Shavazi, Mohammad Jalal; Askari-Nodoushan, Abbas

2012-01-01

BACKGROUND This paper is motivated by the theory that developmental idealism has been disseminated globally and has become an international force for family and demographic change. Developmental idealism is a set of cultural beliefs and values about development and how development relates to family and demographic behavior. It holds that modern societies are causal forces producing modern families, that modern families help to produce modern societies, and that modern family change is to be expected. OBJECTIVE We examine the extent to which developmental idealism has been disseminated in Iran. We also investigate predictors of the dissemination of developmental idealism. METHODS We use survey data collected in 2007 from a sample of women in Yazd, a city in Iran. We examine the distribution of developmental idealism in the sample and the multivariate predictors of developmental idealism. RESULTS We find considerable support for the expectation that many elements of developmental idealism have been widely disseminated. Statistically significant majorities associate development with particular family attributes, believe that development causes change in families, believe that fertility reductions and age-at-marriage increases help foster development, and perceive family trends in Iran headed toward modernity. As predicted, parental education, respondent education, and income affect adherence to developmental idealism. CONCLUSIONS Developmental idealism has been widely disseminated in Yazd, Iran and is related to social and demographic factors in predicted ways. COMMENTS Although our data come from only one city, we expect that developmental idealism has been widely distributed in Iran, with important implications for family and demographic behavior. PMID:22942772

West Nile Virus lineage-2 in Culex specimens from Iran.

PubMed

Shahhosseini, Nariman; Chinikar, Sadegh; Moosa-Kazemi, Seyed Hassan; Sedaghat, Mohammad Mehdi; Kayedi, Mohammad Hassan; Lühken, Renke; Schmidt-Chanasit, Jonas

2017-10-01

Screening of mosquitoes for viruses is an important forecasting tool for emerging and re-emerging arboviruses. Iran has been known to harbour medically important arboviruses such as West Nile virus (WNV) and dengue virus (DENV) based on seroepidemiological data. However, there are no data about the potential mosquito vectors for arboviruses in Iran. This study was performed to provide mosquito and arbovirus data from Iran. A total of 32 317 mosquitos were collected at 16 sites in five provinces of Iran in 2015 and 2016. RT-PCR for detection of flaviviruses was performed. The PCR amplicons were sequenced, and 109 WNV sequences, including one obtained in this study, were used for phylogenetic analyses. The 32 317 mosquito specimens belonging to 25 species were morphologically distinguished and distributed into 1222 pools. Culex pipiens s.l. comprised 56.429%. One mosquito pool (0.08%), containing 46 unfed Cx. pipiens pipiens form pipiens (Cpp) captured in August 2015, was positive for flavivirus RNA. Subsequent sequencing and phylogenetic analyses revealed that the detected Iranian WNV strain belongs to lineage 2 and clusters with a strain recently detected in humans. No flaviviruses other than WNV were detected in the mosquito pools. Cpp could be a vector for WNV in Iran. Our findings indicate recent circulation of WNV lineage-2 strain in Iran and provide a solid base for more targeted arbovirus surveillance programs. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Rodent-borne diseases and their public health importance in Iran.

PubMed

Rabiee, Mohammad Hasan; Mahmoudi, Ahmad; Siahsarvie, Roohollah; Kryštufek, Boris; Mostafavi, Ehsan

2018-04-01

Rodents are reservoirs and hosts for several zoonotic diseases such as plague, leptospirosis, and leishmaniasis. Rapid development of industry and agriculture, as well as climate change throughout the globe, has led to change or increase in occurrence of rodent-borne diseases. Considering the distribution of rodents throughout Iran, the aim of this review is to assess the risk of rodent-borne diseases in Iran. We searched Google Scholar, PubMed, Science Direct, Scientific Information Database (SID), and Magiran databases up to September 2016 to obtain articles reporting occurrence of rodent-borne diseases in Iran and extract information from them. Out of 70 known rodent-borne diseases, 34 were reported in Iran: 17 (50%) parasitic diseases, 13 (38%) bacterial diseases, and 4 (12%) viral diseases. Twenty-one out of 34 diseases were reported from both humans and rodents. Among the diseases reported in the rodents of Iran, plague, leishmaniasis, and hymenolepiasis were the most frequent. The most infected rodents were Rattus norvegicus (16 diseases), Mus musculus (14 diseases), Rattus rattus (13 diseases), Meriones persicus (7 diseases), Apodemus spp. (5 diseases), Tatera indica (4 diseases), Meriones libycus (3 diseases), Rhombomys opimus (3 diseases), Cricetulus migratorius (3 diseases), and Nesokia indica (2 diseases). The results of this review indicate the importance of rodent-borne diseases in Iran. Considering notable diversity of rodents and their extensive distribution throughout the country, it is crucial to pay more attention to their role in spreading infectious diseases for better control of the diseases.

Safety survey of Iran's mines and comparison to some other countries.

PubMed

Bagherpour, Raheb; Yarahmadi, Reza; Khademian, Amir; Almasi, Seied Najmedin

2017-03-01

The increasing development of mining activities in Iran makes it necessary to have a closer look at the safety issues. Analysis of different incidents and damages in mines can be helpful for the adoption of suitable approaches to prevent the incidents. In this study, safety statistics of Iran's mines in 2011 and 2012 were assessed and important incidents and injuries happening to employees for 12 different groups of minerals were evaluated and eventually compared to the situation of some other countries. According to the obtained results, the average incidence probability in Iran's mines was calculated to be 0.18 for 2011 and the incidence probability of coal, copper and iron ore mines was greater than others. The injury rate of Iran's mines was 106 and 164 out of 10,000 persons for 2011 and 2012, respectively, and the maximum values of injury rate belonged to coal, dimension stone and aggregate mines. Also, it turned out that the fatal rate per 100 tons of production had the highest values in chromite and coal mines. Besides, comparison of injury rate and the fatal rate in Iran and some countries showed that the safety situation in Iran's mines was in a fair condition.

Geochemistry and geodynamics of the Mawat mafic complex in the Zagros Suture zone, northeast Iraq

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Azizi, Hossein; Hadi, Ayten; Asahara, Yoshihiro; Mohammad, Youssef Osman

2013-12-01

The Iraqi Zagros Orogenic Belt includes two separate ophiolite belts, which extend along a northwest-southeast trend near the Iranian border. The outer belt shows ophiolite sequences and originated in the oceanic ridge or supra-subduction zone. The inner belt includes the Mawat complex, which is parallel to the outer belt and is separated by the Biston Avoraman block. The Mawat complex with zoning structures includes sedimentary rocks with mafic interbedded lava and tuff, and thick mafic and ultramafic rocks. This complex does not show a typical ophiolite sequences such as those in Penjween and Bulfat. The Mawat complex shows evidence of dynamic deformation during the Late Cretaceous. Geochemical data suggest that basic rocks have high MgO and are significantly depleted in LREE relative to HREE. In addition they show positive ɛ Nd values (+5 to+8) and low 87Sr/86Sr ratios. The occurrence of some OIB type rocks, high Mg basaltic rocks and some intermediate compositions between these two indicate the evolution of the Mawat complex from primary and depleted source mantle. The absence of a typical ophiolite sequence and the presence of good compatibility of the source magma with magma extracted from the mantle plume suggests that a mantle plume from the D″ layer is more consistent as the source of this complex than the oceanic ridge or supra-subduction zone settings. Based on our proposed model the Mawat basin represents an extensional basin formed during the Late Paleozoic to younger along the Arabian passive margin oriented parallel to the Neo-Tethys oceanic ridge or spreading center. The Mawat extensional basin formed without creation of new oceanic basement. During the extension, huge volumes of mafic lava were intruded into this basin. This basin was squeezed between the Arabian Plate and Biston Avoraman block during the Late Cretaceous.

Mantle Subduction and Uplift of Intracontinental Mountains: A Case Study from the Chinese Tianshan Mountains within Eurasia

PubMed Central

Li, Jinyi; Zhang, Jin; Zhao, Xixi; Jiang, Mei; Li, Yaping; Zhu, Zhixin; Feng, Qianwen; Wang, Lijia; Sun, Guihua; Liu, Jianfeng; Yang, Tiannan

2016-01-01

The driving mechanism that is responsible for the uplift of intracontinental mountains has puzzled geologists for decades. This study addresses this issue by using receiver function images across the Chinese Tianshan Mountains and available data from both deep seismic profiles and surface structural deformation. The near-surface structural deformation shows that the Tianshan crust experienced strong shortening during the Cenozoic. The receiver function image across the Tianshan Mountains reveals that the lithosphere of the Junggar Basin to the north became uncoupled along the Moho, and the mantle below the Moho subducted southwards beneath the northern part of the Tianshan Mountains, thereby thickening the overlying crust. Similar deep structures, however, are not observed under the Tarim Basin and the adjacent southern Tianshan Mountains. This difference in the deep structures correlates with geomorphological features in the region. Thus, a new model of mantle subduction, herein termed M-type subduction, is proposed for the mountain-building processes in intracontinental compressional settings. The available geomorphological, geological and seismic data in the literatures show that this model is probably suitable for other high, linear mountains within the continent. PMID:27353861

Western Mountain Initiative - Background

Science.gov Websites

, and degraded water quality in mountain lakes and streams. In each case, ecosystem thresholds were dynamics; and the consequences of an altered water cycle for terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and . Third, Western mountain ecosystems are important to society, providing water, wood products, carbon

Cigarette smoking in iran.

PubMed

Meysamie, A; Ghaletaki, R; Zhand, N; Abbasi, M

2012-01-01

Cigarette smoking is the largest preventable cause of death worldwide. No systematic review is available on the situation of the smoking in Iran, so we decided to provide an overview of the studies in the field of smoking in Iranian populations. Published Persian-language papers of all types until 2009 indexed in the IranMedex (http://www.iranmedex.com) and Magiran (http://www.magiran.com). Reports of World Health Organization were also searched and optionally employed. The studies concerning passive smoking or presenting the statistically insignificant side effects were excluded. Databases were searched using various combinations of the following terms: cigarette, smoking, smoking cessation, prevalence, history, side effects, and lung cancer by independent reviewers. All the 83 articles concerning the prevalence or side effects of the smoking habit in any Iranian population were selected. The prevalence rate of daily cigarette smoking and the 95% confidence interval as well as smoking health risk associated odds ratio (OR) were retrieved from the articles or calculated. The reported prevalence rates of the included studies, the summary of smoking-related side effects and the ORs (95%CI) of smoking associated risks and the available data on smoking cessation in Iran have been shown in the article. Because of lack of certain data, special studies on local pattern of tobacco use in different districts, about the relationship between tobacco use and other diseases, especially non communicable diseases, and besides extension of smoking cessation strategies, studies on efficacy of these methods seems to be essential in this field.

Cigarette Smoking in Iran

PubMed Central

Meysamie, A; Ghaletaki, R; Zhand, N; Abbasi, M

2012-01-01

Background: Cigarette smoking is the largest preventable cause of death worldwide. No systematic review is available on the situation of the smoking in Iran, so we decided to provide an overview of the studies in the field of smoking in Iranian populations. Methods: Published Persian-language papers of all types until 2009 indexed in the IranMedex (http://www.iranmedex.com) and Magiran (http://www.magiran.com). Reports of World Health Organization were also searched and optionally employed. The studies concerning passive smoking or presenting the statistically insignificant side effects were excluded. Databases were searched using various combinations of the following terms: cigarette, smoking, smoking cessation, prevalence, history, side effects, and lung cancer by independent reviewers. All the 83 articles concerning the prevalence or side effects of the smoking habit in any Iranian population were selected. The prevalence rate of daily cigarette smoking and the 95% confidence interval as well as smoking health risk associated odds ratio (OR) were retrieved from the articles or calculated. Results: The reported prevalence rates of the included studies, the summary of smoking-related side effects and the ORs (95%CI) of smoking associated risks and the available data on smoking cessation in Iran have been shown in the article. Conclusion: Because of lack of certain data, special studies on local pattern of tobacco use in different districts, about the relationship between tobacco use and other diseases, especially non communicable diseases, and besides extension of smoking cessation strategies, studies on efficacy of these methods seems to be essential in this field. PMID:23113130

Spatial outline of malaria transmission in Iran.

PubMed

Barati, Mohammad; Keshavarz-valian, Hossein; Habibi-nokhandan, Majid; Raeisi, Ahmad; Faraji, Leyla; Salahi-moghaddam, Abdoreza

2012-10-01

To conduct for modeling spatial distribution of malaria transmission in Iran. Records of all malaria cases from the period 2008-2010 in Iran were retrieved for malaria control department, MOH&ME. Metrological data including annual rainfall, maximum and minimum temperature, relative humidity, altitude, demographic, districts border shapefiles, and NDVI images received from Iranian Climatologic Research Center. Data arranged in ArcGIS. 99.65% of malaria transmission cases were focused in southeast part of Iran. These transmissions had statistically correlation with altitude (650 m), maximum (30 °C), minimum (20 °C) and average temperature (25.3 °C). Statistical correlation and overall relationship between NDVI (118.81), relative humidity (⩾45%) and rainfall in southeast area was defined and explained in this study. According to ecological condition and mentioned cut-off points, predictive map was generated using cokriging method. Copyright © 2012 Hainan Medical College. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Management of Multi-Casualty Incidents in Mountain Rescue: Evidence-Based Guidelines of the International Commission for Mountain Emergency Medicine (ICAR MEDCOM).

PubMed

Blancher, Marc; Albasini, François; Elsensohn, Fidel; Zafren, Ken; Hölzl, Natalie; McLaughlin, Kyle; Wheeler, Albert R; Roy, Steven; Brugger, Hermann; Greene, Mike; Paal, Peter

2018-06-01

Blancher, Marc, François Albasini, Fidel Elsensohn, Ken Zafren, Natalie Hölzl, Kyle McLaughlin, Albert R. Wheeler III, Steven Roy, Hermann Brugger, Mike Greene, and Peter Paal. Management of multi-casualty incidents in mountain rescue: Evidence-based guidelines of the International Commission for Mountain Emergency Medicine (ICAR MEDCOM). High Alt Med Biol. 19:131-140, 2018. Multi-Casualty Incidents (MCI) occur in mountain areas. Little is known about the incidence and character of such events, and the kind of rescue response. Therefore, the International Commission for Mountain Emergency Medicine (ICAR MEDCOM) set out to provide recommendations for the management of MCI in mountain areas. Details of MCI occurring in mountain areas related to mountaineering activities and involving organized mountain rescue were collected. A literature search using (1) PubMed, (2) national mountain rescue registries, and (3) lay press articles on the internet was performed. The results were analyzed with respect to specific aspects of mountain rescue. We identified 198 MCIs that have occurred in mountain areas since 1956: 137 avalanches, 38 ski lift accidents, and 23 other events, including lightning injuries, landslides, volcanic eruptions, lost groups of people, and water-related accidents. General knowledge on MCI management is required. Due to specific aspects of triage and management, the approach to MCIs may differ between those in mountain areas and those in urban settings. Mountain rescue teams should be prepared to manage MCIs. Knowledge should be reviewed and training performed regularly. Cooperation between terrestrial rescue services, avalanche safety authorities, and helicopter crews is critical to successful management of MCIs in mountain areas.

Iran’s Economic Conditions: U.S. Policy Issues

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-06-15

is a major world provider source of caviar and pistachio nuts, a significant non-oil export for Iran. The country’s climate and terrain also support...prepared meat and fish, and edible nuts and foods ( pistachios ). There is evidence that Iran is able to obtain embargoed U.S. goods through the re

Iran Sanctions

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-07-16

currency devaluation , and others—have driven up the costs to the Iranian trading community by an estimated 40%52 - 60%. The EU estimates its overall...through barter arrangements rather than hard currency exchange. Many major international firms have left the Iran market, many Iranian firms are reported...Central Bank’s roles is to keep Iran’s currency , the rial, stable. It does so by using hard currency to buy rials to raise the currency value, or to

31 CFR 560.516 - Payment and United States dollar clearing transactions involving Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... clearing transactions involving Iran. 560.516 Section 560.516 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations... Payment and United States dollar clearing transactions involving Iran. (a) United States depository institutions are authorized to process transfers of funds to or from Iran, or for the direct or indirect...

31 CFR 560.516 - Payment and United States dollar clearing transactions involving Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... clearing transactions involving Iran. 560.516 Section 560.516 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations... Payment and United States dollar clearing transactions involving Iran. (a) United States depository institutions are authorized to process transfers of funds to or from Iran, or for the direct or indirect...

31 CFR 560.516 - Payment and United States dollar clearing transactions involving Iran.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... clearing transactions involving Iran. 560.516 Section 560.516 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations... Payment and United States dollar clearing transactions involving Iran. (a) United States depository institutions are authorized to process transfers of funds to or from Iran, or for the direct or indirect...

78 FR 55134 - Culturally Significant Object Imported for Exhibition Determinations: “Iran Modern”

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-09

... Determinations: ``Iran Modern'' ACTION: Notice, correction. SUMMARY: On August 8, 2013, notice was published on... State pertaining to the exhibit ``Iran Modern.'' The referenced notice is corrected to accommodate an... additional object to be included in the exhibition ``Iran Modern,'' imported from abroad for temporary...

Trends in monthly precipitation over the northwest of Iran (NWI)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asakereh, Hossein

2017-10-01

Increasing global temperatures during the last century have had their own effects on other climatic conditions, particularly on precipitation characteristics. This study was meant to investigate the spatial and temporal monthly trends of precipitation using the least square error (LSE) approach for the northwest of Iran (NWI). To this end, a database was obtained from 250 measuring stations uniformly scattered all over NWI from 1961 to 2010. The spatial average of annual precipitation in NWI during the period of study was approximately 220.9-726.7 mm. The annual precipitation decreased from southwest to northeast, while the large amount of precipitation was concentrated in the south-west and in the mountainous areas. All over NWI, the maximum and minimum precipitation records occurred from March to May and July to September, respectively. The coefficient of variation (CV) is greater than 44 % in all of NWI and may reach over 76 % in many places. The greatest range of CV, for instance, occurred during July. The spatial variability of precipitation was consistent with a tempo-spatial pattern of precipitation trends. There was a considerable difference between the amounts of change during the months, and the negative trends were mainly attributed to areas concentrated in eastern and southern parts of NWI far from the western mountain ranges. Moreover, limited areas with positive precipitation trends can be found in very small and isolated regions. This is observable particularly in the eastern half of NWI, which is mostly located far from Westerlies. On the other hand, seasonal precipitation trends indicated a slight decrease during winter and spring and a slight increase during summer and autumn. Consequently, there were major changes in average precipitation that occurred negatively in the area under study during the observation period. This finding is in agreement with those findings by recent studies which revealed a decreasing trend of around 2 mm/year over NWI

Protection of the Mountain Ridgelines Utilizing GIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, S.; Lee, M.

2013-12-01

Korean peninsula is characterized by numerous hills and mountains. The longest mountain ridgeline starting from Mt. Baekdusan to Mt. Jirisan is called Baekdudaegan which is similar to the continental divide or topographical watershed. In this study, GIS data, such as remotesensing images, national digital map, and watershed map, are used to analyze Korean mountain ridgelines structure and one Baekdudaegan data and nine Ridgelines are extracted. When extracted Baekdudaegan and other Ridgelines are overlaid on geologic maps, granite and gneiss are main components on the mountain ridgelines. The main mountain ridgelines are considered as the spiritual heritage overlapped in the land in Korea. As the environmental state is relatively better than those of other region in Korea, so many mountain ridgelines are legally protected by national legislation. The mountain ridgelines has hierarchical system; Baekdudaegan, Jeongmaek, Gimaek and Jimaek etc. according to their scale and total lengths of ridgelines. As only part of mountain ridgelines are currently protected by law or managed in environmental impact assessment (EIA) procedure, we think that most part of them should be under protection. Considering the environmental state of the ridgelines, we think that some protective measures should be set up nearby 1 km on both sides of them. If there goes a development plan or project near the main mountain ridgelines, topographical change index (TCI) and topographical scale index (TSI) etc. are to be applied in EIA. This study intends: firstly, to analyze the topological characteristics of the Korean mountain ridgelines using GIS, secondly, to analyze the geological characteristics of nearby mountain ridgelines, and lastly, to find a way to utilize the results on EIA.

Floods in mountain environments: A synthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stoffel, Markus; Wyżga, Bartłomiej; Marston, Richard A.

2016-11-01

Floods are a crucial agent of geomorphic change in the channels and valley floors of mountains watercourses. At the same time, they can be highly damaging to property, infrastructure, and life. Because of their high energy, mountain watercourses are highly vulnerable to environmental changes affecting their catchments and channels. Many factors have modified and frequently still tend to modify the environmental conditions in mountain areas, with impacts on geomorphic processes and the frequency, magnitude, and timing of floods in mountain watercourses. The ongoing climate changes vary between regions but may affect floods in mountain areas in many ways. In many mountain regions of Europe, widespread afforestation took place over the twentieth century, considerably increasing the amounts of large wood delivered to the channels and the likelihood of jamming bridges. At the same time, deforestation continues in other mountain areas, accelerating runoff and amplifying the magnitude and frequency of floods in foreland areas. In many countries, in-channel gravel mining has been a common practice during recent decades; the resultant deficit of bed material in the affected channels may suddenly manifest during flood events, resulting in the failure of scoured bridges or catastrophic channel widening. During the past century many rivers in mountain and foreland areas incised deeply; the resultant loss of floodplain water storage has decreased attenuation of flood waves, hence increasing flood hazard to downstream river reaches. On the other hand, a large amount of recent river restoration activities worldwide may provide examples of beneficial changes to flood risk, attained as a result of increased channel storage or reestablished floodplain water storage. Relations between geomorphic processes and floods operate in both directions, which means that changes in flood probability or the character of floods (e.g., increased wood load) may significantly modify the morphology

Prevalence of pterygium in Iran: a systematic review and meta-analysis study

PubMed Central

Yasemi, Masoud; Bamdad, Shahram; Sarokhani, Diana; Sarokhani, Mandana; Sayemiri, Kourosh

2017-01-01

Background and aim Pterygium is one of the most prevalent pathologies involving the cornea, which can lead to various vision signs and even reduction in eyesight. No accurate estimate has been reported about the prevalence of pterygium in Iran. Hence, this study aimed to determine the pterygium prevalence in Iran by meta-analysis method. Methods Searching for data of the last eleven years (from 2004 to 2015) was conducted using the keywords of pterygium, eye, and Iran in International and domestic indexing services and databases including Iranmedex, Scientific Information Database (SID), Magiran, Irandoc, Medlib, IranPsych, Science Direct, Web of Science (Thomson Reuters), PubMed, and Scopus. The data were analyzed using the meta-analysis method (the random effects model). The disharmony of the studies was investigated using the I2 index. The data were analyzed by STATA Ver.11 software. Results In 5 studies conducted in Iran, with a sample size of 10,838 people between 2004 and 2015, the extent of the prevalence was estimated to be 11% (95% CI: 3 to 18%). Also, the prevalence of pterygium in women and men was 18% and 13%, respectively. Conclusion According to the published reports from Iran and its comparison with other points in the world, the prevalence of pterygium in Iran is high, especially among women. PMID:29560142

3 CFR - Delegation of Certain Functions and Authorities Under the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Under the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 Presidential... Authorities Under the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability, and Divestment Act of 2010 Memorandum for... the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996, as amended (Public Law 104-172, 50 U.S.C. 1701 note, as amended most...

Unraveling the Persian Knot: Indirect Approaches towards Iran

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-05-01

34 Kaveh Basmenji, Tehran Blues , Youth Culture in Iran, [London: SAQI, 2005], 73-74 35 Salehi, Insurgency through Culture and...unemployed Iranians that ringed Iran’s cities. For these rural peasants, Shia-Islam provided the only thing familiar to them in a period of drastic change...against the Shah, key symbols portrayed the Shah as an octopus siphoning off the wealth of Iran. 121 Revolutionaries provoked feelings of Islamic

Extreme weather events in Iran under a changing climate