Geomorphology
Arezou Cheraghi; Shahram Bahrami; Somayeh Khaleghi; Kazem Nosrati
Abstract
Dolines are one of the most important karst landforms and play an important role in soil formation. In this study, the morphometry of dolines and their relationship with the physicochemical characteristics of soil in Noakoh anticline were evaluated. Chemical and physical characteristics of 36 soil samples ...
Read More
Dolines are one of the most important karst landforms and play an important role in soil formation. In this study, the morphometry of dolines and their relationship with the physicochemical characteristics of soil in Noakoh anticline were evaluated. Chemical and physical characteristics of 36 soil samples of dolines were collected and measured in the laboratory. Also, digital elevation model (DEM; 13 cm cell size) obtaining from UAV images, was used to measure the morphometric parameters of dolines. The results showed that large dolines have higher slope, depth and roundness, as well as sandy soils, and higher EC, pH, potassium, phosphorus, water holding capacity and soil organic carbon. Also, low- elevation dolines have large area, slope, depth, roundness and clay soils, and higher EC, PH, potassium, water holding capacity, organic carbon, and saturation percentage than high elevation dolines. The dolines located in the plunge of the anticline have large area, slope, depth, roundness and clay soils, as well as more EC, PH, potassium, water holding capacity, organic carbon and saturation percentage than the dolines in the central part. The mean of the most morphometric parameters and physicochemical characteristics of the soil in high-slope dolines is higher than in low-slope dolines. Therefore, the morphometric and pedological differences of dolines show that their formation and evolution are more at lower altitudes, plunge and steep slopes. In general, vegetation, elevation, slope and type of precipitation play an important role in morphometric differences and soils in dolines.
Kazem Nosrati; Milad Rostami; Zahra Etminan
Volume 6, Issue 21 , March 2020, , Pages 133-154
Abstract
1-IntroductionOne of the most elements in river geomorphology, engineering and management is the channel issue. Rivers are natural and complex systems that their classification offers a better knowledge regarding their processes and forms. Based on dynamic and channel forms, rivers are varied and find ...
Read More
1-IntroductionOne of the most elements in river geomorphology, engineering and management is the channel issue. Rivers are natural and complex systems that their classification offers a better knowledge regarding their processes and forms. Based on dynamic and channel forms, rivers are varied and find natural changes over the years. However, nowadays anthropogenic effects comprising building structures such as bridges, and roads accelerate the destructive process. River classification is a suitable way to increase our knowledge about rivers. One important aspect of river is hydrogeomorphological understanding. Therefore the objectives of this study were to assess and analyze the Taleghan river hydrogeomorphological conditions using the geomorphological quality index method (MQI) in upstream of the Taleghan dam and to validate MQI in this river.2-MethodologySix reaches in upstream of the Taleghan River have been selected and MQI for each reach determined using satellite images and field survey. In order to determine SQI for each reach, three aspects have considered including river processes continuity (longitudinal and crosswise), channel morphological condition, cross-section form, sediment bed loads and vegetation. These aspects investigated in the form of three components consists of geomorphological functions, processes and river forms (F), artificial (A) and channel adjustments (CA).3-ResultsAfter measurement and field observation of the Taleghan River, effective variables on morphological quality index were obtained in reach. MAI and MQI values for each reach were calculated and classification was done based on the range of each class. The condition of each reach based on MQI was explained as follows:The first reach: took place in a mountain area and upstream of the river that on both sides connected to the river and is limited.Based on the NBS model erosion of bank steam is in a minor amount and the average bed slope in this reach is 0.028 with gravel bed.Channel width is variable between 10 to 18 m and has a single channel pattern. The obtained MQI values in this reach is 0.714 that grouped in a good class.Reaches comprising four reaches (two, three, five and six) have the same condition that in the point of human interfering, morphological condition and values of bed and bank erosion have a normal array and grouped in moderate class.In reach 4 the river is fairly limited and flood plain is present discontinuously on one side and the other side is attached to the hillside. The river has a sinuouse pattern and bed load sediment formed by fine and coarse sand. Furthermore, forth reach strongly influenced by human changes consists of gravel and sand quarring, the existence of bridge structure on the river, presence of built-up area and destruction of vegetation along the river.4-Discussion and conclusionThe results showed that reach one with score value of 0.714 due to low human interference and locating in upstream of the river categorized in a good class. Otherwise, reaches two, three, five and six have values of 0.58, 0.54, 0.59 and 0.61, respectively and they are categorized in moderate class; in these reaches in comparison to reach one the values of human interference have been increased. The reach four with MQI score value of 0.49, is categorized in a weak class because of human interference including gravel and sand exploitation and structures such as bridges on the river. The results reveal that the MQI model is approperiate for the classification of rivers in the Taleghan River in southern of Alborz Chain Mountain.
Foruzan Ahmadi; Kazem Nosrati; Mohamad Mehdi Hoseinzadeh
Volume 6, Issue 20 , December 2019, , Pages 141-164
Abstract
1-IntroductionAccelerated soil erosion is a serious problem in Iran, leading to degradation of soil and water resources, reduction of soil fertility, destruction of range and agricultural lands, desertification, recurring floods, sedimentation of reservoirs, and pollution of fishery habitats. Hence, ...
Read More
1-IntroductionAccelerated soil erosion is a serious problem in Iran, leading to degradation of soil and water resources, reduction of soil fertility, destruction of range and agricultural lands, desertification, recurring floods, sedimentation of reservoirs, and pollution of fishery habitats. Hence, understanding of the potential soil erosion process and opposition to this erosion are necessary environmental. To this end, uptake and refinement of sediment source tracing or fingerprinting techniques has expanded dramatically as an alternative approach to traditional methods of identifying key sediment sources. Sediment source fingerprinting involves discriminating potential sediment sources on the basis of differences in source material properties or tracers and determining the relative contributions of these sources to sampled target sediment. different kinds of sediment sources have been used so far in sediment fingerprinting techniques (e. g., land use, geology, sub-basins, surface and subsurface erosion) but, there is a little attention paid to the selecting the soil erodibility groups as sediment sources. Therefore, the main objective of this study are the Kouhdasht watershed dividing into different erodible units based on soil erodibility index and determination of the contribution of each unit in sediment yield using an un-mixing Bayesian uncertainty model and to find its relationship with soil organic carbon stock. 2- MethodologyKouhdasht basin with 1138 km2 area located in 33° 17´ to 33° 41´ north latitude and 47° 20´ to 47° 50´ eastern longitude in western of Lorestan province. samples were collected in two stages; first, 81 samples in order to estimate erodibility, second, in order to determine the contribution of each source to sediment yield, 70 soil samples were collected form sources and 12 sediment samples collected at the basin outlet. The soil erodibility was calculated based on the soil texture and based on the geometric mean of the soil particle diameter. Based on the amount of soil erodibility, the area was divided into three different erosion units as sediment sources. To determine the contribution of sediment sources to sediment yield used fingerprinting technique is based on estimation of uncertainty.3- ResultsThe erodibility of the study area varied from 0.0386 to 0.0663. Erodible units were identified as sediment sources based on the values obtained from the erosion parameter and according to the results of selecting the optimal combination of tracers. The results showed that the first erosion unit 2%, the second erodible unit 5%, and the third erosion unit 93% contributed in the region's sediment yield. The relative importance of erodible units in sediment yield was obtained by dividing the share of each resource in the production of sediment into the percentage covered by each source. The relative importance of the first, second and third erosion units is 0.08, 0.28, and 1.57, respectively. Regarding the role of organic carbon in erosion, the amount of organic carbon storage in different erosion units of the area was also measured. The amount of organic carbon storage in each erosion unit is first, second and third ones were 70.5, 64.3 and 54.6 mg / ha respectively. 4- Discussion and conclusionThe third unit with 93% has the largest contribution in sediment yield and with 54.6 mg / ha, it has the lowest amount of organic carbon storage in the area. Considering that this unit is most used in agriculture and geologically under quaternary sediments, showed that the parts that are under cultivation and quaternary sediments have both high erodibility and the highest contribution to sediment yield. Measurements of organic carbon storage also showed, there is the least amount of organic carbon storage in this unit and this suggests that in the third unit, the damage caused by the loss of fine sediments such as clay is higher. Given that the third unit is under agricultural use this can be attributed to the type of land use and exploitation. Therefore recommended more attention to the type of use of land and soil management and conservation programs implemented in the region.