Determining the fractal pattern in a reach of Qharesou river, Ardabil province, Northwest of Iran

Mostafazadeh, Raoof; Esfandyari Darabad, Fariba; Naseri, Ahmad; Abyat, Ahmad; Adhami, Maryam

doi:10.22034/hyd.2023.57428.1700

Document Type : پژوهشی

Authors

¹ Associate Professor, Department of Natural Resources and member of Water Management Research Center, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili

² Professor, Department of Physical Geography, Faculty of Social Science, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran

³ M.Sc. in Geomorphology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran

⁴ Assistant Professor, Department of Geology, Islamic Azad University, Omidiyeh Branch, Omidiyeh, Iran

⁵ Ph.D in Watershed Management Sciences and Engineering, Faculty of Natural Resources, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22034/hyd.2023.57428.1700

Abstract

Fractal dimension is a powerful and important index that reflects the physical and morphological characteristics of rivers and has a close relationship with geometric features of rivers. The fractal pattern was used to investigate the sinuosity of the Gharehsou River in Ardabil Province, using the box-counting method. The results show that the fractal dimension of the Gharehsou River varies between 2.068 and 2.186. The minimum fractal dimension is in the first category of meanders with lower areas of tangent circle, and the maximum number of circles falls into the eighth category (having high areas of tangent circle). Based on the correlation between the number and area of tangent circles (0.71 to 0.84), it can be said that the river reaches studied follow a fractal and self-similar pattern. The fractal dimension values in the Anzab village-Taleb Qeshlaqi village reach were calculated to be 2.23, indicating a higher level of self-similarity, which is related with the naturalness of this river reach, which is located within a plain area, and the river has undergone more evolution. On the other hand, in the Taleb Qeshlaqi village-Sabalān Dam reach, the fractal dimension value was found to be 1.85, which may be related to the river traversing steeper paths, limiting its meander development and making the fractal pattern less observable. Human interventions in the river's course, as well as the river's passage through agricultural lands in some cases, have led to changes in the width and depth of the river and restrictions on meander expansion.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Geomorphology

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Determining the fractal pattern in a reach of Qharesou river, Ardabil province, Northwest of Iran

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Volume 10, Issue 37 - Serial Number 37January 2024Pages 97-81

Volume 10, Issue 37 - Serial Number 37
January 2024
Pages 97-81