Sedimentology
B. Mirzapour; R. Lak; M. Aleali; M. Djamali; R. Shahbazi
Abstract
Lake Urmia is one of the largest salt supersaturated lakes in the world that is located in northwestern Iran. Many wetlands are located around of Lake Urmia, especially in the southern part of the lake. Wetlands are important as a platform for recording environmental and climatic events. The ...
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Lake Urmia is one of the largest salt supersaturated lakes in the world that is located in northwestern Iran. Many wetlands are located around of Lake Urmia, especially in the southern part of the lake. Wetlands are important as a platform for recording environmental and climatic events. The subject of this research is studying sedimentology and statistical parameters of sedimentology in the analysis of different sedimentary environments in the sediments of southern wetlands around Lake Urmia, including Kani Barazan and Solduz wetlands. The purpose of this study is reconstructing the fluctuations of the water table of Lake Urmia and its effect on wetland areas in the Holocene period. For this purpose, sedimentary cores with maximum depth of 12 meters and total depth of about 200 meters using a handi auger and 8 hole cores by a vibra corer were collected and examined. Sedimentary facies were identified and separated based on texture and sediment structure, composition of destructive sediments and organic matter, color, presence of plant remnant and shell residues and other macroscopic components. Sampling was performed based on changes in the type of sediments and sedimentary facies. 150 sediment samples were separated for grain size analysis. The samples were analyzed using two methods, wet sieving and particles smaller than sand (silt and clay) by laser device (Laser particle Sizer Analysette). Statistical parameters of sedimentology were calculated using Sedilizer software and were analyzed by SPSS software. Two samples of plant remnant were dated by C14-AMS isotope method. The results indicate that there are 8 facies, belonging to 3 sedimentary environments of lake, wetland and alluvial. The dating results show the average sedimentation rate in the southern part of Lake Urmia is about 0.5 mm per year. However, sedimentation rates vary in different sediment depths. According to the analysis of different cores, the reconstruction of the paleogeography of the south of Lake Urmia and it`s extention had been done in the last 20,000 years. This study shows that in the late quaternary Lake Urmia has expanded to the beginning of the current Siminehrud. At the late Pleistocene and the early Holocene, the coastline regression in the southern part and the alluvial sediments of the Zarrinehrood and Siminehrood rivers occurred in the south of the region. The late Holocene was associated with decreasing water table, slightly dry conditions (around 4000 years ago) and the expansion of marginal playa. The situation in the region has been permanent for about 2000 years.
Sedimentology
Sara Ebrahimi Meymand; Hamed Zand-Moghadam; Mohammad Khanehbad; Asadollah Mahboubi Mahboubi; Gholamreza Hosseinyar
Abstract
Nebkhas are one of the aeolian dunes that play an important role in wind erosion by stabilizing sediments around plants. Due to the depression of northern Shahdad plain (eastern Kerman), the sever wind impact, high rate of sediment supply and the presence of desert plants, nebkhas have expanded. In this ...
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Nebkhas are one of the aeolian dunes that play an important role in wind erosion by stabilizing sediments around plants. Due to the depression of northern Shahdad plain (eastern Kerman), the sever wind impact, high rate of sediment supply and the presence of desert plants, nebkhas have expanded. In this study in order to achieve the formation of nebkha in the Shahdad plain, sedimentological parameters and the effect of vegetation on nebkha geomorphology have been investigated. Due to the expansion of the study area and the different geomorphology of the nebkha, 30 nebkha were sampled along with sediments between them. the analysis of these sediments shows that nebkha sediments are often fine sand sizes that are well-sorted and rounded. However, sediments between nebkha often have a range between gravel (pebble) and fine silt which are subdivided into either surface and sub-surface sediments (depth greater than 2 centimeters). Surface sediments are often coarse grains (granule to coarse sand) and have relatively well roundness and sorting. Field investigations and analyses have shown that genus and plant species are important in the geomorphology of nebkhas in the Shahdad plain but the effect of vegetation on the sedimentary parameters is insignificant. This is due to the fact that the three types of vegetation identified (Tamarix stricta, Seditzia rosmarinus, Prosopis farcta), the highest levels of nebkha is for Tamarix stricta but the sedimentary parameters with different vegetation are not significantly different.
behnam pashazadeh; Davood Jahani; razieh Lak; Hamid nazari; masoud zamani pedram
Abstract
The purpose of this research is to identify quaternary units and determine the sediment boundaries around Yazd city in Central Iran. The origin of Quaternary sediments is mainly related to erosion of the Triassic, Cretaceous, and Palaeozoic units. Based on the results of sedimentation, six types of facies ...
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The purpose of this research is to identify quaternary units and determine the sediment boundaries around Yazd city in Central Iran. The origin of Quaternary sediments is mainly related to erosion of the Triassic, Cretaceous, and Palaeozoic units. Based on the results of sedimentation, six types of facies were identified as Mud, silt, sandy silt, silty sand, mud sands and sandy mud. The XRD results of the samples show that these specimens consist mainly of quartz, calcite, dolomite, feldspar, coperite and clay minerals. In the fossil studies of two important species of ostracodes called Ilyocypris sp. Which refers to sweet waters and Candona .sp, which relate to various saline waters. Due to the diversity of facies and fossils, approximately the lake in the study area was developed in late Quaternary. Facies characteristics, the type of minerals and index fossils indicate that the sedimentation of these facies in a sedimentary lake environment that was first identified in the study area.
Peyman Heidarian; A. Azhdari; M. Jodaki; J. Darvishi Khatooni; R. Shahbazi
Abstract
Significant damages have been caused by dust storm in Iran, particularly in Khuzestan province. Thus, as a primary step to fight with dust storms, it is necessary to map dust sources. The purpose of this study is to identify dust sources using a combination approach of remote sensing, GIS and sedimentology ...
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Significant damages have been caused by dust storm in Iran, particularly in Khuzestan province. Thus, as a primary step to fight with dust storms, it is necessary to map dust sources. The purpose of this study is to identify dust sources using a combination approach of remote sensing, GIS and sedimentology in Khuzestan province. For this, spatial data of soil, land use, climate, slope (collected from related organizations) and sedimentology were used as constraint layers, and vegetation, land surface temperature (LST) and soil moisture constitute the main layers. Sedimentology map was prepared by field sampling (900 samples) and remote sensing techniques. Also the main layers were extracted by performing the necessary computational processes on Landsat 8 satellite images. The constraint layers were applied to remove the areas without any potential of dust source. In next step, main layers weighting was done using pairwise comparison and Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) methods. For preparing map of dust sources, each major layer was multiplied by corresponding weight and were then integrated to present a dust source zonation map. To validate the results, a field work was carried out in 180 points of source areas that verifies high accuracy of the prepared map. Results showed that 9 percent of Khuzestan plain, equivalent to 349254 hectares, are dust-generating sources. Based on land use type and area, the identified zones include destroyed range, rainfed agriculture lands, bare lands, wetlands, dried ponds and irrigated agriculture lands, respectively.
K. Nezhadafzali; R. Lak; M. Ghoreshi
Abstract
Mud volcano is a natural and spectacular phenomenon that usually appear in form of a dome but some are found as a basin. Mud volcanoes comprise a mixture of water, gas and mud. They are found in most parts of the world, particularly in the Alps and Himalayas belts. In Iran, most of the mud volcanoes ...
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Mud volcano is a natural and spectacular phenomenon that usually appear in form of a dome but some are found as a basin. Mud volcanoes comprise a mixture of water, gas and mud. They are found in most parts of the world, particularly in the Alps and Himalayas belts. In Iran, most of the mud volcanoes appear in coastal plains of the Caspian and Oman Seas. Mud volcanoes are known as indicators of oil and gas resources, and they are used to predict the existence of oil and gas reservoirs in Earth subsurface. The Napag mud volcano, as the largest and most active one in Iran, is located on the northern coast of the Oman Sea and is an interesting natural occurrence in the country. It is associated with a 39-m-high cone-shaped hill and several active and inactive vents. Mud eruption with different rates occurs usually every 3-5 minutes, and flows out from the western disrupted side of the edifice downslope toward the surrounding plain. In this research, a sediment sample was taken from the mud-flow during the field work, then analyses was analyzed for major, accessory and trace elements using ICP-OES machine in the laboratory. In addition, an analysis of the grain size of the sediment sample was carried out and the data were processed by the SPSS software. Results show that the sediment particles are of clay and silt in size. Al and Fe elements constitute 89.8 and 4.4 % of the sediment, and their high frequency is related to the high percentage of clay in the sediment. The evolution of the Napag mud volcano was investigated in three different stages: (1) Explosive, (2) Effusive (fast eruption with high rate), (3) Extrusive (slow and gradual eruption of material with high viscosity).
S Bayetgoll
Abstract
The integration of ichnologic data with sedimentology analyses allows for discrimination between delta and open marine deposits of the Nayband Formation (Upper Triassic) in the Central Iran, Kerman. Relying on the facies characteristics and stratal geometries, the siliciclastic successions are divided ...
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The integration of ichnologic data with sedimentology analyses allows for discrimination between delta and open marine deposits of the Nayband Formation (Upper Triassic) in the Central Iran, Kerman. Relying on the facies characteristics and stratal geometries, the siliciclastic successions are divided into two facies associations, FA (open marine), FB (fluvial-dominated delta). The river-dominated deltaic assemblage includes facies that have been deposited in prodelta, distal delta front, proximal delta front, and mouth bar environments. The overall sedimentological and ichnological characteristics suggest deposition facies association A within the river-dominated deltaic environment. The open-marine facies association includes facies that have been deposited in shelf-offshore, offshore transition, distal lower shoreface and proximal lower shoreface environments. Facies association A and B of the Nayband Formation display markedly different suites of ichnofossils throughout the different depositional subenvironments. The fluvial-dominated delta successions are characterized by numerous physical and chemical stresses that can strongly influence the behavior of burrowing organisms. Three trace fossil assemblages are identified in the fluvial-dominated delta deposits. High rates of fluvial discharge, high water turbidity, seasonally high rates of deposition and phytodetrital pulses in river-dominated deltas may cause marked variations in the temperature, oxygenation and salinity of the fluvial-dominated delta successions. All of these factors in combination lead to reduction in diversity and abundance of infauna, small trace fossil size, and sporadic distribution of burrowing and lower intensities of bioturbation of trace fossil suite of river-dominated deltaic successions. Open marine deposits contain ichnological signatures characterized by moderate to intense bioturbation, high assemblage diversities and larger trace fossil size compared with the river-dominated delta successions. The occurrence of diverse and robust trace fossil suites attributable to the Zoophycos, Cruziana and Skolithos ichnofacies point to unstressed environmental conditions in open marine setting.
M Afarin; M Boomeri; A Mahboubi; M Gorgij; M.A Hamzeh
Abstract
In this study, geochemical and sedimentological assessment was carried out on mudstone and sandstone deposits of Eastern coasts of Chabahar. Fifty samples were taken from five sectione of Tiss, Ramin, Lipar, Gorankesh and Garindar estuary and subjected to grain size analysis and chemical analysis ...
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In this study, geochemical and sedimentological assessment was carried out on mudstone and sandstone deposits of Eastern coasts of Chabahar. Fifty samples were taken from five sectione of Tiss, Ramin, Lipar, Gorankesh and Garindar estuary and subjected to grain size analysis and chemical analysis using XRF and ICP AES methods. Positive sorting and skewness (with the frequency of fine grain particles) of samples indicate deposition in a low energy environment. Plotting geochemical data of major elements from Late Miocene- Pleistocene age 10 mudstone and sandstone samples in east coasts of Chabahar in Makran zone, on siliciclastic rocks classification diagrams, showed that the sandstones are wacky and Mudstones are shale. The mean calculated chemical indexes of alteration (CIA) and weathering (CIW) for siliciclastic sediments, confirm low level weathering of source rocks of this sediments. The average index of combinational variety (ICV) for the studied sediments was 1.57, which indicates that these deposits have a moderate chemical maturity and are derived from the first cycle of sediments. Distribution pattern of rare earth elements on spider diagrams shows the enrichment of light rare earth elements (LRRE) relative to heavy rare earth elements (HRRE) in the rocks. High ratios of LILE/HFSE and LRRE/HRRE in the rock samples and similarity of their chemical composition with subduction zone facies, indicates that siliciclastics of Chabahar coasts have formed in a subduction zone. The diagrams of tectonic setting associated with patterns of multivariate charts also shows that the studied rocks have been developed in an active continental margin.
R Lak; M Taghizadeh
Abstract
The Persian Gulf has an area about 240000 km2, considered as the northern part of the counterclockwise movement of Arabian Plate and as a recent example of Holocene carbonated sedimentary environment in dry (arid) climate. The basin volume, regarding to its average depth (36m), is estimated about 87,000km3. ...
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The Persian Gulf has an area about 240000 km2, considered as the northern part of the counterclockwise movement of Arabian Plate and as a recent example of Holocene carbonated sedimentary environment in dry (arid) climate. The basin volume, regarding to its average depth (36m), is estimated about 87,000km3. The present study was done in order to examine the sea level changes and determine the rate of sedimentation of Holocene deposits in the northeast of Persian Gulf. A complete and undisturbed core from the Holocene deposits (1070 cm length) located in the south of Rajaee port in theHormozgan province was prepared. Following the exact description of this core, based on the objective observations, 52 samples were taken according to the facies divisions and they were sedimentologically and geochemically tested. The granulometric analysis, mineralogy by XRD method, abundance percentage of elements by ICP-OEC device and polarograph, percentage of organic matter by the Rock Eval device, percentage determination of carbonates by automatic calcimeter device were done for all samples and 10 samples were dated by 14C AMS method. The granulometric results indicated that most of the deposits are mud containing sand and gravel. The gravels are mainly related to shell fragments. The amount of carbonates varies from 17 to 84 percent. The silisiclastic deposits include quartz, feldspar, muscovite, pyroxene and clay minerals such as kaolinite, chlorite, montmoryonite, illite and paligorskite. The chemical and biochemical sediments are mainly calcite, dolomite and aragonite. The percentage of organic matter contained in the sediments varies from 0.02 to 0.13. The variation curve of calcium and strontium, which indicates intrabasinal sediments, is correlated to sea level changes in combination with objective evidences such as grain size, sediment type, and amount of organic matter, texture and structure of sediments. The abundance of most elements especially Al, Mg, Mn, Cr, Ba with continental origin, revealed a reversed relation with the sea level variations. In addition, two significant phases of rapid transgression have occurred from 6800 to 3700 and from 9300 to 7900 years ago. The dating results showed that the average rate of sedimentation in the study area is about 1mmper year(966mm/ka).
M. H. Adabi; R. Abbasi; H. Ghalavand
Abstract
In this investigation Dariyan Formation with the age of Lower Cretaceous (Aptian- Albian) were studied for geochemical and sedimentology characteristics in the surface section at Kuh-e Siyah Anticline and subsurface section Sabzpushan well number 1. Based on petrographical studies 12 microfacies identified ...
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In this investigation Dariyan Formation with the age of Lower Cretaceous (Aptian- Albian) were studied for geochemical and sedimentology characteristics in the surface section at Kuh-e Siyah Anticline and subsurface section Sabzpushan well number 1. Based on petrographical studies 12 microfacies identified which are belonging to 5 facies belt, such as: intertidal, lagoon, shoal, shallow open marine and deep open marine. The observed facies patterns indicated a carbonate ramp depositional environment. Important diagenetic processes were observed in Dariyan Formation including cementation, physical and chemical compaction and replacement processes such as pyritization and silicification. Prosities in these sections are secondary, including vuggy, fracture and channel types. Major and minor elements and carbon and oxygen isotopes studies are indicated that aragonite was original carbonate mineralogy for this Formation. The plots of elemental values also are illustrated that mainly burial diagenetic processes have been affected this formation in semi- close to semi- open system. A temperature calculation based on the heaviest oxygen isotope value indicates that the very early, shallow burial temperature was around 28.5°C during Dariyan carbonate deposition.
K. N. Afzali; R. lak
Abstract
United Arab Emirate has recently started to build some artificial islands in the southern part of the Persian Gulf. Constructing of these Islands, such as each marine structure, have special effects on the morphology of the sedimentary Basin. This investigation focused on the documentation of morphological ...
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United Arab Emirate has recently started to build some artificial islands in the southern part of the Persian Gulf. Constructing of these Islands, such as each marine structure, have special effects on the morphology of the sedimentary Basin. This investigation focused on the documentation of morphological and environmental effects of making artificial islands by the UAE in the Persian Gulf. This research is based on remote sensing studies and sedimentology investigation. Remote sensing studies carried out with comparing satellite data related to 1998, 2003, 2007 and 2008. Sedimentology investigation of the three sediment samples taken from the coastal part of the artificial islands was carried out. The deliberations indicate that construction of these islands have negative effects on geomorphological features in coastal part of the Persian Gulf in UAE region. The Sedimentation around the islands leads to the reduction of water depth. The kind of the sediment is usually carbonates and their origin in the western part of the islands is affected by marine longshore currents. However, there are two sources proposed for the sediments in the eastern part of islands; intrabasinal (direct precipitation) and detrical. The construction of linear barriers along the coast leads to the building of restricted lagoons between the coast and barriers. It is estimated the rate of progradation of the coast (sea ward migration of the shoreline) is 120 m from 2008 to 2009.
A. Amini; M. Shahosseini; A. Mohammadi; M. Shahrabi
Abstract
The hypersaline UrmiaLake is the most important intra-continental environment in Iran, with distinctive geological, environmental, and biological, characteristics. The Shahid-Kalantari Highway (under construction) between Urmia and Tabriz cities passes through this lake. Some 14 km dyke is constructed ...
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The hypersaline UrmiaLake is the most important intra-continental environment in Iran, with distinctive geological, environmental, and biological, characteristics. The Shahid-Kalantari Highway (under construction) between Urmia and Tabriz cities passes through this lake. Some 14 km dyke is constructed in the lake for this passage and about 1400 meter is left for a bridge construction. The role of the constructed dyke on sedimentation pattern seems significant, as understood from satellite images and field observations. This study deals with sedimentological characteristics and origin of deposits along the Shahid-Kalantary Highway of UrmiaLake. Availability of 4 cores from boreholes drilled for geotechnical studies provided a good opportunity for this study. This study is carried out on the cores of the 4 boreholes (340 m thick in total) and samples collected from the sea floor along the dyke. Mineralogical, textural and structural characteristics of the sediments were studied for determination of chemical, biological and physical processes responsible for their development. Some 396 plugs from the cores (0.7 to 1 m interval) and 15 samples from the sea floor (cores of 20-40 cm long) were selected for these purposes. To investigate the role of surrounding rivers in providing detritus material to the study site, samples from suspension load of the major feeding rivers are collected. Major characteristics of these samples are studied and compared with those from the study area. All available data on the discharge and sediment load of the major feeding rivers are collected and analyzed for this study. Size and shape are two major textural characteristics investigated in this study using petrographic methods (including SEM). Chemical composition of sediments is studied by petrographic (coarse material) and XRD (fine material and clay minerals) methods. Organic mater, carbonate content, and evaporate portion of the sediments are measured using standard techniques introduced in the literature. Results from this study shows that 25 to 40 % of the studied sediments are derived from the land, through feeding rivers and 60 to 75 % of them are formed within the basin by chemical and biological processes. Quartz, feldspar, volcanic lithics, heavy minerals including pyrite and pyroxene, and clay minerals are major detrital constituents of the sediments. Kaolinite, illite, and montmorillonite are common clay minerals in the sediments, which characteristics are similar to those determined in the suspension load of feeding rivers. Some carbonates, as carbonate lithics, and organic material are also found detrital in origin. Gypsum, halite, calcite, and aragonite are the chemical components of the sediments occur as evaporate and mud crusts, or coated grains. Fecal pellets and some coated grains (produced by algae) are the main biological components of the studied sediments. Pyritization of pellets, especially in lower parts of the cores, is commonly observed, so that, pyrite is presented in the sediments both in detrital and diagenetic forms. Distribution pattern of the major constituents along the studied cores reflect the significant role of sea level fluctuation in their development. Results from this study show that the chemical components of sediments developed during the stages of sea level fall, during which the sea was barely receiving sediments from the land (dry periods). The coated grains of this origin were developed in the basin margin, where the wind-induced waves produced a relatively high energy sub-environment in the margin. The biological constituents of the sediments were developed during sea level rise (lower salinity conditions), during which environmental conditions were not suitable for development of chemical sediments. The origin of detrital material is related to the feeding rivers. TalkeRud in the eastern part of the sea had a major role in providing coarse terrigenous particles to the basin. Major characteristics of the detrital quartz, feldspars, pyroxene and volcanic lithics are similar to those find in the volcanic outcrops of the IslamiIsland and TalkeRud alluvial fans. The Shahr Chay, Nazlu Chay, and Barandoz Chay in the west and ZarinehRud and SiminehRud in the south had significant role in providing fine terrigenous (clay minerals) to the studied area.
On the basis of distribution pattern of terrigenous sediments and their ratio to chemical and biological sediments, the feeding rivers around the lake (major suppliers of the terrigenous sediments) are classified into three groups (most, moderate and low effective). This is designed for further investigation on the controls of sediments accumulation along the highway. This study emphasizes on more significant role of chemical and biological processes on the sediments accumulation in the studied area, than that of physical processes. Due to significant role of sea level fluctuation in chemical and biological sediments development, a thorough control on sea level fluctuation (dam construction, artificial evaporation for salt acquisition, and etc.) is vital in this basin. In this regard any program for sedimentation control along the dyke must take greater consideration on chemical and biological deposition.
M. Khoddami; A. Mahboubi; R. Moussavi-Harami; S. Feiznia
Abstract
The Lateshur Watershed is a part of Central Iranian drainage basin located northeast of the city of Pakdasht in northeastern TehranProvince. This watershed has an elongate form and its surface area is more than 22.2 square kilometer. It is a part of central Alborz zone and geologically is composed of ...
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The Lateshur Watershed is a part of Central Iranian drainage basin located northeast of the city of Pakdasht in northeastern TehranProvince. This watershed has an elongate form and its surface area is more than 22.2 square kilometer. It is a part of central Alborz zone and geologically is composed of Neogen red beds units, Hezardareh Formation and Quaternary alluviums. Geomorphologic studies show that this watershed is within an anticline and surrounded by DahanehMountains in the south and Gara-aghajMountains in the north respectively. Structural and lithological variability have a very important role in the formation of this watershed; therefore, the watershed has the same trend as structures (NW-SE). Based on this study, the LateshurRiver has a braided pattern with gravelly bed. Sedimentological studies along rivers in Lateshur basin show that three basic factor (sudden changes in slope gradient, floods events and distributaries) are the main reasons for changes in texture of bed load sediments within the channel as well as the break in sedimentary links. Lithofacies identified in this watershed include gravelly (Gmm, Gmg, Gcm, Gt), sandy (Sp, Sm, St, Sh) and muddy (Fl, Fr). Based on lithofacies, Boundary surface and current direction architecture elements identified in main river of Lateshur basins include: (1) Gravel bars and Bed forms [Element GB], (2) Lateral Accretion deposits [Element LA], (3) Sandy bed forms [Element SB] and (4) Fine grain classtic deposits [Element FF]. Also, based an lithofacies and architectural elements, Facies models have been purposed for the Lateshur river from upstream toward downstream as fallows: Shallow gravel braided river, Gravel wandering river, Gravel bed meandering river, Sandy meandering rive and Fining grain meandering river.