Document Type : Original Research Paper
Authors
1 Geological Survey of Iran, Marine Geology Management,Tehran, Iran
2 Geological Survey of Iran, Marine Geology Management,Tehran, Iran Research Instiute for Earth Sciences, Geological Survey of Iran Theran, Iran
3 Department of Georgraphy, Earthscience Faculty, Shahid Beheshti University, Theran, Iran
4 Faculty of Geography, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
Mud volcanoes are natural and site-seeing phenomena in the world, particularly in the Alps and Himalayas belts. Mud volcanoes usually appear in form of a dome or a pool. The mud volcanoes comprise water, gas and mud. with plenty of applications, like tourism, mud therapy, supplying of essential body trace elements, and their usage as mud for pottery. In Iran most of the mud volcanoes appear in coastal plains of the Caspian and Oman Seas. A mud flow was formerly found between Minab and Jask in Hormozgan Province. These types of exclusive, beautiful and natural phenomena require more attention by tourism industry. On the other hand, mud flow must be introduced as the most important geotourism phenomenon of northern coast of the Oman Sea. In this research, after data collection, including topography and geology maps, AIRS satellite data and aerial photos, remote sensing verifications were implemented. Then, mud flow determination was completed by field work studies and checking. A sediment sample was taken from each mud flow in the field work, then analyses of major, accessory and trace elements were carried out by using ICP-OES. About 30 small and big mud volcanoes around of Gavak mountain and 6 mud volcanoes at Gatan and Tojak area were determined in Hormozgan province that they have not been introduced before. The biggest mud volcanoe (Aryana) has cone with 73m hight at Gatan area and the smallest one has cone with less than 1m at Gavak area. Meantime, hydrogeochemical studies or determination of the percentage of available elements for all mud volcanoes were implemented. Since this geomorphological phenomenon indicates tectonic activity of a region, hence there is a possibility of mild earthquake and faulting occurrence. This issue must be considered in construction of buildings and certain fixed structures, such as bridges. Emitted gases through mud volcanoes relatively indicate the internal conditions of the Earth, particularly existence of oil and gas reservoirs. Mud flow is an index for availability of oil and gas reservoirs. They are used for prediction of availability of these reservoirs inside the Earth.
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