Introduction to Landscapes and Landforms of Iran
Iran as a country located in the southwest Asia is mainly covered by arid, semiarid, and hyper-arid climatic conditions. The country has high geological, climatologic, biologic, and cultural diversities. For example, though it is located in the hot spot o
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Introduction to Landscapes and Landforms of Iran
Abstract
1.1
Iran as a country located in the southwest Asia is mainly covered by arid, semiarid, and hyper-arid climatic conditions. The country has high geological, climatologic, biologic, and cultural diversities. For example, though it is located in the hot spot of the world in the Lut Desert, several parts of highlands in Alborz and Zagros Mountains experience below zero temperature in the summer. Sedimentary-structural units and climate conditions configured main landforms and landscapes of Iran. Two mountainous areas of Alborz and Zagros are formed by the main topographic components of the country. These mountains have inevitable effects on climate, hydrology, and even history and cultural aspects. The six first-order and thirty second-order watersheds with different types of rivers and aquifers supply surface and ground water for any human activities. Paleoenvironmental studies show the effects of complicated relationship between human activities and environmental functions during the history. Keywords
Administrative divisions of Iran Geology of Iran Structural unit of Iran Climate of Iran Morphoclimatic regions of Iran Hydrology of Iran Human settlements Alborz Mountains Zagros Mountains
Introduction
The landscapes and landforms of Iran are highly influenced by climate (morphoclimatic region), geology (structure and stratigraphy), and also topography. Combinations of these factors are generating a variety of landforms and landscapes around and inside Iran. In fact, endogenic and exogenic processes have formed different landscapes and landforms of Iran. More than 53.3% of Iran is between 1000 and 2000 m above sea level and 15.7% is over 2000 m (National Cartographic Center of Iran 2004) (Table 1.1). Several mountainous areas are developed in all Iran (Fig. 1.5). Zagros Mountains are extended from northwest part of Iran, beyond the border with Turkey and Iraq, to southeast and continued to the Persian Gulf. In this area, in simple folded structures, the synclines coincide with vast plains in the southern part and the anticlines coincide with mountains (Fig. 1.1). This kind of landform evolution is similar to that in Jura Mountains. In southwest Iran, Khuzestan Coastal Plain is located at the southeastern fringe of Zagros Mountains. In Northern part of Iran, Alborz Mountains is stretched from west to east in southern coast of the Caspian Sea. The Alborz Mountain Range separates the northern forest environment of Iran from the southern arid lands of the country. The highest summit of Iran, Damavand, as a volcanic peak is located in central part of the Alborz Mountain Range
© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021 M. Maghsoudi, Desert Landscapes and Landforms of Iran, Geography of the Physical Environment, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-58912-7_1
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2 Table 1.1 Area and percent of different levels of elevation in Iran
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Introduction to Landscapes and Landforms of Iran Area (km2)
Elevation (m)
Area (%)
Over 2000
260,000
15.7
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