Analysis of Aeolian Deposit Processes and their Hazards in Sistan Plain

Jadidoleslami Ghaleno, Mahdi

doi:10.22111/jneh.2024.47555.2014

Analysis of Aeolian Deposit Processes and their Hazards in Sistan Plain

Document Type : Research Article

Author

Mahdi Jadidoleslami Ghaleno

PhD in Natural Geography (Geomorphology), Faculty of Social Sciences, Mohaghegh Ardabili University, Ardabil, Iran

10.22111/jneh.2024.47555.2014

Abstract

This research aims to evaluate the intensity of wind erosion and analyze the deposit processes in the Sistan Plain, focusing on two critical loci, Niatak and Jazink, covering approximately 131,660 hectares in southeastern Zabol, located in northern Sistan and Baluchestan Province in southeastern Iran. The key objectives of the research include providing appropriate solutions to minimize the damage caused by aeolian deposits and their secondary damage and identifying the hazards due to aeolian deposits in construction, agriculture, roads, and the damage incurred in the region. Wind-blown sand hazards as major natural threats in the Sistan Plain have increased in frequency and intensity in recent years. Due to climate change and the droughts of the past two decades, the vegetation cover has weakened in the research area, increasing its susceptibility to erosion. Therefore, it is essential to further evaluate the occurrence of this hazard and the resultant increase in vulnerability and associated financial and human losses. The research uses field studies, aerial photo analysis, satellite image evaluation over different periods, assessment of the regional general morphology and prevailing winds (120-day winds), geomorphological mapping of the area, as well as deposit sampling (sedimentology and related diagram plotting), and laboratory studies (X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray Fluorescence (XRF), and granulometry tests, morphoscopy, and statistical parameter determination). Comparative analysis and data analysis will be performed after conducting the relevant tests. Topographic maps, geological maps, and computer software such as ENVI and GIS were used in this research. The research results indicate that sand transport and prevailing wind directions are generally from northwest to southeast. This pattern, along with the centrality of existing dunes and 120-day winds, has the greatest effect on the region. Various factors such as strong and persistent winds, the flat and unobstructed nature of the plain, fine-grained soil, successive droughts, and poor vegetation cover play crucial roles in the extent of sand displacement across the Sistan Plain and the entry into the Chahnimeh reservoirs.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Environmental Hazards

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