Equilibrium-Line Altitudes of Late Quaternary Glaciers in the Zardkuh Mountain, Iran

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Ministry of Energy, Isfahan Regional Water Company, Isfahan, Iran

2 Geographic Sciences and Planning Faculty, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

Abstract

Equilibrium-line altitudes (ELAs) of former glaciers in the Zardkuh Mountain of the Zagros Mountain Range were reconstructed from glacial-geologic data on former ice limits by using various methods. In the study area various types of glacial landforms such as outwash fans, moraines and well developed glacial cirques are observed. The results suggest that ELA were depressed 1433 m below to present ELA (3067 m asl) during the maximum glacier extension. By comparison of the calculated ELA depressions (DELAs) and the amount of the ELA depression around the world, maximum glacier extension in Zardkuh was correlated with Last Glacial Maximum. The ELAs and DELAs related to youngest moraines in the study area were about 3800 and 700 m asl, respectively. The calculated DELAs are more comparable to the latest phases of Late Glaciations or first phases of Neo-glaciations. The study showed that the depression of the annual temperature during the LGM glaciations was about 9.74°C and it was about 4.76 °C probably during the youngest glaciation stage. This study shows that the former glaciers in maximum extension were mostly firn-basin glacier with valley glacier tongue which their tongues had reached to elevation about 2400 m above present sea level, during the LGM.

Keywords

Article Title [Persian]

بازسازی خط تعادل یخچالهای کواترنر پایانی در ارتفاعات زردکوه

Authors [Persian]

  • بابک ابراهیمی 1
  • عبداله سیف 2
1 دانشگاه اصفهان
2 دانشگاه اصفهان
Abstract [Persian]

ارتفاع خط تعادل یخچالی (ELAs) یخچال‌های دیرینه در کوهستان زردکوه بر اساس داده‌های زمین‌شناسی – یخچالی که نشان‌دهنده محدوده یخ‌های دیرینه می‌باشد و طبق چند روش بازسازی‌شده است. در محدوده مطالعاتی انواع لندفرم های یخچالی مانند مخروط‌های یخرفتی، مورن ها و چندین سیرک یخچالی خوب توسعه‌یافته مشاهده‌شده است. نتایج این تحقیق نشان داده است که در طول دوره گسترش حداکثری یخچال‌ها، خط تعادل یخچالی نسبت به تراز فعلی خط تعادل یخچالی (3067 متر از سطح دریا) 1433 متر افت داشته است. مقایسه این مقدار افت و مقدار افت خط تعادل یخچالی (DELAs) دیگر نقاط دنیا نشان داده است که حداکثر میزان توسعه یخچالی در این منطقه می‌تواند قابل تطابق با دوره آخرین یخچال حداکثر (LGM) باشد. مقادیر ELAs و DELAs مرتبط با جوان‌ترین مورن های شناسایی‌شده در منطقه به ترتیب 3800 و 700 متر از سطح دریا بوده است. این مقادیر تطابق بیشتری با فازهای انتهائی دوره یخچالی پسین و یا فازهای ابتدایی دوره یخچالی جدید دارد. این مطالعه نشان داده است که افت دمای متوسط سالیانه در طول LGM حدود 74/9 درجه سانتی‌گراد و احتمالاً 76/4 درجه سانتی‌گراد در طول دوره‌های جوان‌تر یخچالی بوده است. همچنین نشان داده‌شده که یخچال‌های منطقه در زمان حداکثر توسعه (LGM) عمدتاً دارای یک حوضه برف‌گیر با زبانه‌های یخچالی دره‌ای بوده و زبانه‌های آن‌ها تا تراز 2400 متری نسبت به تراز فعلی دریاها امتداد داشته است.

Keywords [Persian]

  • آخرین یخچال حداکثر
  • افت خط تعادل یخچالی
  • زردکوه
  • زاگرس
  • ایران

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History

  • Receive Date: 10 December 2015
  • Revise Date: 03 June 2016
  • Accept Date: 24 May 2016

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