The Zagros Mountains, Iran: A Preliminary Report, 1971, Judson D. M.

The Discovery and Exploration of Ghar Parau, Iran, 1973, Judson D. M.

The Karst of Kuh-e-Parau, Iran, 1973, Waltham A. C. , Ede D. P.

Adult Batrachuperus in a cave in Iran. A new species?, 1978, Clerguegazeau M. , Farcy J. P.

During a speleological exploration of a cave in Iran, a species of Urodele Hynobiidae was found. This Batrachian is either a new species of the genus Batrachuperus or an adult form of the species Batrachuperus persieus previously only described in its larval and juvenile forms. Certain observable differences suggest that it can be considered a new species. Observations on its feeding habits indicate that the presence of this periodic trogloxene in the cave is not "accidental", but that it remains there for a long period during its life cycle.

The British Speleological Expedition to Iran, 1977 - Medical Report, 1979, Glanville Peter

The British Speleological Expedition to Iran, 1977, 1979, Lewis R. G. (ed. )

Die Golezard-Höhle im Nordiran., 1980, Schleich, H(ans)h(ermann).

Die Golezard-Höhle im Nordiran, 1980, Schleich, H. H.

Les montagnes refuges calcaires de Méditerranée orientale et du Moyen-Orient (Grèce, Crète, Turquie, Iran), 1990, Maire, R.

The mountain shelters in the karst regions of Greece, Crete, Turkey and Iran - The concept of mountain shelters in karst region exists from the Prehistory, especially with rock-shelters and karstic caves. In the high karsts of Greece, Crete, Taurus (Turkey) and Zagros (Iran), the highlanders have survived during the invasions and wars because of their natural bastions. At the junction of civilisations and religions (Christians and Moslems), the karst biotope, one of the natural environment the most used by human people to guard against enemy and to breed (sheep-farming). Because of grazing and destruction of forests (particularly by Byzantine people and Venitians), the mediterranean karst mountain grew poorer.

La grotte touristique d’Alisadre (région d’Hamadan, Iran), 1994, Dumas, D.

The Alisadr show-cave (Hamadan region, Iran)

The governing factors of the physicochemical characteristics of Sheshpeer karst springs, Iran, 1996, Raeisi E. , Karami G. ,

The physical and chemical characteristics of karst springs are not a sole function of flow path in the carbonatic rock mass. A number of other parameters, including the type of precipitation, soil cover morphology of the exposed area, and the hydrochemistry of the infiltrating water into the karst system also have their own contribution. In the present study, the Car and Barm-Firooz mountains me chosen to determine some of the governing factors of the physical and hydrochemical characteristics of karst springs. The following measurements were carried out: 1. Concentration of major ions and electrical conductivity of the fresh snow and snowpack. 2. Variation of discharge as a function of time at six sicking streams. 3. Time Variation of discharge, electrical conductivity, and air and water temperature of sinking streams at seven sinkholes. 4. Electrical conductivity and temperature of water at the surface and 40 cm beneath the soil cover. 5. Discharge, major ions, temperature and electrical conductivity of the Sheshpeer spring water were measured every twenty days for a period of three years. The results indicate that if the physical and chemical characteristics of a karst spring are going to be used to determine the characteristics of corresponding aquifer, first the effect of external factors on the outflow should be accounted for, and then the characteristics of the karst aquifer be determined

Development of Shapour Cave, Southern Iran, 1997, Raeisi Ezzatollah, Kowsar Navid

Hydrochemographs of Berghan Karst Spring as Indicators of Aquifer Characteristics, 1997, Raeisi, E. , Karami, G.

Berghan Spring is located in the southern part of Iran, northwest of Shiraz. The catchment area of the spring consists of the southern flank of the Gar Anticline, which is made up of the karstic calcareous Sarvak Formation. There are no sinkholes or other karst landforms in the catchment area. Because of the existence of several faults, the aquifer has been brecciated and may have caused karstification to occur in most of the pores and fissures. The specific conductance, pH and water temperature were measured once every twenty days for a period of 32 months and water samples were analyzed for major anions and cations. Flow rate was measured daily during the recession, and once every three weeks during the rest of the study period. Using the WATEQF computer model, the partial pressure of carbon dioxide and the saturation index of calcite and dolomite also were estimated. Three distinct periods, the first recession, the second recession, and precipitation, were observed in the hydrograph of Berghan Spring. No considerable differences were observed between the first and second recession coefficients. Base flow constitutes 71.5%, 100% and 66.2% of total flow in the first recession period, the second recession period and the precipitation period, respectively. The variation of specific conductance, calcium and bicarbonate concentrations and calcite saturation indices are not significant during the study period, implying that aquifer characteristics control the chemical behavior of the spring. The morphology and geology of the Berghan Spring catchment area, and data from hydrographs and chemographs, show that the hydrologic system is dominantly diffuse flow. Evidence for this is shown by autogenic recharge, a brecciated aquifer, and small values and slight differences in hydrograph recession coefficients. In addition, specific conductance, calcium and bicarbonate concentrations, and water temperature did not show significant variations during the study period suggesting a diffuse flow aquifer.

Les nomades lours du massif calcaire du Kuh-e-Garrin (Zagros central, Iran), 1997, Dumas, Dominique

Today many nomadic confederations live in the Zagros range. For a long time, these high mountains have offered these populations both shelter and a large territory which is not as arid as the piedmont plains due to orographic rainfall Whereas the Baxtyari and Qashqaï are well described in the literature, little is known about the Lours nomads. In this paper, observations and investigations on nomadic families (Summers 1994, 1995, 1996) are presented together with the characteristics of their seasonal migrations. The socio-economic dimension of these populations is also studied to explain the reasons which account for the overgrazing clearly visible in all Zagros mountains. Today, these high mountain karsts are subject to a higher anthropogenic pressure than previously, which entails an irreversible disappearance of vegetation and soils.

Karst terraines in Iran - Examples from Lorestan, 1999, Ahmadipour, Mohammad Reza

In Iran karst terrain covers about 13% of the total area. The carbonate rocks belong to the Eocene, Oligocene-Miocene, Miocene, Jurassic and Cretaceous. Most of the carbonate rocks are developed in the basins of Mazindaran and Zagros. The carbonate rocks in the Zone of Zagros, due to the prevailing tectonic activities, have undergone more processes of karstification. About 56 % of all the springs originated from this zone. In Lorestan the Zagros zone consists of a series of parallel anticlines in which, due to the tectonic movements, the rocks have undergone folding and fracturing. The folding and fracturing have created rich ground water reservoirs. The carbonate rocks of Lorestan show all types of karst features such as karren, dolines and caves. The most developed karstic features are seen in the Bangeston group. Most of the springs are discharged either along the lineaments or at the intersection of the lineaments. The chemical analyses of the samples show that they are of bicarbonate type. The drinking water of the city of Khorramabad (capital of Lorestan) is supplied from the karstic springs. In this paper, the karst hydrology of two important regions of Lorestan are considered.