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Introduction to Landscapes and Landforms of Iran

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Desert Landscapes and Landforms of Iran

Part of the book series: Geography of the Physical Environment ((GEOPHY))

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Abstract

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.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Equilibrium Line Altitude.

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  1. Department of Physical Geography, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

    Mehran Maghsoudi

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Maghsoudi, M. (2021). Introduction to Landscapes and Landforms of Iran. In: Desert Landscapes and Landforms of Iran. Geography of the Physical Environment. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-58912-7_1

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