Geodiversity of Iran

Abstract

Geodiversity of Iran is so high that the country not only includes desert landscapes and landforms but it also contains other landforms in different morpho-climatic regions. In mountainous area of Alborz and Zagros, you can even find active glacier such as Alam Kuh. Some other major landforms are Hog back, gorge, anticline and syncline, canyon, and diverse karstic features. Coastal area in south (Persian Gulf and Oman Sea) and north (Caspian Sea) create huge diversity in landscapes and landforms of Iran. This diversity due to the existing island and other marine features make it more diverse in the coastal areas in the south. Volcanic activities initiated many landforms including volcano peaks and dormant volcanos such as Damavand in the north and Taftan in the east. Other volcanic landforms give diversity to landscapes of Iran. Desert environment has also great diversity of landscape and landforms in the country. Other landforms such as mud volcanos, pothole in the river course, meandering river channel, erosional–structural landforms such as plateau, mesa and butte augmented the geodiversity of the region.