Geomorphological Landscapes of Tar Al-Sayed and Tar Al-Najaf Area-Central of Iraq

Ahmed Abbas Hasan

doi:10.29196/jubpas.v26i10.1856

Abstract

Iraq has a variety of geomorphological landscapes, because of the varied and beautiful desert landforms and these forms may tell us the tectonic history on a long term and also the climate of this part of the Arabian plate. Tar Al-Sayed and Tar Al-Najaf area have geomorphological landscapes that are variable and reflect different exogenic processes and these features been observed in the field are: Barchans and sand sheet which are mobile features, and they are widespread, but the smallest Geomorphological Landscapes are wind ripples, other features are Mesas and escarpments as a result of the erosion of sequences of sedimentary rocks. Also, butte these are flattened top hills, Zeugen obvious feature in the study area found in soft strata been eroded by the wind. In the areas where the wind erosion predominates over water erosion in moulding some of these features. Yardangs are wind- roded, aerodynamic hills. Tafoni Caves are arch-shaped entrances sized several centimeters to several meters in diameter and depth. When weathering together with mass collapse found, then Natural Arches formed. They most commonly occur in sandstone and claystone. Slope Instability which it is extensively landslide phenomena. The Drainage Systems in the study area have dendritic pattern and it is the most predominant. Some of the features composed of fluvial sediments as in Alluvial Fans.

Highlights

Iraq has a variety of geomorphological landscapes, because of the varied and beautiful desert landforms and these forms may tell us the tectonic history on a long term and the climate of this part of the Arabian plate
Karbala-Najaf vicinity has some notable geomorphological features these are Tar Al-Sayed and Tar Al-Najaf (Figure 1) and the term “Tar” is a local name for an elongated type cliff with NE-SW and NW-SE trends, a triangle formed by the meeting of these two cliffs from the head is called “Al-Lisan” area, that has a flat base, and this base forms the boundary between the flat Mesopotamia Plain and gently sloping plain of the Karbala-Najaf Alluvial Fan
The length of Tar Al-Sayed 105Km and Tar Al-Najaf is 103.4 Km, and they form the boundaries of a large alluvial fan in a typical delta shape and flat top the top covered the alluvial fan length is 64 Km, with coverage area of 2761 km2

Summary

Geological and tectonic setting

More than 60 % of the study area is covered by Quaternary deposits. The structure of the area is not expressive on the surface, due to the nearly flat lying nature of the bed rocks, lack of good contineous exposures and due to quaternary deposits cover. In the extreme southwestern corner of the map area a NW-SE trending fault exists, brings the Zahra Formation in contact with the Nfayil Beds, the extensions of this fault of the map area is clear. In both cases the fault displacement is not clear

Methodology and Field work

Findings

Results and Discussion