North Tehran Research Articles

Temporal and spatial variations of particulate matter and gaseous pollutants in the urban area of Tehran

Being hemmed in on two sides by high mountains, the urban area of Tehran is characterized by high levels of particulate matter and gaseous pollutants, which have adverse consequences on human health, ecosystems and environment. Using air quality measurements taken in different regions of Tehran, spatial and temporal variations of particulate matter and gaseous pollutants are analyzed to identify the typical climatological aspects of air pollutants. In terms of particulate matter concentrations, South Tehran is more polluted than Central to North Tehran, while West Tehran is more polluted than the East. Concentrations of particles in North Tehran are lower in the midday compared to the midnight, whereas the opposite is true in South Tehran. The observed annual mean concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 in North Tehran were 37.5 and 76.3 μg m−3, respectively, which are substantially greater than the national annual mean safety limits of 10 μg m−3 for PM2.5 and 20 μg m−3 for PM10. The observed high levels of particulate matter underline the essential need for a coordinated action to reduce the rapidly increasing air pollution over the growing urban area of Tehran. Noticeable monthly (seasonal) variations are evident in the observed PM10 concentrations, with a minimum of 61.5 μg m−3 in March (spring) and a maximum of 82.9 μg m−3 in July (summer), reflecting contribution of weather conditions. Analyzing daily PM2.5 (PM10) concentrations indicate that mid-week Wednesdays (Mondays) are the most polluted days. The higher mid-week concentrations reflect contribution of heavy vehicular traffic, industrial operation and increased commercial activities. Strong diurnal variations in the concentrations of particulate matter in North Tehran are detected, varying from a peak in late night to a minimum in late afternoon, indicating contribution of deeper daytime convective boundary layer and stronger winds in dispersion of particles.

Study of the Mediating Role of Organizational Citizenship Behavior in the Relationship of Workplace Spirituality with Customer Loyalty and Service Quality in Saman Bank

In today highly competitive banking industry, customer loyalty and customer satisfaction with banking services are among the important preconditions for survival and growth of banks. In this context, the relationship between customers and employees providing services is of significant importance and in general it can be said that frontline employees may attract customers and gain their satisfaction and loyalty by providing services beyond their role requirements. Present research aims to study the role played by workplace spirituality in organizational citizenship behavior, service quality and customer satisfaction. In present applied research, a survey methodology was employed and questionnaire copies were distributed to the sample derived from a statistical population comprising of all staff and customers of north Tehran branches of Saman Bank. Random stratified sampling procedure was used to obtain the appropriate sample for present study. As a result of it, 230 questionnaires (equal to the total number of employees) and 341 questionnaires (according to a sample based on Krejcie & Morgan table with an estimated statistical population of 3000) were respectively distributed to employees and customers. Structural equation modelling (SEM) and LISREL software were used to study the relationships. Research findings confirmed all hypothesized relationships between the studied concepts.

Modeling interseismic deformation field of North Tehran Fault extracted from precise leveling observation

The North Tehran Fault (NTF) stands out as a major active thrust fault running for approximately 110km north of Tehran, the capital province of Iran. It has been the source of several major historical earthquakes in the past, including those in 958, 1665, and 1830. In this paper, interseismic strain accumulation on the NFT was investigated using precise leveling measurements obtained over the time frame 1997–2005. The relationship between surface deformation field and interseismic deformation models was evaluated using simulated annealing optimization in a Bayesian framework. The results show that the NTF fault follows an elastic dislocation model creep at a rate of 2.5±0.06mm/year in the eastern part and 6.2±0.04mm/year in the western part. Moreover, the locking depth of the fault was evaluated to be ±1.1km in the eastern part and 1.3±0.2km in the western part.

Employing Minimum age model (MAM) and Finite mixture modeling (FMM) for OSL age determination of two important samples from Ira Trench of North Tehran Fault

AbstractIra trench site is in a point where, the surface trace of North Tehran Fault (NTF) joins the Mosha Fault (MF) in the north-eastern margin of Tehran and can provide important paleosismological information for Tehran. The Ira trench, were divided into 6 packages (I to VI), described, according to their composition, relative and absolute ages. Package I consists of units 23, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31. The whole package I mainly belongs to Holocene, and provides essential constraints for the recent paleoearthquake activity of the EMF and NTF zone. Therefore, finding accurate ages for the units of this package is very important. Three colluvial wedges (units 23, 26, 28) are present between 20 and 36.5 m north in package I, which are assigned to 3 episodes of activity on Fault 13. Central age model (CAM) provided OSL ages of 35.0 ± 6.1, 7.3 ± 1.3, 6.4 ± 0.9 and 56 ± 6.5 ka for units 23, 26, 28 and 29, respectively.The conflicting ages of 56 ± 6.5 and 35.0 ± 6.1 ka (for units 23 and 29, respectively) as compared to the underlying younger units suggest that these ages are overestimated. MAM provided OSL ages of 13.1 ± 4.3 and 3.5 ± 0.4 ka for units 23 and 29, respectively. The contribution of the new statistical age model of sample IRA4 to the paleoseismic data is discussed.

The role of urban furniture in the mental health of the elders in regions 1 and 2 of North of Tehran and regions 19 and 20 of South of Tehran

Aim: This study was designed with the aim of investigating the role of urban furniture in the mental health of elders in regions 1 and 2 of North of Tehran and also regions 19 and 20 of South of Tehran. Subjects and Methods: Survey method is descriptive as well as correlation and survey sample includes 400 women and men of 65 or older form 1 and 2 regions of North Tehran and 19 and 20 of South of Tehran have been chosen according cluster and multi-stage random sampling methods. The required information was collected with the man-made questionnaire of urban furniture and questionnaire of mental health of Goldberg and Hiller. Data were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistics such as regression and t-test. Results: The results showed that the constituent elements of urban furniture, such as design and installation of elements of urban furniture, paint and beautify, sampling, uniformity, and coordination of components have a significant and positive effect on elder's mental health. Conclusions: Regarding the results of this study about effects of urban furniture on mental health of elders, it is essential for practitioners in the field of urban management to consider such points and also for policy makers to make a proper schedule to improve the culture and attitudes and take effective steps in this direction to increase the level of mental health and in particular, help the elder's lifestyle.

UNCERTAINTY HANDLING IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT USING HIERARCHICAL ROUGH SET GRANULATION

Abstract. Uncertainty is one of the main concerns in geospatial data analysis. It affects different parts of decision making based on such data. In this paper, a new methodology to handle uncertainty for multi-criteria decision making problems is proposed. It integrates hierarchical rough granulation and rule extraction to build an accurate classifier. Rough granulation provides information granules with a detailed quality assessment. The granules are the basis for the rule extraction in granular computing, which applies quality measures on the rules to obtain the best set of classification rules. The proposed methodology is applied to assess seismic physical vulnerability in Tehran. Six effective criteria reflecting building age, height and material, topographic slope and earthquake intensity of the North Tehran fault have been tested. The criteria were discretized and the data set was granulated using a hierarchical rough method, where the best describing granules are determined according to the quality measures. The granules are fed into the granular computing algorithm resulting in classification rules that provide the highest prediction quality. This detailed uncertainty management resulted in 84% accuracy in prediction in a training data set. It was applied next to the whole study area to obtain the seismic vulnerability map of Tehran. A sensitivity analysis proved that earthquake intensity is the most effective criterion in the seismic vulnerability assessment of Tehran.

INTEGRATED ESTIMATION OF SEISMIC PHYSICAL VULNERABILITY OF TEHRAN USING RULE BASED GRANULAR COMPUTING

Abstract. Tehran, the capital of Iran, is surrounded by the North Tehran fault, the Mosha fault and the Rey fault. This exposes the city to possibly huge earthquakes followed by dramatic human loss and physical damage, in particular as it contains a large number of non-standard constructions and aged buildings. Estimation of the likely consequences of an earthquake facilitates mitigation of these losses. Mitigation of the earthquake fatalities may be achieved by promoting awareness of earthquake vulnerability and implementation of seismic vulnerability reduction measures. In this research, granular computing using generality and absolute support for rule extraction is applied. It uses coverage and entropy for rule prioritization. These rules are combined to form a granule tree that shows the order and relation of the extracted rules. In this way the seismic physical vulnerability is assessed, integrating the effects of the three major known faults. Effective parameters considered in the physical seismic vulnerability assessment are slope, seismic intensity, height and age of the buildings. Experts were asked to predict seismic vulnerability for 100 randomly selected samples among more than 3000 statistical units in Tehran. The integrated experts’ point of views serve as input into granular computing. Non-redundant covering rules preserve the consistency in the model, which resulted in 84% accuracy in the seismic vulnerability assessment based on the validation of the predicted test data against expected vulnerability degree. The study concluded that granular computing is a useful method to assess the effects of earthquakes in an earthquake prone area.

GIS modeling of seismic vulnerability of residential fabrics considering geotechnical, structural, social and physical distance indicators in Tehran using multi-criteria decision-making techniques

Abstract. The main issue in determining seismic vulnerability is having a comprehensive view of all probable damages related to earthquake occurrence. Therefore, taking into account factors such as peak ground acceleration at the time of earthquake occurrence, the type of structures, population distribution among different age groups, level of education and the physical distance to hospitals (or medical care centers) and categorizing them into four indicators of geotechnical, structural, social and physical distance to needed facilities and from dangerous ones will provide us with a better and more exact outcome. To this end, this paper uses the analytic hierarchy process to study the importance of criteria or alternatives and uses the geographical information system to study the vulnerability of Tehran to an earthquake. This study focuses on the fact that Tehran is surrounded by three active and major faults: Mosha, North Tehran and Rey. In order to comprehensively determine the vulnerability, three scenarios are developed. In each scenario, seismic vulnerability of different areas in Tehran is analyzed and classified into four levels: high, medium, low and safe. The results show that, regarding seismic vulnerability, the faults of Mosha, North Tehran and Rey make, respectively, 6, 16 and 10% of Tehran highly vulnerable, while 34, 14 and 27% is safe.

The Transverse Topographic Symmetry Factor of Darakeh Stream in the North Tehran, Iran

The study area is located in the north Tehran, Iran. Calculation of transverse topographic symmetry factor (T) is suitable for rapid assessment of active tectonics. Therefore, transverse topographic symmetry factors have beencalculated for the Darakeh stream. The study area is located in the Tehran Piedmont and transverse topographic symmetry factor is calculated for it. Based on values of this index, there is high relative tectonic activity level. This condition can be related to existence of a blind north-south striking fault which it may be buried by alluvium of the Darakeh stream. Dendritic drainage pattern of Darakeh stream and the fact that the western tributaries are longer than the eastern tributaries provide indirect evidence of ground tilting toward the east. Also, based on our results, most part of the study area have got high tectonic activity that it is compatible with its tectonic setting on the Tehran in north Iran.

Microseismicity of the Tehran region based on the data recorded in a local monitoring network: 2004-2010

Evaluation of the seismicity of a region depends on records of earthquakes. This article assesses the microseismicity of Tehran region, bounded by the coordinates 34.43°-36.87° N and 49.07°-53.13° E. This was investigated by the Tehran Disaster Mitigation and Management Organization (TDMMO) network from 2004 to 2010. The main purpose of this study was to substantiate the current tectonic activity of the region. We checked whether the observed faults in the region are active or not. Some active trends were found with the strongest activity in the eastern part of the region, especially associated with the North Tehran fault. In addition, records exist of strong historical earthquakes in this zone. These confirm that the area east of Tehran is more active than the west. The magnitude of completeness in the E, NE and SE is Mc=2. Major faults criss-crossing Tehran are located in the foot of the Alborz mountain belt. The released seismic energy map of the region demonstrates that the main active zones with high energy values for microearthquakes are in the east of the region.

The Impact of Time-Series Diagnostic Tests on the Writing Ability of Iranian EFL learners

This study aimed to show whether administering a battery of time-series diagnostic tests (screening) has any impact on Iranian EFL learners’ writing ability. The study was conducted on the intermediate EFL learners at Islamic Azad University North Tehran branch. The researcher administered a homogenizing test in order to exclude the exceptional scores, among all the testers, only those whose scores were nearly within one standard deviation above or below the mean were selected as the participants of this study. After the assignment of the participants to the control and experimental groups- 30 students in each group- they were asked to write five-paragraph-essays on two topics. Such a pretest was given to both groups to test their initial writing ability. Once scoring of the students’ writings (five- paragraph essay) was finished the two means of the groups were calculated and compared with each other through the t-test analysis. The result demonstrated that there was no statistically significant difference between those two groups regarding the variable under investigation. Four sets of diagnostic tests were given to the experimental group every two weeks and after each test both the result of the exam and suitable feedback regarding students’ errors were given to them by the teacher, while the Current-Traditional Rhetoric method was administered in the control group. In the posttest which was run after giving the treatment and placebo to experimental group and control group respectively, students took another writing test with the same characteristics in administration, topics and scoring as the one in pretest. Thereafter, the significance of the difference between the obtained means of experimental and control groups in the posttest was determined through the t-test. The result of the t-test analysis indicated a significant difference between the two groups which consequently rejected the null hypothesis of the study. Therefore, any significant difference between the performance of experimental and control groups were attributed to the effectiveness of treatment which in this study was a set of parallel form diagnostic tests and the related feedback which was given by the teacher. Two matched t-test were also calculated to determine whether students in two groups had any improvements from the pretest to posttest or not.

Kinematic links between the Eastern Mosha Fault and the North Tehran Fault, Alborz range, northern Iran

Kinematic interaction of faults is an important issue for detailed seismic hazard assessments in seismically active regions. The Eastern Mosha Fault (EMF) and the North Tehran Fault (NTF) are two major active faults of the southern central Alborz mountains, located in proximity of Tehran (population ~ 9 million). We used field, geomorphological and paleoseismological data to explore the kinematic transition between the faults, and compare their short-term and long-term history of activity. We introduce the Niknamdeh segment of the NTF along which the strike-slip kinematics of EMF is transferred onto the NTF, and which is also responsible for the development of a pull-apart basin between the eastern segments of the NTF. The Ira trench site at the linkage zone between the two faults reveals the history of interaction between rock avalanches, active faulting and sag-pond development. The kinematic continuity between the EMF and NTF requires updating of seismic hazard models for the NTF, the most active fault adjacent to the Tehran Metropolis. Study of offsets of large-scale morphological features along the EMF, and comparison with estimated slip rates along the fault indicates that the EMF has started its left-lateral kinematics between 3.2 and 4.7 Ma. According to our paleoseismological data and the morphology of the nearby EMF and NTF, we suggest minimum and maximum values of about 1.8 and 3.0 mm/year for the left-lateral kinematics on the two faults in their linkage zone, averaged over Holocene time scales. Our study provides a partial interpretation, based on available data, for the fault activity in northeastern Tehran region, which may be completed with studies of other active faults of the region to evaluate a more realistic seismic hazard analysis for this heavily populated major city.

Urbanism of Grandiosity: Planning a New Urban Centre for Tehran (1973–76)

Abstract In the 1970s a grand-scale ceremonial urban centre, with an extensive programme of governmental, commercial and residential buildings, was planned for north Tehran. Construction began in 1975, but was soon halted by the eruption of the street protests that led to the 1979 revolution. This essay analyses the project’s conception, socio-political underpinnings and ultimate failure, by contextualizing it within Tehran’s urban landscape and by tracing its design trajectory. As a grandiose project made possible by the oil boom, the final plan of Shahestan, drawn up by the planning firm Llewelyn-Davies International, not only reflects the megalomania of Mohammad Reza Shah (r. 1941–79) but also reveals the totalitarian nature of the Pahlavi regime in the 1970s. But prior to hiring the planning firm, Queen Farah supported a rival design by the internationally famous architects Louis Kahn and Kenzo Tange, who were indeed involved in the project for a few months before Kahn’s death in 1974. I argue that this duality of patronage, and all the oppositions that it embodies, is echoed in the gendered representation of monarchy in the final plan and signifies how the project subverts a liberal narrative of modernism. Moreover, the new urban centre was not at the city’s physical core but rather at the centre of its northern part – the locus of an expanding upper middle class. The discrepancy between the intended purpose of the project and the social realities of its urban context epitomizes the regime’s paradoxical approach to modernity and modernization.

Molecular Detection and Antimicrobial Activity of Enterolysin a Endopeptidase among Enterococcus faecalis Strains of Different Origins

Aims: The target of present study is to determine the frequency of occurrence of enterolysin A gene in Enterococcus faecalis strains from different sources and surveys about antibacterial effect of enl A gene positive strains. Study Design: Enterolysin A is a class IV bacteriocin with broad spectrum of antimicrobial activity that is produced by some E. faecalis strains. However, research on the presence and antibacterial activity of this bacteriocin in different sources is very limited. Place and Duration of Study: Islamic Azad University of North Tehran Branch Laboratory, between May 2011 and February 2012. Methodology: In this study, the occurrence of enterolysin A structural gene in a target of 68 E. faecalis strains of three sources (animal feces, feed and surface water) was surveyed. Enterococcal strains were isolated from other feces Gram-positive and negative bacteria using Bile Aesculin Azide agar medium. After strains purification, E. Original Research Article Annual Research & Review in Biology, 4(8): 1250-1259, 2014 1251 faecalis bacteria were identified and the occurrence of enterolysin A gene was evaluated by using PCR method. The antimicrobial spectrum of enl A gene positive E. faecalis strains was assayed by deferred antagonism assay method on the some gram-positive and negative pathogen bacteria. Results: Based on our results, 20 strains (29.4%) possessed enterolysin A structural gene. Different frequencies of the enterolysin A gene occurrence were detected in strains according to thebacterial origins; the strains from silage and lovebirds showed the highest frequency of enterolysin A gene presence. These gene-positive strains inhibited the growth of indicator bacteria such as clinical strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus and Salmonella enteric PTCC1709. Conclusion: Enterolysin A structural gene similar to the other enterocin genes present in enterococci of different origins. Moreover, efficiency of enterolysin A against pathogenic bacteria makes it a suitable candidate for their application in veterinary medicine, alternative antimicrobial compounds or bio-preservatives in food or feed.

Antibacterial Effect of Allium akaka Herbal Extract on Planktonic and Biofilm Cells of Pathogen Bacteria in Laboratory Conditions

Aims: Antimicrobial effect of Allium akaka herbal extracton the formation of biofilm and colonization of clinical and food-born pathogens are important in this research. Study Design: In the recent years, traditional medicine and identification of herbs have been highly addressed due to the problems arising from consumption of chemical drugs and bacterial resistance to the antibiotics in planktonic and biofilm modes. Allium (with the scientific name Allium akaka) contains sulfide and sulfur compounds with strong antimicrobial effects. Place and Duration of Study: Islamic Azad University of North Tehran Branch Laboratory, between February 2012 and May 2013. Methodology: Efforts have been made in this research to study the inhibitory effect of Allium ethanol extract on Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella typhimurium bacteria using disk diffusion and macro dilution methods (concentrations 62.50, 125, 250 and 500 mg lit -1 ). Also in this experimental research, the effects of different concentrations of Allium extract on biofilm formation bacterial and S. aureus and S. typhimurium pathogenic bacteria were studied using micro-titer method. Results: The best effect of extract was for S. typhimurium bacterium which was estimated Original Research Article Annual Research &Review in Biology, 4(20): 3087-3095, 2014 3088 at 125mg lit -1 . The lowest dilution for Allium herbal extracts that impeded the formation of biofilm in both S. aureus and S. typhimurium bacteria included a dilution of the 0.55 gr ml -1 within the first 24 hours and had lower effects on non-formation of biofilm within the next 48 and 72 hours. Conclusion: The present study shows that ethanol extract of A. akaka has antibacterial activity against S. aureus and S. typhimurium bacteria also the ability to diminish the

Evaluation of relative tectonic activity in the Tehran basin, central Alborz, northern Iran

Recent deformations in the area studied control structural expansions influenced by tectonic activities, causing transformations of geologic features and morphological landforms. The Tehran basin is located at the southern edge of the central Alborz and is the result of the Arabian–Eurasian convergence and clockwise rotation of the south Caspian basin with respect to Eurasia. Hence, assessment of the drainage pattern permutations and mountain fronts appears necessary. We used six significant morphometric indices for this evaluation: stream length gradient (SL), drainage basin asymmetry (Af), hypsometric integral (Hi), ratio of valley floor width to valley height (Vf), drainage basin shape (Bs), and mountain front sinuosity (Smf). The combined analyzed indices represented the relative active tectonics (Iat). The study area was divided into four regions according to the values of Iat. These classes include class 1 (very high activity), class 2 (high), class 3 (moderate), and class 4 (low). The regions with high relative tectonic activity mostly correspond with the active structures in the basin. The tectonic activity classes 1 and 2 coincide with the fault mountain fronts in the southern edge of the central Alborz especially the North Tehran fault. The parts of the central Mosha fault and the regions in the east, the southeast, and the west of the basin indicate the moderate class of tectonic activity (class 3). The low elevation plain in the south and southwest of the area shows the lowest relative tectonic activity (class 4).

Real-Time Mapping of PGA Distribution in Tehran Using TRRNet and peeqMap

Tehran megacity, the political and economical capital of Iran with population of more than eight million residents, is situated in the seismically active zone of Alborz. The seismicity pattern of this zone shows occurrence of large earthquakes in long time periods (Masson et al. , 2005). Several large earthquakes such as the 855 A.D. M s 7.1, the 958 A.D. M s 7.7, and the 1117 A.D. M s 7.2 in the historical seismic catalog of Tehran and surrounding area proves that the city has a high level of seismic risk (Fig. 1). The last disastrous example among these earthquakes was in 1830, and the city is waiting for the next large earthquake (Ambraseys and Melville, 1982; Ashtari‐Jafari, 2010). Several active faults surround Tehran including North Tehran fault, Eyvanekey fault, North and South Ray faults (Fig. 1). Apart from existence of several active faults around the city, fast growth of population and urbanization in previous decades, and lack of strong regulations for urban development increased the vulnerability of Tehran to moderate to large earthquakes (Amini‐Hosseini et al. , 2009). Figure 1. Map showing major active faults (Hessami et al. , 2003), and seismicity around Tehran. Circles, epicenters of M s>6 earthquakes; numbers, the year of earthquake occurrence. The historical earthquakes are from Ambraseys and Melville (1982). Star, the epicenter of the 17 October 2009 ( M w 4.0). NRF and SRF in the dashed square area, closely surrounding the city, refer to South Ray fault and North Ray fault, respectively. Topographic contours at 200 m intervals of the boxed area are shown in Figure 3. Mindful of the seismic risk faced by the city, the Tehran Rapid Response Network (TRRNet) has been installed in the Tehran metropolitan area …

PATH PLANNING OF AN AUTONOMOUS MOBILE MULTI-SENSOR PLATFORM IN A 3D ENVIRONMENT USING NEWTONIAN IMPERIALIST COMPETITIVE OPTIMIZATION METHOD

Abstract. This paper addresses an innovative evolutionary computation approach to 3D path planning of autonomous UAVs in real environment. To solve this Np-hard problem, Newtonian imperialist competitive algorithm (NICA) was developed and extended for path planning problem. This paper is related to optimal trajectory-designing before UAV missions. NICA planner provides 3D optimal paths for UAV planning in real topography of north Tehran environment. To simulate UAV path planning, a real DTM is used to algorithm. For real-world applications, final generated paths should be smooth and also physical flyable that made the path planning problems complex and more constrained. The planner progressively presents a smooth 3D path from first position to mission target location. The objective function contains distinctive measures of the problem. Our main goal is minimization of the total mission time. For evaluating of NICA efficiency, it is compared with other three well-known methods, i.e. ICA, GA, and PSO. Then path planning of UAV will done. Finally simulations proved the high capabilities of proposed methodology.

SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS OF ORDERED WEIGHTED AVERAGING OPERATOR IN EARTHQUAKE VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT

Abstract. The main objective of this research is to find the extent to which the minimal variability Ordered Weighted Averaging (OWA) model of seismic vulnerability assessment is sensitive to variation of optimism degree. There are a variety of models proposed for seismic vulnerability assessment. In order to examine the efficiency of seismic vulnerability assessment models, the stability of results could be analysed. Seismic vulnerability assessment is done to estimate the probable losses in the future earthquake. Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methods have been applied by a number of researchers to estimate the human, physical and financial losses in urban areas. The study area of this research is Tehran Metropolitan Area (TMA) which has more than eight million inhabitants. In addition, this paper assumes that North Tehran Fault (NTF) is activated and caused an earthquake in TMA. 1996 census data is used to extract the attribute values for six effective criteria in seismic vulnerability assessment. The results demonstrate that minimal variability OWA model of Seismic Loss Estimation (SLE) is more stable where the aggregated seismic vulnerability degree has a lower value. Moreover, minimal variability OWA is very sensitive to optimism degree in northern areas of Tehran. A number of statistical units in southern areas of the city also indicate considerable sensitivity to optimism degree due to numerous non-standard buildings. In addition, the change of seismic vulnerability degree caused by variation of optimism degree does not exceed 25 % of the original value which means that the overall accuracy of the model is acceptable.

Rapid Estimation of Peak Ground Velocity and Earthquake Location Using Small Magnitude Earthquakes in the Tehran Region, Iran

Online Material: Supplemental tables. The Tehran metropolis is located in an extensive area between the Alborz mountain belt to the north and the central Iranian plateau to the south. Tehran, as the political and economic capital of Iran, is considered one of the most populated cities in the world. From the point of view of vulnerability to natural disasters, Tehran is of great concern because of its basic infrastructures and population concentration. The Alborz mountain belt is a part of the Himalayan–Alps orogenic belt with numerous active faults, including the Mosha reverse fault, the North Tehran thrust fault, the Parchin, the Kahrizak, and the South and North Rey faults, with high seismic potential in the study region (Fig. 1). The Mosha fault is one of the fundamental structures of the central Alborz mountains and is situated north of Tehran. This fault is concave to the north and extends from the edge of the mountain range in the west to the eastern Alborz mountains and can be considered an upthrust in some places and an overthrust in others (Moinfar et al. , 1994; Berberian and Yeats, 1999). The North Tehran fault is the most prominent tectonic structure in the immediate vicinity of Tehran for which the trace is east–west to east‐northeast–west‐southwest and slightly concave to the south (Berberian and Yeats, 1999). The Tehran urban district is extended across thick alluvium layers over bedrock with complex geological structure. Based on historic seismic documents, Tehran is surrounded by several specific faults with return periods of about 150 years, but no damaging earthquake has occurred since 1830 (Moinfar et al. , 1994; Berberian and Yeats, 1999), when an estimated 45,000 …