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Geomorphological investigation of possible impact evidences for the crater-shaped structure of Zirouki in Samsour Desert, SE Iran

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Abstract

Despite the extensive records on geomorphological studies in Iran, meteorite impact craters have so far not been considered in to account. Based on both remote sensing technique and field work we have recognized the circular structure of Zirouki crater in the Samsour desert, southeast of Iran, which if confirmed as an impact structure, would be the third impact structure candidate in the Middle East after the Wabar craters in Saudia Arabia and Jebel Waqf as Suwwan in Jordan. Geomorphological investigation of the possible impact structure of Zirouki crater was done based on multi criteria methodology including of geological, topographical, geophysical and petrographical studies. Among different studies, topographical investigation indicated that the crater shape morphology was quite obvious with a central uplift projection; as well geophysical pattern provided very strong evidence for possible impact structure, indicating the presence of circular negative gravity anomaly at the whole of the crater.

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Notes

  1. . The recognized terrestrial impact structures are listed in the Earth Impact Database via (http://www.unb.ca/passc/ImpactDatabase), which are hosted and updated by the University of New Brunswick, Canada.

  2. . Bazman mount is pointed as stratovolcano in the Global Volcanism Program via (http://www.volcano.si.edu/world), which is hosted by the National Museum of Natural History, USA.

  3. . After the Geological Survey of Iran via (http://www.gsi.ir/newirangeology), this region is a seismic zone that is related to the Kahurak and Nosrat Abad fault system. These major faults have the length of about 200 and 100 km with general trend directions of SE-NW and SW-NE, respectively. The Zirouki Crater has a distance about 50 km from the Kahurak fault in Northwest and about 20 km from the Nosrat Abad fault system in East part.

  4. . After the Dictionary Reference via (http://dictionary.reference.com) in the soil sciences the surface features of the earth of small dimensions, commonly less than 15 meters are identified as micro reliefs.

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Acknowledgments

We are very grateful to Professor Dr. Wolf Uwe Reimold from Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute at the Humboldt University Berlin, Germany, for honorable advises. We like to thank Mr. Khosro Afsari head master of environmental protection agency in Sistan-Baluchestan province, Iran, for administration of field work. Also we thank Mr. Ali Berahmand for cooperation in field work, Mr. Parviz Mansouri Daneshvar for geological information and Mrs. Somayeh Rezayi for data examination.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Geography and Climatology, University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan, Iran

    Mohammad Reza Mansouri Daneshvar

  2. Department of Geography, Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran

    Mohammad Reza Mansouri Daneshvar & Ali Bagherzadeh

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  1. Mohammad Reza Mansouri Daneshvar
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  2. Ali Bagherzadeh
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Correspondence to Mohammad Reza Mansouri Daneshvar.

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Communicated by: H. A. Babaie

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Mansouri Daneshvar, M.R., Bagherzadeh, A. Geomorphological investigation of possible impact evidences for the crater-shaped structure of Zirouki in Samsour Desert, SE Iran. Earth Sci Inform 6, 241–252 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12145-013-0125-3

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