Advanced Applied Geology

Advanced Applied Geology

Late Quaternary glacial margin reconstruction in Alborz mountains at heights using the Cirque Lake Method by Lewis and Hofer

Authors
1 Department of Physical Geography, Faculty of Geography and Planning, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran.
2 دانشگاه اصفهان- دانشکده علوم جغرافیایی و برنامه ریزی
Abstract
The Alvand Mountains represent one of the major Quaternary glaciated regions of Iran, where numerous glacial landforms on both the northern and southern slopes indicate extensive past glaciation. This study aims to reconstruct the equilibrium-line altitude (ELA) during the Late Quaternary using geomorphological evidence and quantitative reconstruction methods. For this purpose, glacial basins on the northern and southern flanks of the Alvand range were delineated, and the Abbas-Abad (north-facing) and Sarkan (south-facing) basins were selected as representative study areas. In the first stage, key glacial landforms, including cirques, lateral and terminal moraines, and down-valley ice-marginal deposits, were identified and mapped. A total of 26 cirques were recognized in the Abbas-Abad basin and 21 in the Sarkan basin. Subsequently, a spatial database was developed using digital elevation models (DEM) and morphometric layers processed within a GIS environment. Past ELAs were reconstructed using the cirque floor altitude (CFA), Höfer, and Louis methods. The CFA method yielded mean cirque floor elevations of 2821 m for the Abbas-Abad basin and 2956 m for the Sarkan basin. The reconstructed ELAs derived from the Höfer and Louis methods are 2721 m and 2713 m for the northern basin, and 2772 m and 2798 m for the southern basin, respectively. The observed ELA differences between the northern and southern slopes highlight the significant influence of slope aspect, local topography, and microclimatic conditions on Late Quaternary glaciation patterns in the Alvand Mountains.
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