GEOGRAPHICAL RESEARCH
Year:2012 | Volume:26 | Issue:4 (103)|Papers Count:20

The Period of Shah Abbass rule was a turning point in the history of Iran. The reforms which this powerful king established in the disturbance conditions resulted in the peace and security, economic growth, city dwelling development, business boom development, improvement of public life and raising the rank of Iran among other countries. Shaiekh Bahaie is one of the most important accompanies of Shah Abbas who did effective efforts in this way. The residents of Najafabad, in the 30 km of the Esfahan west, think that their city was built at the age of this king and established by the supervision of Sheikh Bahaei. This paper is to examine the accuracy of this theory. For this purpose, the available documents and library certificates and also the local evidence were studied and analyzed. The obtained results show that this city was established by Shah Abbas, ordered for the support of new-established capital city of Safavid and Shaikh Bahaie has supervised its construction. The water of this city has been provided by a channel of Qanats within a radius of 35 to 55 kilometers in western Najafabad and transferred by a long channel to the city and distributed through a regular plan on the surface of agricultural lands. Moreover, the city map was designed based on the city–making principles and symmetric-making pattern observation as two squares were on the center of the city and the lanes and streets crossed each other have derivated form them. Making this new city has not caused any problem not only for the previous residences of villages at this region but also resulted in many advantages. Today, after 400 years of constructing this city, this significant monument of Safavid era has not been identified and introduced yet. It is suggested that some interferences which are done at the direction of qanats and watering–channels, be removed and solved. Finally this complex, which is an image of dominated regional thought planning at the age of Safavid, may be recorded as a national work.

Continuous and lengthy droughts in previous years not only in the southern provinces of Iran but also in the whole country necessitate optimized water management. Indian Ocean and adjacent seas in south of Iran are suppliers of part of the humidity in the region and the variation on Indian Ocean sea surface temperature has an important role in evaporation from oceans and input humidity into atmosphere. In this study, wavelet and cross wavelet analysis were performed on rainfall data and Indian Ocean dipole mode index for surveying the role of Indian Ocean dipole on seasonal variability in southern provinces of Iran. Cross wavelet spectrum showed that autumn rainfall and autumn Indian Ocean index in Ahwaz, Chabahar, Bushehr and Abadan stations are significantly correlated at less than 3 years period of time. Evaluating the role of Indian Ocean dipole on autumnal rainfall variation indicates positive correlation in variation of regional rainfall.

Word of mouth (WOM) is becoming increasingly recognized as an important form of promotion and an important source of information influencing consumer’s attitudes and purchase behavior, particularly within professional services environments, where credence qualities play a critical role in consumers’ choices. WOM is especially important in tourism industry, whose intangible products are difficult to evaluate prior to their consumption. The purpose of present research is to assess use of WOM in the context of tourism destination choice. To test hypothesizes; t-test, Spearman coefficient and Regression analysis were used. To analyze the obtained data, SPSS software was used. The findings show that tourists used WOM as an information source. According to findings, it is understood that concentration on WOM and factors influencing its effectiveness as a competitive advantage can be benefited to tourism destination managers and lead to more attraction of potential tourists.

The proposal of geomorphologic matters in relation to tourism is one of interdisciplinary research approaches that has been considered in recent years. In this manner, geomorphological sites are defined as geomorphological landforms and processes that have acquired a scenic/aesthetic, scientific, cultural/historical and/or a social/economic value due to human perception of geological, geomorphological, historical and social factors. Therefore, introducing Payam pass geomorphosite (North West of Iran) and presenting its Ecotourism potentials, is the main object of this report. Interpretation of topographic and geologic maps, areal photos and satellite images, and specially field studies are the most important information sources in the investigation of morphogenetic units and minigeomorphosites. On this base, fluvial systems, periglacial system, travertine production system and anthropogenic factors are the main morphogenetic processes in study area. Perfectly, the whole Payam pass landscape is affected by tectonic activity and fluvial processes in geologic periods. At present, exploitation of Payam pass as a geomorphosite is accomplished by non-ecotouristic policies, and activities of morphogenetic systems are unattended. Eventually, the presentation of a new view to catchments and geomorphologic units and definition of these areas in the moulding of ecotourism concepts is the main finding of this paper that should be followed by further studies. Such investigations as this can create a relationship between nature of morphogenetic systems and whatever planners need.

Nowadays, a noticeable part of areas with high development in different regions of the world is urban centers with touristy attractions. Thus, in these cities, urban development comes forth as a basic challenge to decision makers and local planners. The aim of this research is to identify the driving forces which affect urban growth in the Sareyn town, as one of the best known touristy centers (warm water attractions) of Iran, and the significant factors influencing the land use change in the urban fringes of Sareyn were found through the logistic regression model. Recently, a spatially explicit model named CLUE-S (Conversion of Land Use and its Effects in Small Scale Extent) is widely applied to explore the spatial and temporal dynamics of land use. Based on the literature and interview with local planners, possible factors underlying every kind of land use type were identified. The land use patterns of Sareyn town from 2008 to 2021 are simulated and the possible scenarios are generated for different alternatives with Clue-S model.

To analysis the mechanisms of blocking high effects on heavy precipitations in northwest of Iran, we selected a short period of heavy precipitation (25-28 October 2008). In this case, weather maps such as mean of sea level pressure, 850-hpa and 500-hpa geopotential height levels were assessed and analyzed for the whole period. The position and movement of the atmospheric systems such as cyclones, anticyclones, fronts and wind fields were identified using the weather maps. Daily precipitations data were retrieved from Islamic Republic of Iran Meteorological Organization (IRIMO), for 50 stations in the studied area that covered 12 provinces, and then were analyzed. The results indicated that a blocking system had been existed over the west of studied area in the whole time with two ridges that extended in its own sides. Wind field of lower levels (850-hpa) have had an important role in the humidity feeding of atmospheric systems which during the activity of the system has become the suitable pattern of the wind field in lower levels and provided a remarkable humidity feeding for the studied region. In addition, regionalization results of 24-hour precipitation amounts showed that during this period, the northeast parts of the region received more precipitation than other parts.

«Strategic energy ellipse» of geopolitical region includes Iran, the Persian Gulf, Sheikhs Emirates in the south, parts of Iraq, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia in the West, the Caspian Sea, south of Russia and some southern parts of Kazakhstan in the north and parts of Uzbekistan in the north east. More than seventy percent of proven oil reserves and more than forty percent of world natural gas reserves are in this region. The large diameter of oval area is along with the same axis which links Caspian Sea to the Persian Gulf and it is in Iran. The Caspian-Persian Gulf axis with an emphasis on global change process is based on geopolitical changes in the international system in the framework of a New Cold War. Relationships between the two centers of geopolitical and world energy (Persian Gulf and Caspian Sea area) are strategically important and the global powers'' military and political competition to dominate this axis is basis for the new international changes. In this paper, New Great Game is a term that explains the competition between the regional and global powers in order to dominate on strategic energy ellipse. The aim of this paper is to consider the New Great Game position in the strategic energy ellipse, to analyze actors'' military and political competitions and recognize the geographical area in which the game exists. This study used descriptive-analytical methods and the inferential methodology has been used to reach the goals. Data have been collected using library and internet sources as well as news sources on the basis of objective-historical data.

Qorveh – Dehgolan aquifer is one of the ground water resources in Kurdistan. Increase in pumping of water has dropped water table level significantly. This study considers the relationship of fluctuations in precipitation, humidity and evaporation with ground water table level. After preparing the base map and the rainfall data accuracy, isohyetal map of basin was drown. Based on isohyetal map, long-term precipitation and other climatically elements were prepared. Through the review of precipitation fluctuations, normal, dry and wet cycles were determined. Isopiestic map for each period and each year in GIS environment was calculated by Thiessen method. Accompanying with spatial and time fluctuations, there were analyzed statistical correlations of variables fluctuation in the climate periods. Results show that considering the significant mean differences between variables in different levels of time, the climatically periods are recognizable and aquifer water level has been more affected by rainfall in 1-3 year periods in comparison to the periods of more than 3 year. Climate elements change (evaporation and rainfall) cause significant fluctuations in groundwater levels. In Dehgolan flat Rainfall change impacts on groundwater fluctuations is more effective than in Qorveh flat.

Discovering ground water resources as one way of supplying drinking water of the world is an essential and inevitable issue due to the increasing demand for water. In this research, we tried to use the available raw data, such as geological layers, topographic maps, maps of water wells in the region and channel maps and faults in the region to produce maps such as slope, floor height, drainage density of Category 2 and 3 and the distance from waterways of Category 3 and distance from the fault. Each layer was given a weight from 1 to 9 and they were prioritized based on their potential finding percent; then, to have an accurate map of the potential of the existing layer set, they were integrated based on mathematical method and the zones of high power have been identified. The results show that 104 km2 of plain areas of Arsanjan have high capability to extract drinking water. The more areas are in the north, North East and central plain and small parts are in the southwest part and in accordance with the low altitude and slope down, the highest channel density and the lowest distance from the waterways is for the waterways and faults. Due to falling water table of Arsanjan plain, there is a need for more measures such as monitoring the exploitation of water resources, basin water transfer between artificial recharge plain areas with high potential.

In this research, we will investigate and determinate the role of main causes and significance of these factors in the formation of poor dwelling areas in Isfahan beginning in 1960s (during which fast and inharmonious urbanization was started) to 2009. For this target, the research applied a survey method, (collecting data from selected families and interviewing with a real estate agency in different parts of Isfahan or sample areas). The collected data were analyzed by the inferential statistical procedures such as Chi- square, one sample T- test, Principal Component Analysis and Human development index. Among the findings of this study, we can point to the very important role of the variable of income in the formation of poor dwelling areas in Isfahan. Other variables such as unemployment, house rent, immigration, and cheaper and easier access to shelter were categorized in the next rank in order. Using human development index in the neighborhood of ten studied areas, takhte foulad, Koole parche, and 24 metri were found to have the highest score and the areas of Arab, Moft Abad and Dark had the lowest scores.