Khuzestan plain continental sabkhas, southwest Iran

Abstract

Khuzestan Plain is part of the Zagros basin that is located in the southwest of Iran. So far, no comprehensive study has been carried out on these sabkha in Khuzestan plain. This research is the first study on these environments in Khuzestan plain. In this study, continental sabkha of Khuzestan have been divided into four groups: playa, sabkha of dried floodplains, sabkha of dried lagoons, sabkha of ephemeral saline lake (pans). A playa, called Maleh, four sabkha of dried floodplains, with the names of east Zohreh, east Jarrahi, west Jarrahi–east Karoon and west Karoon, two sabkha of dried lagoons, called Hor Al-Azim and Shadegan as well as five sabkha of ephemeral saline lakes were identified in this plain. A total of 87 specimens were collected from the continental sabkha sediments of Khuzestan which classified according Shepard (J Sediment Petrol 24:151–158, 1954). Silt and then clayey silt and sandy silt are the most abundant sediments of continental sabkha of Khuzestan.