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Background: Iran is a country with a high rate of natural disasters like earthquake. The environmental conditions slow down the delivery of health services, especially in the event of disasters. The modern technologies such as telemedicine are appropriate for facilitating disaster relief operations after an earthquake. This study aimed to develop a model for the implementation of telemedicine in an earthquake. Materials and Methods: The study was carried out using a mixed-methods research in three phases: 1. Review of the literature; 2. Qualitative study (modeling); and 3. Delphi method (validation of the model). Databases of Google Scholar, Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed were searched from 1990 to 2019 with the keywords of "telemedicine" AND "disaster" OR "emergency" AND "earthquake". After screening of the retrieved records, 13 articles met the eligibility criteria and were included in the review study. Ten experts extracted all key elements of telemedicine in the disaster from the articles and categorized them in 6 themes with 38 subthemes. The model of telemedicine in the earthquake was finalized with 2 rounds of Delphi with groups of selected volunteer experts. Results: In the first phase of the study, 6 key themes (telecommunication infrastructure, technical infrastructure, financial infrastructure, health infrastructure, organizational infrastructure, social infrastructure, and cultural infrastructure) with 38 subthemes of telemedicine for implementing in the disaster were obtained. At the conclusion of the third phase of the study, 6 key themes with 33 subthemes contributed to the model of telemedicine in the earthquake. Telecommunication infrastructure with a maximum score of 9.24 earned the priority, and social and cultural infrastructure themes with the minimum score of 7.53 came in the end. Conclusion: The model derived from this study can be used as an applied telemedicine model in an earthquake. We suggest that the results of this study be implemented as a theoretical model, or in a pilot study in a region of the country, and to be evaluated by regarding mortality reduction. We also recommend that a comparative study for using telemedicine in other types of disasters be undertaken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Iran is one of the earthquake-prone countries in the world that have experienced earthquakes with a magnitude of more than seven on the Richter scale, which has caused significant financial, human, economic, and social losses in society. In earthquakes where the vital arterial system is severely damaged, the community's life is threatened and sometimes causes significant damage. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of the earthquake on vital arteries and to design a new approach to earthquake crisis management in the classification of vital arteries. Materials and Methods: This study was descriptive applied. The study population consisted of technicians and experts in management and civil engineering in Isfahan Province, Iran. Considering that the study population is 265 people, all of them were studied with the assumption of a confidence interval of 0.95 and an error of 0.05. The study data were collected by a questionnaire. Because of the normality of the data, the data were analyzed with the Pearson correlation coefficient in SPSS software. Results: The results of data analysis and Pearson correlation coefficient test show a significant relationship between the classification of vital arteries based on new structuring with crisis management and its key role in earthquake crisis control. The passive defense was the most important component and the most relevant among effective approaches to managing vital arteries crises. Conclusion: By creating this proposed model of earthquake crisis management, a new classification was made for the system of vital arteries. Also, It provides a proper performance in different situations of before, during, and after social crises. It is also necessary to form a headquarter called the Social Crisis Management Headquarter based on efficient strategies and the necessary implementation and training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Iran is an earthquake-prone country, and a considerable rural population lives in earthquake-prone areas. With many worn-out areas, incompetent houses, and relatively underdeveloped rural areas, it is necessary to pay special attention to risk reduction and subsequent measures in these areas. Materials and Methods: Among the current methods, HAZUS is one of the most common methods in estimating potential losses in an earthquake. We used it to calculate the buildings' estimated losses in the earthquake based on the instructions. Because one of the main issues in disaster management is to choose locations for emergency or temporary settlement of population affected by the distracter, this research tries to carry this out based on the derived results from the damage using fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). After reviewing the previous studies and the experts' opinions, the major and minor criteria affecting the selection of temporary settlement locations were identified. Results: Results suggested that using the damage rate of the studied buildings in the studied area and after choosing six priorities in the pilot village of Vaneshan, priority number 1 was chosen as the best option for temporary settlement in this village. Ultimately, the required items for the evacuees were determined by using the standards of supplying the essentials for the evacuees. Conclusion: Regarding the study area, the results of the damage analysis of the area show that the rate of damage with extensive and complete levels in the villages is very high, which leads to a large number of homeless people with the urgent need to provide adequate shelter. This endower requires a lot of money, and the relevant managers should already be thinking about finding financial resources for it. This issue is not only related to the study area and applies to the whole of Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: After the Kermanshah earthquake on November 12, 2017, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences dispatched a response team to the earthquake-stricken areas. This team provided the affected people with health services for 10 days. This article intends to examine the experience of this team in Kermanshah earthquake-stricken areas. Materials and Methods: After the team's return from Kermanshah, a meeting was held to examine the challenges and review the learned lessons with 60 participants, including authorities and the people who were members of the team. The discussed issues were coded using content analysis. The similar codes were merged, and then categories were extracted. Results: The analysis of discussions led to 9 categories of experiences that included delay in recalling process and its challenges, lack of preparedness, use of the virtual space capacity, lack of proper assessment of the health needs and the estimation of facilities, management experience of the team on the dispatch, shortcomings, and imperfections, managerial challenges, lack of coordination, and setting up of field hospitals without planning. Conclusion: Iran is susceptible to natural disasters, and from time to time, parts of the country are affected by these disasters. One of the priorities in these disasters is people's need for health services. Since health facilities in the area usually encounter problems in these circumstances, other medical universities should provide help and relief. The present experience shows that there are still many challenges that should be addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Natural disasters are out of human control, often leading to loss of life and property, and particularly affecting public health. Natural disasters influence human lives in different ways. They may have severe, obvious, or hidden consequences. Therefore, the present study aimed at examining the environmental health condition of the cities affected by 2017 earthquake in Kermanshah Province. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. The environmental health experts gathered and analyzed the study data regarding the environment health condition of public places, food safety, solid waste management, types and number of water supplies, number of healthcare facilities and local health centers, etc. Results: According to the results, the lowest and highest number of damaged villages in Kermanshah Province were located in Sarpol-e Zahab (205 villages) and Qasr-e Shirin (29 villages), respectively. In addition, Eslamabad-e Gharb and Salas-e Babajani had the highest and lowest urban and rural populations, respectively. A total of 138564 people were affected by the earthquake. The improved water sources in the affected areas included 51 low-risk water sources, 171 moderate-risk water sources, 2 high-risk water sources, and 0 very high-risk water sources. In addition, 5059 m³ water was chlorinated by the environmental health experts and 1805 households were under the coverage of methoxymethyl chloride. Moreover, public healthcare centers (1059 intact and 605 damaged), 4564 food safety centers (3204 intact and 1360 damaged), and 20 solid waste management centers (16 intact and 4 damaged) were available in the area after the earthquake. Conclusion: Overall, the results indicate that the environmental health activities in the areas affected by the earthquake were adequate in terms of providing healthy drinking water, garbage and wastewater management, distribution of healthy foods, and so on. Thus it can be used as a good model to response the needs of the survivors from the future natural disasters and crises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports results of mathematical modeling applied to the stress and strain in epicentral zones before and after the large earthquakes that occurred on June 22, 2002 in the Qazvin Province, northwestern Iran (Mw = 6.4) and the Gujarat, India earthquake of January 26, 2001 (M = 6.9). The modeling relied on a method for calculating stress and strain in a blocky elastic isotropic heterogeneous medium disturbed by a set of faults that are due to an external tectonic stress field. The boundary conditions were specified based on geological and seismological data. It has been shown that the epicenters of large crustal earthquakes occur in zones of high stress concentration at the ends of tectonic faults. Rupture occurs when the relationship between acting tectonic stresses satisfies the requirement σyy/σxx >3, thus connecting zones of high stress. The evolution of the aftershock process is controlled by the stress drop caused by a new rupture, while the resulting aftershock clusters are in spatial correlation with the stress drop zone. The new rupture propagates in the direction of dominant tectonic fault orientation in the region. We show a relationship to exist between rupture length and the possible retrospectively predicted location and magnitude of the earthquake depending on the elastic energy buildup and its possible release under specified structural tectonic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper proposes a new empirical model to estimate earthquake ground-motion duration, which significantly influences the damage potential of an earthquake. The paper is concerned with significant duration parameters that are defined as the time intervals between which specified values of Arias intensity are reached. In the proposed model, significant duration parameters have been expressed as a function of moment magnitude, closest site-source distance, and site condition. The predictive model has been developed based on a database of earthquake ground-motion records in Iran, containing 286 records up to the year 2007, and a random-effect regression procedure. The result of the proposed model has been compared with that of other published models. It has been found that the proposed model can predict earthquake ground-motion duration in Iran with adequate accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a new approach for evaluating the impacts of identity and collective memory (CM) on social resilience will be presented. The approach is applied in Bam city, located in Iran, which suffered heavy damage during the 2003 Bam earthquake. Following that disaster, little attention was paid to preserve identity and CM during the reconstruction phase. In order to evaluate the social resilience components, key concepts and core categories on a local level have been identified, using Grounded Theory. The results depicted that identity and collective memories in Bam city, have been diminished gradually, due to neglecting the intangible needs of local residents in the reconstruction. Therefore, this article demonstrates the necessity of attention to the revival of collective memories in the renovation and reconstruction policies. The results of this study can be used by disaster management authorities as well as city managers to improve resilience at the local level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earthquakes have caused considerable economic damage and loss of lives. The ability to determine earthquake-prone areas has utmost importance to crisis management. Given the gravity of the issue, this research proposes to incorporate geographic information system-based fuzzy-analytic network process (FAHP) and fuzzy-analytic hierarchy process (FANP) methods to determine earthquake-prone areas in the southwest of Iran. In addition, this paper is to utilize the feature selection algorithm (FSA) to select the most relevant parameters influencing earthquakes and prepare seismic activity maps. The final maps obtained using the relevant data were compared with maps obtained using the entire data. For this aim, a fuzzy membership function was initially employed to generate a fuzzy map for different layers, after which the analytic network process and analytic hierarchy process methods were utilized for assigning proper weights to each layer and eventually procuring earthquake maps. The input information for the mentioned methods consisted of landscape, slope, elevation, lithology, land use, soil, road, and fault maps. According to the FSA approach, the most relevant parameters include distance to fault (DTF), lithology, slope, and landscape. The results of FANP and FAHP methods utilizing the receiver-operating characteristic curve showed that the FANP method has a higher accuracy for determining earthquake-prone areas. As the areas located in the northern parts of the region are more at risk. In addition, Finally, the results of earthquake maps obtained using solely the relevant data from FSA were compared with the maps obtained using the entire data. The results of FSA showed that the Best first and Greedy-Stepwise models have high accuracy (R = 0.99) and the most important data for determining earthquake-prone areas using these models are DTF, lithology, slope, aspect. Therefore, by saving time and money, it is possible to prepare maps of earthquake-prone areas with high accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the site conditions of the western parts of Sarpol-e Zahab were studied for their impact on the seismic waves of the Ezgeleh - Sarpol-e Zahab earthquake, which occurred on November 12, 2017. The aforementioned earthquake resulted in widespread damage in the town, particularly in its south-west parts. Although the first assumptions focused on construction issues or design weaknesses related to the buildings, the site effects should not be underestimated. Site effects are widely recognized as an important factor of seismic risk. Subsurface geotechnical and geophysical data in four different sites in the town from the north to the south of the western parts have been obtained, and used to estimate the local site condition on earthquake ground motion in the area. The ground response analyses have been conducted considering the nonlinear behavior of the soil deposits using equivalent linear approach. From the results of this study, it was determined that the reason for the increase of destruction from North to the South parts of the region was the amplification of seismic waves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the relationship between natural disasters and economic growth in the disaster-prone country of Iran, using a spatial Durbin panel model and covering the time period from 2010 to 2016 and including 29 provinces. The results of the empirical investigation suggest that there is a statistically significant positive relationship between the spatially-lagged occurrence of natural disasters and the change of the first difference of the natural logarithm of GDP per capita. Moreover, the estimations support the findings of previous cross-country studies, namely that we cannot find empirical evidence for a statistically significant direct effect of natural disasters on economic growth in the short term. When including time-lags, we can see a statistically significant positive effect of natural disasters on economic growth after two years. When taking into account the disaster type, which is mainly earthquake and flood in the case of Iran, the results suggest that the positive spillover effects are, rather, driven by earthquakes, and that there is a direct positive effect of floods in the short run. These findings extend existing literature and add new insights that are not just relevant for the case of Iran. The novelty of this study is that established and innovative approaches are used to study natural disasters on the provincial level, instead of the country level, and also take into account spatial spillover effects after disaster events that have been rarely discussed in literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban gas pipelines network as one of the most vital lifelines plays an important role in the level of vulnerability and earthquake damage. Iran is located on the Alpide earthquake belt, which is one of the highly earthquake-prone zones of the world. The first earthquake effect, which can damage pipelines, is the transient ground deformation caused by wave propagation. The second one is the permanent ground deformation, which refers to liquefaction, landslide, and ground failure. With the failure of the gas pipelines, a fire may also occur, and consequently, the indirect damage caused by the earthquake may even further increase. This paper investigates the seismic risk of the Asaluyeh city urban gas distribution network by regarding the all geo-seismic hazard using HAZUS methodology. The post-earthquake ignition is evaluated using fault tree method, and the consequences of the design earthquake are assessed using PHAST package. Finally, the network physical damage risk, human risk, and direct economic risk are all evaluated. The results show that three possible failures may happen in the Asaluyeh gas distribution network. While the probability of an ignition occurrence is 35% for leakage and 32% for breaking, the post-earthquake ignition can affect around 30 people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Timely, effective delivery of relief resources to the sufferers in a natural disaster is quite crucial. All governments especially those having high risk of natural disasters must have a comprehensive and implementable plan to suitably manage humanitarian issues after a natural disaster occurs. They should construct sufficient facilities and prepare and store enough relief items (e.g., tents, medical packages, and meals) to be able to quickly respond to necessary needs of injured and homeless people; otherwise, it might lead to humanitarian crises with high numbers of casualties. In this study, we extend the mathematical two-stage stochastic optimization model proposed by Mete and Zabinsky (Int J Prod Econ 126:76-84, 2010) simultaneously considering two phases: pre- and post-disaster. All decisions pertinent to the pre-disaster phase, such as the locations of warehouse and pre-positioned relief items, should be taken in the first stage; however, other decisions pertinent to the post-disaster phase, such as the allocations of warehouses to the demanding points are taken in the second stage. In this study, we consider bi-directional relations between warehouses, which can increase the flexibility of the constructed network to handle the needs of injured people in a shorter time interval. Furthermore, whereas the relief process should be implemented within a specific time interval (e.g., 3 days), our extended optimization model is constructed for a multi-period and multi-product situation. We construct the extended model based on a professional report prepared by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency in a study of the seismic micro zoning of Tehran on April 13, 1999. The respective data in this report has also been updated based on the reports of Tehran Municipality to be matched with the current situation of Tehran. The results of our extended multi-period model for the respective real case study in this paper verify suitable responses and better services to the affected areas compared to what are provided through the respective single-period optimization model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early in the 1930s, two relatively large earthquakes (Kosout, magnitude 6.8, and Talarrud, magnitude 5.8) shook the eastern Mazandaran, northern Iran. Despite the historical and instrumental seismic activity of the eastern region of Mazandaran, little is known about the status of seismotectonics and consequences of these earthquakes. This paper presents a compilation of available data from early reports of these earthquakes with new structural, geomorphic and local data on the effects of this earthquake, especially co-seismic landslides and liquefaction, to assess the seismotectonics and probable causative faults of the earthquakes. It is proposed that the close times of occurrence of two earthquakes might be due to local loading or triggering effect of the first earthquake on the second one. Like many other instrumental earthquakes in the Central Alborz, it is difficult to find the exact causative faults of important earthquakes, however the Qadikola, Chachkam or North Alborz Fault have the potential of producing Kosout earthquake and the Lalehband fault is more promising for Talarrud earthquake. Additionally, the structural complexity of the area is also discussed in the form of a hybrid tectonic model. In this model, the boundary zone of thick-skinned and active thin-skinned domains has more structural complexity than outer portions. Konim-Badeleh Shahvar pop-up structure is bounded by major faults with thick-skinned deformation style. The role of older inherited fault structures and their interaction with low-slope Neogene thrusts driven from north to south by crustal tectonics and deformation is discussed. Co-seismic landslides and rock falls have great potential to be investigated in the Alborz Range for identification of prehistoric earthquakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using satellite sensors to detect urban damage and other surface changes due to earthquakes is gaining increasing interest. Optical images at different resolutions and radar images represent useful tools for this application, particularly when more frequent revisit times will be available with the implementation of new missions and future possible constellations of satellites. Very high resolution (VHR) images (on the order of 1 m or less) may provide information at the scale of a single building, whereas images at resolutions on the order of tens of meters may give indications of damage levels at a district scale. Both types of information may be extremely important if provided with sufficient timeliness to rescue teams. The earthquake that hit the city of Bam, Iran, has been taken as a test case, where QuickBird VHR optical images and advanced synthetic aperture radar data were available both before and after the event. Methods to process these data in order to detect damage and to extract features used to estimate damage levels are investigated in this paper, pointing out the significant potential of these satellite data and their possible synergy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Great earthquakes cause huge damages to human life. Street networks vulnerability makes the rescue operation to encounter serious difficulties especially at the first 72 hours after the incident. Today, physical expansion and high density of great cities, due to narrow access roads, large distance from medical care centers and location at areas with high seismic risk, will lead to a perilous and unpredictable situation in case of the earthquake. Zone # 6 of Tehran, with 229,980 population (3.6% of city population) and 20 km2 area (3.2% of city area), is one of the main municipal zones of Tehran (Iran center of statistics, 2006). Major land-uses, like ministries, embassies, universities, general hospitals and medical centers, big financial firms and so on, manifest the high importance of this region on local and national scale. In this paper, by employing indexes such as access to medical centers, street inclusion, building and population density, land-use, PGA and building quality, vulnerability degree of street networks in zone #6 against the earthquake is calculated through overlaying maps and data in combination with IHWP method and GIS. This article concludes that buildings alongside the streets with high population and building density, low building quality, far to rescue centers and high level of inclusion represent high rate of vulnerability, compared with other buildings. Also, by moving on from north to south of the zone, the vulnerability increases. Likewise, highways and streets with substantial width and low building and population density hold little values of vulnerability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earthquakes in Iran are major and chronic disasters, but there is a seemingly downward trend in the number of lives lost from earthquake disasters in the past five decades. This paper particularly examines whether factors such as urbanization, literacy rate, wealth, and retrofitting measures have contributed to the declining trend of fatalities over past decades. Data records of 1960-2010 have been used to demonstrate the fatalities trend and a shorter series of 1990-2010 has been used to carry out a statistical analysis due to limited availability of information on retrofitting practices in the country. Regression models run in two stages. The first stage consists of normalized fatalities of Iran's earthquakes, regressed on urbanization, wealth, and retrofitting. The second stage involves the measure of retrofit as the dependent variable regressed over urbanization and/or wealth as explanatory variables. The resulted regression models clearly explain the importance of retrofitting measure in saving lives in earthquakes disasters, as well as providing economic advantages and robust environment to the population. The study provides significant guidance for public policy. Undoubtedly, retrofitting, started in the country from 1990, has decreased the number of deaths; nonetheless, the measure is found to be mostly enforced in the cities and not in rural areas. Decision makers can use the results of this study to prioritize retrofit in rural areas, more than ever, and as much as possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Concerns about nutrition and food constantly affect different communities following natural disasters. The present study aimed to investigate the nutritional consequences after the East Azerbaijan earthquake in Iran in 2012. Methods: This systematic review was conducted via searching for relevant surveys in databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, Cochrane Library, ScienceDirect, Web of Science(English studies), Google, Yahoo, and Persian information and library resources (Persian studies) using various keywords. The collected data were analyzed, summarized, and reported manually by content analysis. Results: Out of 975 studies identified in the scientific databases, 21 were reviewed in order to address the research subject. The consequences of the earthquake were classified into three categories of food safety, food security, and nutritional consequences. Conclusion: Despite the fulfilled efforts after the 2012 East Azerbaijan earthquake, diverse nutritional problems and consequences have arisen in the community, especially among women and children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this work is to understand the relation between time and place that an earthquake takes place. In order to answer this question, the Modified Level Crossing (MLC) technique has been implemented. By studying two earthquakes, one in Iran and one in California we came to the conclusion that there is a relation between time and place of an earthquake occurrence. As a matter of fact, this relation is quite decisive. By performing MLC analysis and comparing the two regions, we can state that geographical effects play an effective role due to geophysical differences between Iran and California. Indeed, by comparing the readings of Iran and California, one could come to understand the geophysical differences between the two domains.The so-called level crossing analysis has been used to investigate the spatial and temporal fluctuations of earthquake form time series. In this paper, we calculated the average frequency of up-crossing for original and shuffled data of Iran and California earthquakes in spatial and temporal series. This analysis showed a significant difference between the original data and shuffled data. By introducing the relative change of the total number of up-crossings for original data with respect to the so-called shuffled data, R and calculate the Hurst exponent, Iran and California earthquakes are compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the record of damages which were observed in Pakistan due to a strong earthquake on 16 April 2013 in Iran. Mashkel was the nearest town in Pakistan close to the epicentre of earthquake. The damages were documented by a survey team during the visit of Mashkel. The intensity of earthquake in most of the visited areas was found to be VIII on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale. The infrastructure facilities were undamaged and were operating satisfactorily. On the other hand, heavy damage to adobe buildings was caused by the earthquake. Most of the building failure was resulted by the out-of-plane wall collapse; nearly 40 % adobe buildings were collapsed due to ground shaking in some of the affected areas. Reinforced concrete and cement concrete block masonry buildings performed better than adobe buildings. Using the data of building damage and earthquake intensity fragility curves for adobe buildings in Mashkel were developed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The neotectonics of the Zanjan-Kazvin area are dominated by the region-wide E-W trending left lateral strike-slip faults. These faults create restraining and releasing stepovers indicating strain partitioning. Instead of the NW-SE trending long range-parallel continuous thrust faulting suggested in previous studies, this paper demonstrates that there are E-W trending range-crossing left lateral strike-slip faults creating short range-parallel thrust faults in the restraining stepovers. Establishing this strike-slip-induced structural style might contribute to an understanding of the nature of the Elburz (Alborz) Mountains located between the Central Iran and Caspian blocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An evaluation of the socioeconomic consequences of earthquakes is an essential part of the development of risk reduction and disaster management plans. However, these variables are not normally addressed sufficiently after strong earthquakes; researchers and relevant stakeholders focus primarily on the physical damage and casualties. The importance of the socioeconomic consequences of seismic events became clearer in Iran after the Bam earthquake on 26 December 2003, as demonstrated by the formulation and approval of various laws and ordinances. This paper reviews the country's regulatory framework in the light of the socioeconomic aspects of two major and destructive earthquakes: in Manjil-Rudbar in 1990, and in Bam in 2003. The results take the form of recommendations and practical strategies for incorporating the socioeconomic dimensions of earthquakes in disaster risk management planning. The results presented here can be applied in other countries with similar conditions to those of Iran in order to improve public preparedness and risk reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, the concept of vulnerability is used to measure the capacity to withstand earthquake disasters in different regions. The purpose of vulnerability analysis is to identify appropriate actions that can be taken to reduce the vulnerability before the potential for damage is realized. The objective of this paper is to determine the vulnerability of different parts of a city against earthquake by data envelopment analysis (DEA). A numerical example demonstrates the application of the DEA for the 20th district of Tehran. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Most of the recent earthquakes in Iran were associated with some types of geological hazards that were the cause of additional damage and casualties in the earthquake-affected areas. In order to reduce the impacts of geo-hazards, several policies and plans were prepared, approved, and implemented by the Iranian government during the last two decades. However, such activities have not yet resulted in risk reduction to an acceptable level; since they are not formulated based on local conditions and are not linked to location-specific comprehensive plans. In this paper, after introducing some of the impacts of geo-hazards associated with recent earthquakes in Iran, the country trends in development of relevant risk reduction plans and policies are introduced, evaluated, and compared with some other countries having similar challenges. Strategies toward risk mitigation in the country are addressed, and a number of indices for the assessment of the geo-hazard risk reduction plans and activities are introduced. Finally, a conceptual model for the evaluation of the preparedness level against geo-hazards is proposed and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prior to the occurrence of an earthquake, the region undergoes intensive physiochemical changes. Such changes trigger degassing charge generation leading to positive change in the thermal regime and consequently creation of an earthquake preparation zone. These changes in thermal regime can be detected by the thermal sensors onboard various polar orbiting satellites. Recent researches have demonstrated that thermal infrared sensors onboard satellites (e.g., NOAA-AVHRR and Terra/Aqua-MODIS) can detect temporal transient thermal infrared anomalies prior to an earthquake. The paper presents satellite-based thermal observations associated with Yamnotri (July 22, 2007, India), Ravar (October 14, 2004, Iran) and Dalbandin (January 19, 2011, Pakistan) earthquakes. In the case of Yamnotri earthquake, the region attained around 5-8°C higher than the normal temperature on July 21, 2007 in the area, just 1 day before the earthquake. Whereas, in the case of Ravar earthquake, the region has shown 5-7°C higher temperature on October 06, 2004 about 6 days before the occurrence of the main earthquake event. Dalbandin earthquake showed a maxima on January 17, 2011, just 2 days before the main shock with the raised temperature of around 8-10°C. Another common observation in all these earthquakes is the disappearance of short-term transient thermal anomaly just before the main shock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most of the urban and rural areas in Iran are subjected to earthquakes. Moreover, due to the high vulnerability of buildings and infrastructure in most parts of the country, severe damages and casualties can be expected in the case of strong earthquakes. Several activities have been carried out in recent decades in order to reduce the vulnerability of the country to potential earthquakes and improve disaster management capacity. This paper discusses the evolution of relevant legislation and policy, focusing on the developments of the last 30 years. Additionally, a methodology to evaluate the disaster risk management laws and plans of Iran is presented and discussed. This methodology can be applied to other countries facing similar challenges. Finally, recommendations are made that might be helpful not only to Iran when the country updates its disaster management laws and regulations, but also to countries in the process of policy development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metropolitan Tehran, as the capital, the economic and political center, and the most populated city in Iran, has a special position in earthquake preparation, mitigation and response. Tehran is vulnerable to earthquakes and is expecting a destructive earthquake with a magnitude greater than 7. In the present paper, the items of hazard analysis, vulnerability assessment, and loss estimation in respect of Tehran are introduced, and the relevant research concerning the category of physical and structural damage is investigated. The results from vulnerability assessment indicate the vulnerability of a major part of the buildings in Tehran. The results from the loss estimation indicate a high percentage of damage in the event of an earthquake in Tehran. Furthermore, based on the loss estimation results, the likely amount of debris generated and possibilities for positioning of the temporary housing are provided. The results emphasize the necessity of short-term, average-term and long-term policies for damage reduction and seismic reinforcement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Older people are among the most vulnerable in major disasters. In their aftermath, it is crucial to institute efforts that will maintain a high level of elders' quality of life (QoL). This paper presents QoL assessments of elderly survivors five years after the Bam earthquake in Iran, and evaluates the determinants. A cross-sectional analysis of 210 randomly-selected survivors was carried out in 2008 using the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. A comparison of the results with data on the general population showed that experiencing the earthquake may adversely affect psychological dimensions of QoL even five years after, but paradoxically the earthquake resulted in better social relationships in affected communities than in the general population. Lower QoL associated with female gender, higher age, living alone, severe earthquake-related injury, poor quality of living conditions, increased dependency in the activities of daily living, living in an urban area, and being temporarily housed. Recovery experts and donors should carry out long-term monitoring of health status and QoL in disaster-affected communities, with a focus on psychological wellbeing. Intervention programmes that emphasise post-disaster quality of care and satisfactory housing may lead to better QoL of the victims and may shorten the recovery phase. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract In this paper, the authors studied the 2005 Dahuieh Zarand earthquake in SE Iran by combining Coulomb stress changes, InSAR study, locally recorded aftershocks and their spatial correlations, co-seismic slip distributions, Iso-seismal curves, and strong ground motion data. The event (M W 6.4) occurred in Kerman province, SE Iran, on February 22, 2005. The locally recorded aftershocks were used to calculate the Coulomb stress changes and the decay time based on Omori's law. The decay time of aftershocks calculated by Omori's law was about 500 days. A great correlation was particularly deduced from the spatial distribution of the aftershocks and areas of increased Coulomb stress for optimal strike slip faults. Moreover, using SAR Interferograms, we determined the postseismic surface deformations. Also, the majority of the coseismic slips occurred in the eastern part, where there was sparsely distributed aftershocks. The deformation maps showed active uplift for at least 300 days after the main shock. We reconciled time decays of the aftershocks with the postseismic uplifts, calculated from InSAR. In our model, which is based on after slip evolution, for one of the postseismic relaxation mechanisms, we found a proper correlation between the aftershock decay time and InSAR displacement maps to define postseismic motions. There is also a reasonable correspondence between the mainshock intensity, the acceleration map, and postseismic ground uplift, estimated by InSAR. Highlights • Intensity and acceleration of the earthquake has correlation in epicentral area of the 2005 Dahuieh (SE Iran) earthquake. • Stress transferring method could specify location of the potential future earthquakes occurrence on the active faults. • Asperity and barriers on the fault plain have relationships with locally recorded aftershocks distribution. • Vertical displacements in around the epicenter of the earthquake has been obtained using InSAR method. • Seismicity parameter changes has been investigated after earthquake occurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of research carried out to improve emergency response activities in earthquake-prone areas of Iran. The research concentrated on emergency response operations, emergency medical care, emergency transportation, and evacuation—the most important issues after an earthquake with regard to saving the lives of victims. For each topic, some guidelines and criteria are presented for enhancing emergency response activities, based on evaluations of experience of strong earthquakes that have occurred over the past two decades in Iran, notably Manjil (1990), Bam (2003), Firouz Abad-Kojour (2004), Zarand (2005) and Broujerd (2006). These guidelines and criteria are applicable to other national contexts, especially countries with similar seismic and social conditions as Iran. The results of this study should be incorporated into comprehensive plans to ensure sustainable development or reconstruction of cities as well as to augment the efficiency of emergency response after an earthquake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this study was to identify latent classes of the severity of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among the survivors of the earthquake in Bam, south-eastern Iran, 17 years after the disaster. The most influential predictor variables of PTSD classes were also investigated. Methods: Eight hundred survivors of the Bam earthquake who were at least four years old in that disaster were selected by multistage sampling. The PTSD Checklist-Civilian Version was used. Latent class analysis was performed to identify subgroups of people with different PTSD symptom profiles. Latent class regression analysis was used to explore the influence of demographic and traumatic variables on each class membership. Results: We found three latent classes of PTSD, with the following profiles emerging: Low Symptom (56.6% of the participants), Moderate Symptom (23.5%), and Severe Symptom (19.9%). Old age [OR = 2.20, 95% CI = (1.46, 3.32)], physical injury [OR = 1.95, 95% CI = (1.24, 3.06)], being trapped under the rubble [OR = 1.81, 95% CI = (1.15, 2.86)], and death of a family member [OR = 1.86, 95% CI = (1.12, 3.09)] were positive risk factors for PTSD and increased the chance of being in classes having more severe symptoms. Having a high educational level was a negative risk factor [OR = 0.86, 95% CI = (0.67, 1.11)]. Conclusions: The severity of PTSD 17 years after the earthquake shows that natural disasters such as earthquakes have long-term consequences, and earthquake survivors must have psychological support and long term health care. After any catastrophic earthquake, governments should establish psychology and psychotherapy centers for earthquake victims, and these centers should support earthquake victims for a sufficiently long time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main components for developing regional seismic risk models is the fragility functions of common building types. Due to the differences between the national design codes, construction practices, and construction materials, it is necessary to develop specific fragility functions for the common building types which are constructed in each region. For this reason, the present study is devoted to filling this essential gap for Iran. Therefore, in the first step, the existing building types in the country are classified into 31 categories regarding material, lateral-load-resisting system, height, and code level. Also, by conducting comprehensive studies on all previously performed research in the country, structural and dynamic parameters have been collected for buildings in each class. This information was used to compute a large set of backbone curves for Iranian buildings taxonomy. Then nearly three hundred appropriate fragility functions were generated using non-linear time-history analyses on the generic backbone curves and a large set of ground motion records. Based on the existing empirical data from past earthquakes in the country, the validation of the resulting fragility functions was carried out. The resulted fragility functions can be utilized in seismic risk assessment studies in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, significant variations in rate of moderate-large earthquake occurrence during the last two centuries at the north of Persia (Alborz, Azarbaijan, and Kopeh Dagh seismotectonic provinces) were chronically investigated. Depths of some historical and instrumental earthquakes were reasonably estimated using macroseismic data. Also, empirical relationships were developed between the maximum intensity and magnitude of the earthquakes in the north of Persia. Two centuries of earthquake data (M ≥5.0) reliably demonstrates that quite periods with durations of about a few years to two decades have happened and have been subsequently followed by active periods with durations of about 10 to 70 years. The time variation of seismic hazards (achieved by the macroseismic maximum intensity, I ≥IV) almost displays a similar behavior at the study area. According to both patterns of the time variations of seismicity and the seismic hazards, it may conclude that we are within a low rate of seismic period, and we may expect a higher rate of seismicity at the Alborz in the next decades. Finally, in both the Azarbaijan and Kopeh Dagh areas, we discovered considerable migrations of the seismicity from the east to the west. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Women are at higher risk of death during disasters due to physical, biological, psychological, and cultural differences. After a disaster, they experience more miscarriages, premature births, inadequate fetal growth, low birth weight, sexual violence, and unwanted pregnancies. This study aims to investigate the reproductive health status of women affected by the 2017 earthquake in Kermanshah, Iran. Materials and Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in 2018. The study population consists of women aged 15-49 years (Mean age=31.7 years) living in Sarpol-e Zahab, Javanrood, and Thalas Babajani towns in Kermanshah city affected by the earthquake in 2017. The questionnaire used for assessing the status of reproductive health in women was the Reproductive Health Assessment Questionnaire for Women of Reproductive Age, which has already been localized in Iran and its reliability and validity have been confirmed. Native Kurdish language experts completed the questionnaires on behalf of 396 participants. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the variables. Results: It was found that 42.4% of women complained of abnormal menstruation and 34.09% of limited menstrual hygiene materials. Sixty women were pregnant at the time of the earthquake, all of whom gave birth in hospital; two had miscarriages, two had premature births, and one had stillbirth. Urinary tract infection was the most common problem (21%) in pregnant women. Moreover, 48% of women used contraceptive methods after the earthquake, the most commonly used method was the use of contraceptive pills (23%). Access to contraception methods was difficult for 14.4% of them after the earthquake. Furthermore, 25% had experienced violence after the earthquake; of these, 30 reported physical violence, 86 verbal violence, and 13 sexual violence. Conclusion: The control of pregnancy and safe delivery in earthquake-affected areas of Kermanshah is relatively acceptable; however, the provision of reproductive health services seems to be challenging. It is recommended to pay attention to the menstrual hygiene of women and regular distribution of contraceptives (despite the current population growth plan), address sexual acts of violence, and develop a protocol to support the victims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] A powerful earthquake of Mw =7.7 struck the Saravan region (28.107°N, 62.053°E) in SE Iran on 16 April 2013 at 10:44:17 UTC [•] This paper presents an application of ANN+PSO method to detect the unusual variations of the thermal and TEC anomalies [•] The results indicate that the proposed method is quite promising and deserves serious attention as a new tool for TEC anomalies detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The 1990 Manjil Earthquake as one of the most destructive earthquakes in the last century in Iran was a great challenge. Based on the experience gained from this event, a comprehensive earthquake hazard reduction program had been launched in 1991. It was assumed that such a program would improve the performance of different organizations during any future earthquakes. The present paper investigates the technical aspects of the reconstruction and retrofitting programs carried out after recent earthquake. The investigated earthquakes include the 2003 Bam, the 2005 Zarand, and the 2006 Silakhor. In comparison to the 1990 Manjil earthquake, shorter construction time, higher productions, and better qualities are some of the results of these programs. Furthermore, the shortcomings of these programs are discussed and methods used to improve these programs are reviewed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Artificially made seismic waves have been used for both tertiary recovery and well stimulation purposes. The idea behind using this method for enhancing recovery came from a number of real examples, in which a kick in oil production has been seen following an earthquake. Most published information has addressed the United States and earlier Soviet Union regions. This paper documents the results of observations regarding the effect of earthquake waves on well production from Khami carbonate gas condensate reservoir in the Marun field, in the northern Persian Gulf. The response of three wells in this reservoir (referred to as wells A, B, and C) to a magnitude earthquake at an approximate distance of 217 km away is discussed. After this earthquake, there was a sharp significant increase in production from well A. The flowing wellhead pressure of this well suddenly increased from 4263 to 5042 psig and went back to its normal condition after five months. The two other wells behaved differently and showed no change in production. Analyses showed the removal of near wellbore formation damage caused by a condensate dropout in well A using natural seismic waves. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper is devoted to studying the destructive Bam earthquake from an engineering seismological point of view. On December 26, 2003 a large earthquake of magnitude 6.7 (M s) shook the Bam district located in southeastern Iran. About 80% of buildings totally collapsed. Several dozen villages were destroyed and tens of them were severely damaged. More than 45,000 people were killed, and 30,000 were injured. According to the macroseismic data, focal depth of the event was estimated at 7±2km. The event was associated with a 9km surface rupture of the Bam fault. The maximum residual strike-slip displacement is 5cm, which is left-lateral. The highest recorded peak ground acceleration is at Bam station (0.98 g vertical and 0.87 g horizontal), located about 1.5km from the surface rupture. The macroseismic analyses show that the epicenter of the quake is 1.5km east of Bam. All of the masonry buildings totally collapsed in the epicentral area. Many semi-engineered structures were heavily damaged and some of them collapsed. Engineered structures, constructed according to the seismic code of Iran, have shown very good structural behavior without significant damage. Finally, the earthquake intensity at the epicenter is determined as IX+ on the MSK scale, which strongly decreases with distance from the surface ruptures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The 2002 Avaj, Iran earthquake (Mw=6.5) triggered many landslides over an area of about 3600 km2. In this paper, we describe a ground-based field study conducted during several days immediately after the earthquake, and pre and post-earthquake landslide inventory maps that were prepared. The landslides due to earthquake include 47 fall and topple zones, 9 slides, and 3 lateral spreads. The largest slide is a rockslide (150×100 m), which occurred southeast of the village of Changureh. The main results of this study are: [•] The density of earthquake triggered landslides decreases away from the fault zone in a manner that is asymmetric with respect to direction; [•] Although several slides and lateral spreads were seen, the most common types of triggered landslides are falls and topples; [•] The area throughout which landslides occurred, and maximum epicentral and fault zone distances of landslides, are comparable to similar data from other historical earthquakes; [•] Landslides mostly occurred in the most susceptible geologic units, in which there were many landslides before the earthquake; [•] New disrupted slides and falls generally occurred in ancient fall zones, but no information about reactivation of coherent slides is available. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Landslides can cause extensive damage, particularly those triggered by earthquakes. The current study used back propagation of an artificial neural network (ANN) to conduct risk studies on landslides in the area affected by the Manjil-Rudbar earthquake in Iran in 1990 (M = 7.7). Newmark displacement analysis was used to develop an earthquake-induced landslide hazard map for the blocks representing Chahar-Mahal and Chalkasar near the earthquake epicenter, an area of 309 km2. The input data included soil cohesion, soil friction angle, unit weight of soil, unit weight of water, distance from hypocenter, slope, and earthquake magnitude as effective parameters for landslide occurrence. The hazard map was compared with an inventory map and other research findings. The results indicated that the landslides predicted by ANN covered 50% of the inventory map of the study area (2088 of 4097 slide cells). The results of the current study suggest that the ANN method is relatively efficient for accurate prediction of landslides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In recent decades, earthquakes, as natural hazards that caused direct effects both on communities and the chemical industry, produced many Natech events. Natech term is utilizing to describe the technological disasters caused by natural hazards. This study was conducted on the emergency evacuation challenges of residential areas adjacent to a refinery near Tehran based on H2S toxic gas release following a possible earthquake scenario. Method: This Research was an applied study at two phases in 2020. In the first phase, a review study was conducted to identify the community's previous experiences on emergency evacuation following Natech events. In the second phase, the challenges of emergency evacuation were analyzed based on the scenario of a possible earthquake and gas release from the refinery. Results: Due to the high seismic vulnerability of structures in the area affected Natech risk, the total Resident population in this area would be affected simultaneously by an earthquake and H2S gas release in concentration 30 ppm as the result of the earthquake impact on chemical facilities. Emergency evacuation would be inevitable. The existing evacuation places are very unsafe and dangerous due to having open spaces. The nearest suitable evacuation places were found in the north direction for more than 38 % of the exposed population and in the east, west, and south direction for more than 61% of them. Conclusions: The emergency evacuation challenges were discussed in 4 viewpoints, disrupted or interrupted rescue and firefighting operation, unnecessary evacuation, frequent evacuation, and evacuation behavior. The measures such as revising and updating emergency evacuation maps; public informing, training, preparedness; providing protocols and training for operational and therapeutic response teams; and coordination improvement can help resilience increasing to such disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The appalling earthquake in the ancient city of Bam on December 27th 2003 was one of the worst disasters since the last century in Iran. Further to the chilling statistics of human loss, essential services including water supply, power, telephone, health care services, main roads, and the city's only airport were crippled. From the ‘public health’ and ‘health emergency’ perspectives, the initial priorities were to minimise avoidable further mortality and morbidity. This required prompt evacuation of the injured, defining catchment areas, establishment of efficient systems for disease control, organising a disaster management plan, out patient management, co-ordination of international aid, and re-organising the current PHC network in the district. The second stage, each department planning hearth delivery for the subsequent year, was rapidly initiated. This paper discusses these strategies, which were designed specifically for Bam but are likely useful in similar situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a latest compilation of data on the present-day stress pattern in Central Iran and its tectonic regime. We compiled 103 focal mechanism data collected from the Global Centroid Moment Tensor Project (GCMT) including data from Harvard University (HRVD) and the International Seismological Center (ISC). Stress inversion of all shallow focal depths provides a first order stress field with a N029°E maximum horizontal compressive stress (SH max) direction corresponding to a general compressive tectonic regime. In order to reconstruct the second and third order stress fields, we subdivided the study area into eight zones on the basis of their structures, relatively similar focal mechanisms and relatively homogeneous deformation. For each zone and for the same data set, reduced stress tensors have been obtained by formal stress inversion using the Win-Tensor program and modified SLICK method. Both inversion methods show similar results for horizontal stress axes orientations and for the tectonic regimes. The obtained NE-SW direction of the first order stress field is related to Arabia-Eurasia convergence as confirmed by the geodetic measurements. This stress field is responsible for accommodation of shortening within Central Iran and right-lateral movement along the N-S faults as well as left-lateral movement along the E -W faults. Solid block rotation between strike-slip and thrust faults, vertical rotation of the fault bounded blocks, escape tectonics, block extrusion and strain partitioning occurred due to second and third order stress fields with variable SH max directions from N006° to N081° and in different tectonic regimes. [Display omitted] • Inversion of crustal focal mechanisms detects stress field orders in Central Iran. • The first order SH max is N029°E corresponding to a compressive tectonic regime. • The second and third order SH max vary from N006° to N081° related to variable tectonic regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a method to identify safe places to build temporary accommodation and accessible relief routes using the results of damage analysis for an earthquake within the bounds of probability for the city of Shiraz in Iran. The commonly used HAZUS damage estimation method was used. The most influential factors on the location of safe temporary accommodation in Shiraz were determined by use of the damage results, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) model, and Expert Choice software. A map for the resulting optimal locations of temporary accommodation was prepared. Subsequently, all of the parameters influencing the safety of emergency evacuation efforts and the relief network were identified and the impact rate of each one was determined based on expert opinions through AHP. Based on the resultant importance of each index, roads were weighted and coded. The optimally safe routes for relief and emergency evacuation were determined. The results suggested that different indices suggest different relief routes and the optimal route was obtained through overlapping the data layers according to the importance of each parameter. This optimal route could provide maximum services in the minimum time and subsequently create capacity building in urban crisis management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Iran has experienced an increasing number of earthquake in the past three decades. Nurses are the largest group of healthcare providers that play an important role in responding to disasters. Based on previous studies, they experienced challenges providing care in the previous disasters. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the nursing challenges to provide care to the injured in the Kermanshah earthquake, Iran. Methods: This is a qualitative study with conventional content analysis using Granheim and Landman approach. In this study, 16 nurses involved in providing care to the injured in the Kermanshah earthquake were selected by purposeful sampling method. Data were collected using in-depth semi-structured interviews. The criteria proposed by Guba and Lincoln were used to ensure the validity of the study. Results: Data analysis led to the emergence of 453 primary codes, 14 subcategories, and 5 categories. The five categories were as follows: (a) organizational and managerial challenges; (b) human resources; (c) infrastructure; (d) educational preparations; (e) and ethical. Conclusions: The results of this study showed that nurses faced several challenges in providing care to earthquake victims. Based on these findings, better educational management and planning, infrastructure reform, and establishment of a crisis nursing national team seem necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), the Traumatic Exposure Severity Scale (TESS) and the Peritraumatic Dissociative Experiences Questionnaire (PDEQ) are questionnaires widely used in studies of trauma and dissociation. This study aimed to examine the validity of the Persian versions of these questionnaires among a total of 230 individuals from the cities of Kermanshah and Sarpol-e Zahab that had experienced 2017 Iran earthquake. Results from a confirmatory factor analysis did not support the original five-factor solution for the TESS. Two principal component analyses resulted in a four-component solution for a revised version of the scale. PDEQ scores, TESS scores, and its sub-scales, were found to significantly correlate with a PTSD measure with their effect sizes ranging from medium to large according to Cohen's guidelines. Furthermore, significant correlations between two sub-scales of the CTQ and a dissociation measure were found with medium effect sizes. Consequently, reliability and validity measures obtained from the sample of this study were supportive of the use of the Persian versions of the TESS, the PDEQ, and the CTQ among Persian-speaking populations. Further research on psychological responses to earthquakes and other natural disasters can provide the opportunity for cross-cultural comparisons in terms of specific resilience factors and vulnerabilities following mass trauma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The arc-shaped Bozgush Mountains is a remarkable morphological feature bounded by active faults in northwest Iran. The southern and northern parts of the mountain belt are limited by the South and North Bozgush Fault Zones, which produced numerous destructive earthquakes in historical and instrumental periods. We employed the Sentinel-1A Differential Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (DInSAR) method to map the deformation details of the November 08, 2019, Turkmanchay earthquake (Mw: 5.9) along the South Bozgush Fault Zone to understand the earthquake-triggered surface deformations and seismogenic faulting characteristics. The results of the DInSAR time-series analysis show that subsidence and uplift range from − 5 cm to + 6 cm, respectively. The total line of sight (LOS) displacement was approximately 11 cm. Interferogram fringes and deformation patterns indicate that the direction of the potential seismogenic fault is WNW-ESE. These patterns are consistent with the orientation of the South Bozgush Fault Zone, including primarily right-lateral strike-slip characteristics with reverse components. Continuous patterns of the obtained interferogram fringes indicate that surface rupture did not occur during the earthquake. Our Coulomb failure function results in preferred faults derived from geological structures, indicating that the stress rate was positive and high in several segments of the South and North Bozgush Faults, revealing that the main earthquake event might trigger those faults. The large aftershocks that occurred on the same faults supported our results, and the distribution of aftershocks in the Bozgush Mountains suggests that the WNW-ESE orientation is consistent with the orientation of segments constituting the South Bozgush Fault Zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Charosa and Dehdasht is a part of folded Zagros that is located in the Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province in southwestern Iran. This area is covered with several Zagros anticlines such as the Kuh-e-Sefid, Sartal, Nil, and Siah. From the geological perspective, the Ilam–Sarvak formation makes the major and high altitudes of the region. Numerous landslides have occurred in the highlands of this area, with the largest known landslides being the Mundan rock avalanche in the Nil anticline with an approximate volume of more than one billion cubic meters and the Almor rock avalanche in the Sartal anticline. This study explores the probable triggering factors of these landslides based on geological studies, seismotectonic studies, and numerical modeling methods. According to the results of this research, between earthquake and groundwater (as the two major landslide-triggering factors), the earthquake was able to cause instability and slip onset. Based on seismic investigations, the Mountain front fault in the vicinity of these anticlines has high seismic potential. So, the occurrence of earthquakes with a 1000-year return period and a minimum 7.3 momentum magnitude is likely triggered by these rock avalanches. The results show that due to favorable geological and topographic conditions of the study area, the earthquake has been able to cause large and catastrophic landslides in the region's history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• None of the studied existing and parametric domes fails due to the earthquake. • The induced tensile stress to the tensile strength ratio increases by increasing the span. • The geometrical shape of the dome has a great effect on structural behaviour. • In general, a single-shell dome is stiffer than a double-shell dome and experiences smaller stresses. Despite the fact that Iran is an earthquake prone country and most of its historical buildings are made of brick masonry that is weak in tension, a large number of domical buildings have been constructed all over the country since many centuries ago. Most of magnificent domes in Iran have survived severe earthquakes. The discontinuous double-shell dome has been widely used for important buildings such as mosques and churches. This type of dome provides the possibility of constructing high and large spaces in order to show magnificence and also accommodate a large number of people inside. In this paper, the structural performance of Persian brick masonry discontinuous double-shell domes against earthquakes has been studied. Different shapes of upper and lower shells have been studied. The domes have had spans of 12 m, 15 m and 18 m and a decreasing thickness from the base to the apex with an optimum apex to base thickness ratio. Domes have been analysed under earthquake load by the non-linear finite element method. The Willam-Warnke failure criterion has been used for brick masonry materials. In addition to parametric study, two existing discontinuous double-shell domes of the Imam mosque and Bedkhem church, and two existing single-shell domes of the Saint Mary church and Saint Stepanos monastery in Isfahan have been studied. The values of maximum stresses have been obtained for these domes. Obtained results indicate that selected earthquakes do not cause the failure of the studied domes. The induced stresses increase by increasing the span. The performance of domes is dependent on the geometrical shape of the upper and lower shells. The dome with a drop four-centred upper shell and a drop elliptical lower shell has the best structural behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]