Shatt al-Arab is the only navigational artery in Iraq, extending from the city of Qurna to its mouth in the Arabian Gulf at the city of Al-Fao within the governorate of Basrah for a length of approximately 204 km. Its width ranges from 400 m to 2000 m, and its depth ranges from 8 m to 20 m. The southern part of it, 93 km long from Umm al-Rassas Island to Ras al-Bisha, represents the international border between Iraq and Iran, where the Thalweg line represents the border between the two countries, which is the deepest point in the riverbed (according to the 1975 Algiers Agreement). The western bank (the Iraqi side) within the common border of Shatt al-Arab is subject to continuous erosion, which leads to the shifting of the Thalweg line towards Iraqi territory and thus leads to loss of Iraqi land to Iran. Reducing flow velocity along the Iraqi side can lead to reducing or preventing erosion in the river. Increasing the riverbed roughness will reduce the velocity of flow and then reducing the erosion. This principle was adopted in this study to investigate the effect of increasing roughness in a strip along a reach of the riverbed on the distribution of longitudinal velocity in cross-sections at the rest of the selected reach. A reach of Shatt al-Arab with a length of 2500 m, located 34 km north of Fao City, was selected to represent the study area. This reach was simulated by using numerical modeling CFD solver (fluent) with three different roughnesses for an upstream part of the river bed and the velocities compared with the natural (original) roughness of Shatt al-Arab. The results showed an appreciable effect of the increased bed roughness on the velocity distribution and the maximum velocity location by shifting it to the other side.
A morphotectonic analysis is conducted on Shatt Al-Arab drainage basin. This study aims to analysis of the river patterns of Shatt Al-Arab channel and their relationship with the development of subsurface geological structures and the neotectonic activity, as well as an attempt to determine the relative amount to this activity.
Transverse river profile analysis is derived quantifiable and comparable parameters such as neotectonic index (Eh*Ln), Eh, Ch, and Bs. These parameters are useful to detect the morphotectonic indicators of Shatt Al-Arab basin. The analysis showed the role of the subsurface structures that affecting the river cross sections shape, through channel incision, as in (Dair and NuhrUmr) cross sections, while in the ot
Concentrations of heavy metals (Copper Cu, Iron Fe, Manganese Mn, Cadmium Cd, and Lead Pb) have been studied in river crab Sesarma boulengeri (Outer part of the shield and interior tissues) which caught from two stations in Shatt Al – Arab river (Salhia and Aldeir areas). Elements concentrations were measured by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer, concentration of heavy metals in the internal tissues was higher than in the outer shield in both of the stations with the highest value of the elements was to iron 95.21 mg\ kg during the spring as well as copper was 55 mg\kg and manganese was 39.09 mg\kg. The study showed the presence of seasonal changes in the studied heavy metals concentrations values in the tissues of river crab;
... Show MoreShatt Al-Arab River in Al Basrah, Iraq, has recently recorded massive levels of TDS values (Total Dissolved Solids) in the water as a result of reduced fresh water discharge from sources, causing the river to become salinized due to salt wedge intrusion. Therefore, a block dam in the south reach is required to salt intrusion prevention. The main objective of this research is to simulate the hydraulic impact of a suggested barrage in Ras Al Besha on the Shatt Al-Arab River. The HEC-RAS (5.0.7) model was used to develop a one-dimensional unsteady model to gaining an understanding of the proposed barrage's influence on river behaviour. The daily discharges of the Tigris River provided as the upstream boundary conditions, wh
... Show MoreMany species are resistant to heavy metals in their surrounding polluted environment and Staphylococcus sp. is an example. This study aimed to isolate and characterize bacteria resistant to heavy metals in the Shatt Al-Arab River in southern Basra, Iraq. Based on the morphology and using Vitek II system, and due to their high resistance to heavy metals (mercury and chromium), two species of Staphylococcus (Staphylococcus lentus and Staphylococcus lugdunensis) were chosen and isolated. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the isolates against Hg and Cr was determined after 72 h. of incubation in solid media. All isolates were resistant to Hg (2000 mgL-1) and Cr (4000mgL
... Show MoreThis study was conducted to estimate the extent of damage to the population in Basra, southern Iraq, specifically the areas adjacent to the Shatt al-Arab and the Arabian Gulf, which are the Al-Fao district and the Al-Siba region. They are affected by the progression of saline water resulting from the lack of water imports and the Karun River interruption, which led to high concentrations of salts in the Shatt Al-Arabs. Consequently, its effect on lands and all life types in these areas requires correcting a map of the study area to drop the groundwater sites as well as calculate the total dissolved salts, electrical conductivity and pH. This study concluded that the groundwater contains very high percentages of total dissolved solid
... Show MoreAccurate computation of the roughness coefficient is important in the studies of open channel flow. To measure and identify the hydraulic characteristics of the flow system, the model simulation is necessary to study and get the results of the hydraulic properties to specify Manning coefficient of the Euphrates River. In this study, the reach is extended along the Euphrates River from Haditha Dam to Ramadi Barrage with a distance of 169km. The HEC-RAS model was implemented to simulate the flow within the study reach. The geometry of the river was represented by more than two hundred cross-sections surveyed in 2013 and 2021. The model was calibrated using some observed discharges at the Heet gage station for records of th
... Show MoreThe present study has examined the spatiotemporal varieties of the demographics of the Shatt Al-Arab River fishes and their relation to some ecological components. The aim is to forecast these groups in the unexplored parts of the waterway with an emphasis on environmental indices of diversity. Three sites in the river were selected as an observation and study of these species, which lasted from March 2019 to February 2020, the study dealt with factors affecting fishes, as Water Temperature (WT), Dissolved Oxygen (DO), Potential Hydrogen Ion (pH), Salinity (Sal), and Transparency (Tra). Gill nets, cast nets, hooks, and hand nets were adopted to collecting fish. The results indicated that the fish population comprises 60 species represent
... Show MoreAbstract. Shatt Al-Arab River was the most important tide river in Iraq, it suffered from neglect and lack of maintenance in the past decades. The river embankment is constantly exposed to erosion processes due to several factors, one of the most important of these factors is the movement of water currents due to the tidal energy coming from the Arabian Gulf. In this study, one dimension unsteady-state model was implemented to study river flood capacity simulation by using HEC-RAS (5.0.7) software in Shatt Al Arab River and its tributaries. The data included flow rate, water level records were collected daily from 2018 to 2020 at different stations along the mentioned river and its feeders, additionally, the considered flood discharge data
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