A morphotectonic study of environmental impact on ground water in Southern Iran and under the Persian Gulf

Discussion of ?A morphotectonic study of environmental impact on ground water in Southern Iran and under the Persian Gulf? by G. Farhoudi and K. Poll

“…The terms 'porosity' and 'permeability' have been used interchangeably throughout the paper by Farhoudi and Poll (1992). It is most important to remember the distinction between the two; a high porosity does not necessarily give a high permeability.…”

“…In their introductory section, Farhoudi and Poll (1992;p. 581) discuss factors controlling groundwater pollution risks with the following words: 'The primary porosity of the outcropped rocks.…”

“…In their section on 'Regional setting and geomorphology', Farhoudi and Poll (1992;pp. 582-583) first refer to the so-called 'flysch' of the Makran Mountain Ranges (MMR) as 'aquicludes', and then go on to state (in the caption to their Fig.…”

“…26). The paper of Farhoudi and Poll (1992) thus appears to be self-contradictory with regard to the 'flysch' of the MMR. Are these rocks aquicludes or not?…”

“…Their paper includes a number of confusing and apparently oversimplistic assertions about regional groundwater flow and about the hydrogeological function of tectonic features, which require further explanation. It is the purpose of the present discussion to highlight areas of potential confusion in the original paper of Farhoudi and Poll (1992) in the hope that greater clarity can be given to the important work of conceptual hydrological modelling in this needy region of the world.…”