Hamun-e Jaz Murian
Encyclopedia
Hamun-e Jaz Murian is an inland basin or depression
in southeast Iran
, straddling the provinces of Kerman and Sistan and Baluchistan. At the center of the basin is a "seasonal lake," or hamun. The lake can remain almost totally dry during dry years, while in wetter years it can have water year around. The most recent flooding of the basin took place in June 2007, when Cyclone Gonu
dumped over 5 inches of rain over the basin. That ended years of unusual drought, which had seen the lake in the central basin remain dry for several years. Jaz Murian now has a large lake at its lowest point.
Jaz Murian is an oblong shape, east to west, surrounded by high mountain ranges reaching peaks in excess of 6500 feet (2000 m). The lowest elevations are to the extreme west of the basin towards the towns of Kahnuj
and Minab
.
Two principal rivers flow into the basin: from the east, the Bampur River, and from the west, the Halil Rud. However, nether river brings much water to the central parts of the basin to feed the lake, as their waters are largely or totally removed for agriculture on the way.
Due to its isolation, distinct communities live in the basin, ranging from native Bashkardi speakers to immigrant Somalis
.
In the scriptures of the Zoroastrian religion, the basin has a holy character, similar to that of Hamun-e Helmand. These scriptures call the basin by its Middle Persian
name, "Chitro Mêyân."
Depression (geology)
A depression in geology is a landform sunken or depressed below the surrounding area. Depressions may be formed by various mechanisms.Structural or tectonic related:...
in southeast Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, straddling the provinces of Kerman and Sistan and Baluchistan. At the center of the basin is a "seasonal lake," or hamun. The lake can remain almost totally dry during dry years, while in wetter years it can have water year around. The most recent flooding of the basin took place in June 2007, when Cyclone Gonu
Cyclone Gonu
Cyclone Gonu is the strongest tropical cyclone on record in the Arabian Sea, and is also the strongest named cyclone in the northern Indian Ocean...
dumped over 5 inches of rain over the basin. That ended years of unusual drought, which had seen the lake in the central basin remain dry for several years. Jaz Murian now has a large lake at its lowest point.
Jaz Murian is an oblong shape, east to west, surrounded by high mountain ranges reaching peaks in excess of 6500 feet (2000 m). The lowest elevations are to the extreme west of the basin towards the towns of Kahnuj
Kahnuj
Kahnuj is a city in and the capital of Kahnuj County, Kerman Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 38,571, in 8,278 families.-References:* اطلس گیتاشناسی استانهای ایران [Atlas Gitashenasi Ostanhai Iran]...
and Minab
Minab
Minab is a city in and the capital of Minab County, Hormozgan Province, Iran. At the 2006 census, its population was 76,776.Minab is not far from Bandar Abbas. It is famous for fishing and for agriculture . It lies on the main official road connecting Bandar Abbas, the Makran and the Baluchistan...
.
Two principal rivers flow into the basin: from the east, the Bampur River, and from the west, the Halil Rud. However, nether river brings much water to the central parts of the basin to feed the lake, as their waters are largely or totally removed for agriculture on the way.
Due to its isolation, distinct communities live in the basin, ranging from native Bashkardi speakers to immigrant Somalis
Somali people
Somalis are an ethnic group located in the Horn of Africa, also known as the Somali Peninsula. The overwhelming majority of Somalis speak the Somali language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family...
.
In the scriptures of the Zoroastrian religion, the basin has a holy character, similar to that of Hamun-e Helmand. These scriptures call the basin by its Middle Persian
Middle Persian
Middle Persian , indigenously known as "Pârsig" sometimes referred to as Pahlavi or Pehlevi, is the Middle Iranian language/ethnolect of Southwestern Iran that during Sassanid times became a prestige dialect and so came to be spoken in other regions as well. Middle Persian is classified as a...
name, "Chitro Mêyân."