Investigating the Geotouristic Risks of Spa Springs with Emphasis on Natural and Human Dangers in the Study Area between Sarein and Ardebil in the Northwest of Iran

Abstract

Geotourism and geoparks provide good opportunities for rural development and reduce unemployment and migration. It attracts local communities for employment in geoparks and tourism marketing in the form of investments in ecotourism, rural tourism and health geotourism. Geotourism is closely related to the geology of treatment. One of these is the spa spring that has the therapeutic potential and plays a significant role in attracting domestic and foreign tourists. For this purpose the status of 11 hot springs in the geographical range between Ardabil city and Sarein city has been investigated in terms of parameters such as discharge, temperature, pH and anions and cations. However, this geographical area also has a number of natural and human hazards the most important of which is the occurrence of killing earthquakes. The earthquake of February 28, 1997 killed nearly 1000 people and destroyed many villages. The presence of spa springs on or near the faults and the establishment of recreational facilities in the area have threatened investment in the area. In this regard the status of clay, silt and sand percentage, Liquefaction Limit and Plasticity PI index in the study area were studied. It was observed that if in clay formations the amount of dough is about 40 to 50 percent and soil moisture reaches 25 to 35 percent there is a possibility of demolition of buildings and asphalt. According to the results of soil physics analysis, Sarein city is susceptible to soil infiltration and liquefaction during earthquake. In the final section the sanitary condition of the pools was investigated in terms of the possibility of dermatophyte fungi and 284 samples were examined. It was observed that due to the complete disinfection of pools with chlorine no dermatophytes were observed.