Abstract
The Kani Bel spring in Paveh is a prominent geological feature of the Quaternary Zagros fold belt in Kermanshah, Iran, and is a significant karst water source in this area. This spring has developed in the Dariyan Formation and, to some extent, the shale and limestone layers of the Gadvan Formation. The formation of this karst reservoir is primarily influenced by late mountain-building movements, as well as tectonic forces and numerous major faults in the region with both east-west and northeast-southwest trends. These faults have caused displacement and movement of the limestone layers, speeding up the development of the karst. The faults in this region are slip faults, which have shifted adjacent limestone layers and created conditions for intense erosion and the formation of a karst aquifer. The dissolution and corrosion of carbonate rocks have led to the development of complex karst networks in the Zagros, making it one of the most important water sources in the region.
Introduction
Karsts are among the most important water resources. Approximately 10.5% of Iran's area is comprised of carbonate formations (Hamidi Zadeh et al., 2012). In most of these formations, karst aquifers are present (Karimi Vardanjani, 2015). The water from karst springs often flows out as a spring after passing through various layers of the earth under the influence of complex processes and hydraulic pressure. This emphasizes the necessity of investigating the geological and geomorphological characteristics of springs to understand the internal features of karsts. The factors influencing karst development can be categorized into three groups: 1- Climatic factors such as temperature, carbon dioxide pressure, and precipitation; 2- Geomorphological factors such as topography and drainage systems; and 3- Geological factors like faults, fractures, lithology, etc. (Karimi Vardanjani, 2015). This research aims to examine the geological and geomorphological causes and factors contributing to the formation of the Kani Bel Spring in Paveh, Kermanshah.
Research Methodology
The research is based on library and documentary studies, satellite image analysis, remote sensing, and field surveys. Using maps of the area of interest, the analysis of Landsat 9 satellite images, field surveys, geological features, lithology, geomorphological characteristics of the spring, and tectonic structures of the basin were examined. Additionally, various structures and geological analyses were extracted using remote sensing, employing data from Landsat (Landsat 9), ASTER, and the Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS PALSAR) with a spatial resolution of 12.5 meters.

Discussion
Carbonate formations in Iran cover an area of about 185,000 square kilometers. 23% of this area covers central southern Iran, with a total of 55.2% located in the Zagros basin. The folded Zagros contains two formations capable of karstification, namely the Gadowan and Daryan formations, which date back to the Lower Cretaceous, Aptian, and Albian periods, and serve as karst reservoirs in the Bel spring area in northern Paveh.
Geological surveys reveal that tectonic mechanisms and slip-fault movements, along with tectonic pressures, identify that the recharge of the aquifer occurs continuously due to suitable average precipitation and the purity of the limestones of the Daryan and Gadowan formations, providing a good water reservoir in the area. These tectonic mechanisms involve faults and fractures oriented in two directions: north-south and northwest-southeast.
Results
The Kani Bel spring in Paveh is one of the distinctive geological phenomena of the folded Zagros and is considered a significant karst water source in this region. It is located in northern Paveh, near the Hajij village, the Sirvan River, and the Daryan Dam. This spring, as one of the water reserves in the folded Zagros, has formed under the influence of tectonic mechanisms and slip-fault movements, causing the displacement of limestone layers adjacent to each other, facilitating the development of a severe erosional regime and the evolution of a karst aquifer in both east-west and northeast-southwest directions at various times. The Kani Bel spring has developed under the geological conditions of the Daryan and Gadowan formations and is one of the water-rich areas in the Zagros zone. The erosion and dissolution of carbonate rocks have led to the formation of complex karst networks in the Zagros, contributing to the evolution and development of one of the most important water resources in the Zagros zone. The karstification processes in the folded Zagros have intensified due to limestone formations and high volumes of precipitation. The recharge of the aquifer in this spring and karst formation has continuously occurred throughout different geological periods, resulting in a good water reservoir in the area.
Keywords: Darian Formation, Gadvan Formation, geomorphology, Kani Bell, karst reservoir
References
Hamidi Zadeh, F., Kalantari, MR. & Cherchi, E., 2012. Hydrogeological and geostructural survey of Dareh Anari spring in Shirin Bahar karst area of Khuzestan province. Iran's water resources research, 8 (1), 30-42
Karimi Vardanjani, 2015. Karst hydrogeology and geomorphology (2nd edition, V.1-1). Aram Shiraz Publications