I am part of the UBC Geohazards Research Team. My research is focused on developing empirical and numerical models for the runout analysis of tailings-flows.
Tailings dams are a critical piece of mine infrastructure. These dams retain mine tailings, a waste product of mineral processing operations that includes finely ground rock and process water. When these dams fail, a destructive flow of mine tailings can develop. These flows travel over substantial distances, and can impact large areas. The ability to understand and predict the motion of flowing tailings is a crucial step in protecting people, infrastructure and the environment from these events. This research project aims to develop practical methods to reliably predict the runout characteristics for tailings-flows.
2017-Present: Ph.D. Student in Geological Engineering, Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
2014-2017: Junior Geophysicist (G.I.T.) at Surface Search Inc., Calgary, AB, Canada
2010-2012: M.Sc. in Geological Engineering, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Waterloo, ON, Canada
2008-2009: Postgraduate diploma in Earth System Physics, International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste, Italy
2003-2008: B.Sc. in Physics, Physics Department, Shiraz University, Iran
Articles published in peer-reviewed journals
Ghahramani, N., Chen, H.J., Clohan, D., Liu, S., Llano-Serna, M., Rana, N.M., McDougall, S., Evans, S.G. and Take, W.A. (2022). A benchmarking study of four numerical runout models for the simulation of tailings flows. Science of The Total Environment, p.154245.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154245
Rana, N. M., Ghahramani, N., Evans, S. G., Small, A., Skermer, N., McDougall, S., & Take, W. A. (2022). Global magnitude-frequency statistics of the failures and impacts of large water-retention dams and mine tailings impoundments. Earth-Science Reviews, 104144.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2022.104144
Rana, N. M., Ghahramani, N., Evans, S. G., McDougall, S., Small, A., and Take, W. A. (2021). Catastrophic mass flows resulting from tailings impoundment failures. Engineering Geology 292, 106262.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2021.106262
Ghahramani, N., Mitchell, A., Rana, N.M., McDougall, S., Evans, S.G., and Take, W.A. (2020). Tailings-flow runout analysis: Examining the applicability of a semi-physical area -volume relationship using a novel database. Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences 20, 3425-3438.https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-20-3425-2020
Ghahramani, N., and Evans. S. G. (2018). The 1985 Earthquake-Triggered North Nahanni Rockslide, Northwest Territories, Canada: The Co-Seismic Movement of a Sedimentary Rock Mass Conditioned by Residual Strength. Engineering Geology 247: 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2018.10.015
Other peer-reviewed contributions (conference proceedings)
Ghahramani N., Rana, N.M., Liu, S., Chen, H.J., Clohan, D., McDougall, S., Evans, S.G., and Take, W.A. (2021). A preliminary benchmarking numerical modelling exercise for tailings-flow runout analysis. In: Proceedings of Mine Waste and Tailings Conference 2021, Brisbane, 433-443.
Rana, N.M., Ghahramani, N., Evans, S. G., McDougall, S., and Take, W. A. (2021). The magnitude-frequency of tailings flows resulting from the failure of tailings impoundments. In: Proceedings of the 2021 Tailings and Mine Waste Conference, Alberta.
Adria, D., Ghahramani, N., Cen, A., Rana, N.M., McDougall, S., Evans, S.G., and Take, W.A. (2021). Advancements in the modelling of tailings dam breaches. In: Proceedings of the 2021 Tailings and Mine Waste Conference, Alberta.
Rana, N.M., Ghahramani, N., Evans, S.G., McDougall, S., and Take, W.A. (2021). Analysis of downstream field behaviour of long-runout tailings flows using remote sensing. In: Proceedings of the Mine Waste and Tailings Conference 2021, Brisbane, 368-379.
Innis, S., Ghahramani, N., Rana, N.M, McDougall, S., Evans, S.G., Take, W.A., and Kunz, N. (2020). Automated hazard mapping of tailings storage facility failures. In: Proceedings of the International Tailings and Mine Waste Conference, Vancouver, 661-669.
Ghahramani, N., McDougall, S., Mitchell, A., Evans, S. G., Take, A., and Cuervo, V. (2019). “Introducing a Runout Zone Classification for the Analysis of Tailings Flows”, in: Proceedings Tailings and Mine Waste Conference, 17–20 November, Vancouver, Canada, 555–568.