GIS-based morphometric analysis of the Dewana basin, Sulaimani, Kurdistan, Iraq

Volume 1 , Issue 1 , January 2016 , Pages 163-187

Authors

¹ Department of Geology, University of Sulaimani, Sulaimaniyah, Kurdistan, Iraq

An integrated remote sensing data are used in a detailed morphometric study of the

Dewana drainage basin, Sulaimani Governorate of the northeastern part of Iraq. The

basin is considered as a good example of a medium scale drainage basin of a

mountainous terrain with variable geomorphological processes and landscapes. Major

basin divides recognized by the homoclinal ridges of Baranan Mountain to the northeast

and Sagerma Mountain to the southwest.

Satellite images as well as Digital Elevation Model with topographic, geologic, and

structural maps were used in addition to field investigations to perform a GIS-based

drainage network and morphometric analysis. An analysis which becomes important

sources of the area with increasing agricultural development.

Arc GIS 9.3 was used for digitizing, measuring and drawing the spatial data of these

analyses. Detailed morphometric analysis was applied to the Dewana basin, using

variable geomorphological and hydrogeomorphological parameters, by calculating

network aspects from two sets of topographic maps at scale of 1:20,000 and 1:50,000.

Different sets of morphometric parameters were calculated such as: linear, relief and

aerial parameters. Morphometric analysis results are discussed and correlated with each

other and to standard values to evaluate fluvial-geomorphic evolution of the basin.

The study shows that the Dewana basin is of the 6th order drainage basin, with relatively,

high values of drainage density and basin relief which implies that surface runoff is not

rapidly removed from the basin, making it susceptible to gully erosion and landslides.

Shape parameters of the basin indicate that it has elongated form, which reflects strong

structural controls on the morphology of the basin. Drainage pattern is dominated by

dendritic, sub-parallel to sub-trellis types which emphasize structural controls in addition

to variable lithologic characters of the basin rocks.

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