Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
Abstract
Plains are one of the most important geomorphological units and different parameters have been considered for classification of plain areas. One of most common classifications in natural resources studies in Iran entailing different qualitative and quantitative factors is: bare plains, apandazh plain and covered plain. Such classifications are used to make plains distinguishable from one another. In this study, the geomorphometrical parameters were considered for plain classification by using artificial neural networks and sensitivity analysis. These parameters were extracted by using mathematical equations and applying the corresponding relations on digital elevation models and they are not widely used in Iran. Geomorphometric parameters that were used in this study included Percent of slope, Plan Curvature, Profile Curvature, Minimum Curvature, the Maximum Curvature, Cross sectional Curvature, Longitudinal Curvature and Gaussian Curvature. These parameters were calculated in an area of 125000 hectare and at 1500 points, and the result was compared and calibrated with ground truth map. Sampling method in this study was Latin Hyper cube that is a kind of stratified random sampling. Results of this study show that the most important geomorphometric parameters to classify desert plains include Plan Curvature and Profile Curvature that have the highest sensitivity among different plain types. The more the topography of the area reduced the more the contribution and importance of these factors for separating plain types decreased so that these parameters were most prominent in bare plains but had the lowest efficiency in covered plains.
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