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Semiautomatic morphometric land surface segmentation of an arid mountainous area using DEM and self-organizing maps

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Abstract

In this study, the land surface in an arid mountainous area in southwestern Iran, Jooyom, was segmented by self-organizing maps, using an unsupervised method. The classification was performed using a digital elevation model with 10-m resolution and window size of 17 × 17. Twenty-two morphometric layers were calculated using elevation derivatives with first, second, and third orders. The morphometric layers then were ranked and the optimum numbers of parameters and classes were selected with an optimum index factor and Davies–Bouldin index methods. It was found that the most effective parameters in classification of the area were differential curvature, slope insolation, rotor, aspect, cross-sectional curvature, total ring curvature, extreme curvature, vertical curvature, and unsphericity. The study area was segmented into six classes of negative contact, pitty-thalweg valley, gently eastward and westward sloping transversely concave and convex plains, sloping or slopy pass, and peaky ridges. The average parameters of each class confirmed their gravity, debris, and wash behavior of the surface slopes. The relative coverage percent of each formation in each class showed that the Asmari formation with highest coverage of classes 5 and 6 and Mole member marl limestone with the highest coverage of class 1 have the smallest maturity and highest maturity between formations, respectively. The maturities of each formation based on coverage percentages of different classes agreed with their corresponding hypsometric integral indexes. Furthermore, the distribution of classes in watersheds on mountain flanks confirmed the existence of tectonic tilting in this area.

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Acknowledgments

The support of the International Unit of Shiraz University; the DEM data from Iran National Cartographic Center; the useful and effective comments and suggestions of Professor, Dr. Samir Al-Gamaland; and the English edits fulfilled by Sarah Scarlett, from the University of Waterloo, are hereby acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Desert Regions Management, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran

    M. Foroutan & M. Kompanizare

  2. Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Canada

    M. Kompanizare

  3. Graduate Faculty of Environment, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

    A. H. Ehsani

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  1. M. Foroutan
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  2. M. Kompanizare
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  3. A. H. Ehsani
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Correspondence to M. Foroutan.

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Foroutan, M., Kompanizare, M. & Ehsani, A.H. Semiautomatic morphometric land surface segmentation of an arid mountainous area using DEM and self-organizing maps. Arab J Geosci 6, 4795–4810 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-012-0797-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-012-0797-x

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