JWSS - Journal of Water and Soil Science

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Flood is one of the catastrophic events that has attracted the hydrologists’ attention. In this research one of the important flood indices, i.e. maximum-daily mean-discharge, was determined for several western Iran watersheds, namely, in the catchments of Gamasiab, Qarasou, Saimare, Kashkan, Sezar and Abshineh. Daily data were prepared from stream-gauging stations and a 30-year concurrent period was selected.

 Flood frequency analysis was performed using HYFA and TR computer programs and optimum distributions were chosen by goodness of fit tests. Extreme flow values having different return periods of 2, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 years were calculated. Modeling was done with regional analysis using multiple regression technique between maximum-daily mean-discharge and physiographic characteristics of the basins. The most important parameter for the selection of the model was the adjusted coefficient of determination while significant level, standard error and observed discharger vs. computed discharge plot acted as controlling parameters. Finally, different models with different parameters were selected from power, exponential, linear and logarithmic forms. The results showed the power model to be the best among the four types. The main channel length, drainage density and time of concentration were the most effective parameters on flow. After analyzing the errors, it appeared that increasing the return period would cause an increase in the model error. At 1000-year return period, the error reached 32.2%.

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Ripraps are placed around bridge piers to prevent scour and secure the piers from failure. Proper riprap cover is essential to be economical. The present study examines using of riprap for reduction of local scour in piers group and the results are compared with data from riprap on a single pier. The models consist of two and three circular-shaped piers in line with the flow, with the diameter of 0.02 m and pier spacing of twice and four times the pier diameter. Four uniform riprap sizes with the diameters of 2.86, 3.67, 4.38 and 5.18 mm were used to cover the piers. The results showed that the effect of wake vortices formed at the downstream side of piers group was decreased as compared with single pier. The reinforcing and sheltering effects caused 31% decrease in front pier and 60% increase in back pier, respectively, for the length of cover riprap. The reinforcing and sheltering effects were decreased by increasing pier spacing, but the riprap pattern was not affected. In triple piers group, scour depth in the second pier was less than the first pier and in the third pier was less than the first and second piers. In double and triple piers group, the sheltering effect reduced the scour depth (46% and 54%, respectively) in the back pier with respect to the single pier. Reduction of dimensions in scour hole of back pier in triple piers group was 67% with respect to double piers group, which is the result of sheltering effect of first and second piers. The best shape for the riprap was semi-oval. The riprap length in double and triple piers group was reduced by 31% and 37.5%, respectively, as compared with the single pier.

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In this research, logistic regression analysis was used to create a landslide hazard map for Sajaroud basin. At first, an inventory map of 95 landslides was used to preduce a dependent variable, which takes a value of 0 for absence and 1 for presence of landslides. Ten factors affecting landslide occurence such as elevation , slope gradient, slope aspect, slope curvature, rainfall, distance from fault, distance from drainage, distance from road , land use and geology were taken as independent parameters. The effect of each parameter on landslide occurrence was determined from the corresponding coefficient that appears in the logistic regression function. The interpretation of the coefficients showed that road network plays the most important role in determining landslide occurrence. Elevation, curvature, rainfall and distance from fault were excluded from the final analysis because these variables did not significantly add to the predictive power of the logistic regression. After transferring final probability function into Arc/view 3.2 software, landslide susceptibility map was prepared. The results of accuracy assessment showed that overall accuracy of produced map is 85.3 percent. Therefore, 53% of the area was located in very low hazard, 18.3% in low hazard, 21% in moderate hazard and 7.7 % residual area is located in high hazard regions. Model and then susceptibility map verity was assessed using -2LL, Cox and Snell R2, Nagelkerk R2, and was validated.

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