Showing 2384 results for Type of Study: Research
M. Majedi Asl, T. Omidpour Alavian, M. Kouhdaragh, V. Shamsi,
Volume 27, Issue 3 (12-2023)
Abstract
Non-linear weirs meanwhile economic advantages, have more passing flow capacity than linear weirs. These weirs have higher discharge efficiency with less free height upstream compared to linear weirs by increasing the length of the crown at a certain width. Intelligent algorithms have found a valuable place among researchers due to their great ability to discover complex and hidden relationships between effective independent parameters and dependent parameters, as well as saving money and time. In this research, the performance of support vector machine (SVM) and gene expression programming algorithm (GEP) in predicting the discharge coefficient of arched non-linear weirs was investigated using 243 laboratory data series for the first scenario and 247 laboratory data series for the second scenario. The geometric and hydraulic parameters were used in this research including the water load (HT), weir height (P), total water load ratio (HT/p), arc cycle angle (Ɵ), cycle wall angle (α), and discharge coefficient (Cd). The results of artificial intelligence showed that the combination of parameters (Cd, H_T/p, α, Ɵ) respectively in GEP and SVM algorithms in the training phase related to the first scenario (Labyrinth weir with cycle wall angle 6 degrees) were respectively equal to (R2=0.9811), (RMSE=0.02120), (DC=0.9807), and (R2=0.9896), (RMSE=0.0189), (DC=0.9871) in the second scenario (Labyrinth weir with a cycle wall angle of 12 degrees) it was equal to (R2=0.9770), (RMSE=0.0193), (RMSE=0.9768), and (R2 = 0.9908), (RMSE = 0.0128), (DC = 0.9905), which compared to other combinations has led to the most optimal output that shows the very favorable accuracy of both algorithms in predicting the coefficient the Weir discharge is arched non-linear. The results of the sensitivity analysis indicated that the effective parameter in determining the discharge coefficient of the arched non-linear Weir in GEP and in SVM is the total water load ratio parameter (HT/p). Comparing the results of this research with other researchers revealed that the evaluation indices for GEP and SVM algorithms of this research had better estimates than other researchers.
S. Esmailian, M. Pajouhesh, N. Gharahi, Kh. Abdollahi,
Volume 27, Issue 3 (12-2023)
Abstract
Awareness of the number of changes in runoff and sediment on different slopes can be useful in modeling the production of runoff and sediment. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the production of surface and tunnel runoff and sediment in saline and sodic soils on different slopes. Saline-sodic soil was collected and transported to the laboratory. Laboratory experiments were performed on a soil bed in a rectangular flume at three different slopes (5%, 10%, and 15%) under simulated rain (30 mm/h) for one hour. An analysis of variance was used to investigate the effect of slope on runoff and sediment production, and the means were compared using Duncan's test at the five percent level using SPSS version 26 software. The results showed that there was a significant difference between the slopes of the runoff (P<0.001) and sediment (P<0.001). In the first minute of the experiments, due to the lack of moisture in the soil, the amount of runoff was low, but over time, the amount of runoff increased. It is because the pores are blocked by the dispersion of soil particles owing to the presence of sodium ions, which ultimately leads to a decrease in permeability. Similarly, in the last few minutes, outflow from the tunnel was observed, and this flow occurred only on slopes of 10% and 15%. The amount of sediment was also low in the first few minutes, which could be related to the low amount of runoff and the lack of sediment particle removal. Nonetheless, after the lapse of time, its amount increased, and the primary reasons were reduced permeability, increased runoff, and removal of fine particles from the soil surface.
A.r. Emadi, R. Fazloula, S. Zamanzad-Ghavidel, R. Sobhani4, S. Nosrat-Akhtar,
Volume 27, Issue 3 (12-2023)
Abstract
As one of the most necessary human needs, groundwater resources play a key role in the economic and political processes of societies. Climatic and land-use changes made serious challenges to the quantity and quality of groundwater resources in the Tehran-Karaj study area. The main objective of the present study is to develop a method based on individual intelligent models, including adaptive neural-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), gene expression programming (GEP), and combined-wavelet (WANFIS, WGEP) methods for temporal and spatial estimation of total hardness (TH), total dissolved solids (TDS), and electrical conductivity (EC) variables in the groundwater resources of the Tehran-Karaj area for statistical period of 17 years (2004-2021). The results showed that
combined-wavelet models have higher performance than individual models in estimating three selected variables. So that the performance improvement percentage of the WANFIS model compared to ANFIS and WGEP model compared to GEP, taking into account the evaluation index of root mean square error (RMSE) were obtained (23.713%, 18.018%), (12.581%, 33.116%), and (6.433%, 12.995%) for TH, TDS, and EC variables, respectively. The results indicated a very high spatial and temporal compatibility of the estimated values of the WGEP model with the observed values for all three qualitative variables in the Tehran-Karaj area. The results showed that the concentration of qualitative variables of groundwater resources from the north to the south of the study area has an upward trend for all three qualitative variables. In urban areas, pollution caused by sewage and population increase, as well as in agricultural areas, the use of chemical fertilizers and their continued infiltration into groundwater resources and
over-extraction of groundwater resources aggravate their pollution. Therefore, in the study area, climatic changes and the type of land use are strongly related to the quality of groundwater resources.
S. Gholizadeh Tehrani, S. Soltani Koupai, R. Modarres, V. Chitsaz,
Volume 27, Issue 3 (12-2023)
Abstract
Drought is one of the most destructive and important climate phenomena, whose effect is usually more important on a regional scale. The importance of this phenomenon is more evident in the Karkheh basin due to its size and important role in providing the country's water resources. We aim to monitor hydrologic drought using the accurate calculation of standardizes streamflow index (SSI) in one month time scale based on fitting frequency distribution to monthly data and goodness of fit test for each station in Karkheh basin for 30 years (1986-2016). The findings of this research showed that the generalized Pareto distribution was selected as the most appropriate distribution in most months, unlike the previous research that fitted and used only the Gama distribution on the data. The time series of the standard flow index indicated the occurrence of super-drought in 2008 to 2015 years. Also, the significant impact of the construction of hydraulic structures upstream of the basin on the average flow rate was observed in some stations. The results of direct and annual monitoring of the drought situation showed that the Karkheh basin has experienced hydrological drought in recent years, and the drought trend is increasing.
S. Najmi, M. Navabian, M. Esmaeili Varaki,
Volume 27, Issue 3 (12-2023)
Abstract
The increasing need for water resources and controlling the discharge of wastewater into the environment shows the necessity of wastewater treatment. Green methods such as constructed wetlands and phytoremediation use biological processes in the environment for wastewater treatment. Considering the effect of cultivated constructed wetland performance from wastewater quality and climatic factors, the objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of hybrid and subsurface vertical and horizontal wetlands to improve the biological and chemical oxygen demand of the wastewater treatment plant in Rasht City. The effect of Phragmites australis and Typha latifolia plants on the treatment performance was investigated. Wastewater retention time in wetlands varies from monthly in winter and weekly in spring and summer. The results showed that the performance of wetlands in reducing biological oxygen demand (BOD) was more than chemical oxygen demand (COD). Plants improved the performance of the wetland by more than 50%, but no significant difference was observed between the performances of the two plants. The arrangement of the plant's cultivation was not effective in the amount of biological and chemical oxygen removal. The hybrid wetland was able to improve the wastewater quality twice as much as the vertical wetland. Comparing the concentration of the effluents from the wetlands with the standards showed that the effluents from the hybrid wetlands could only be used for agricultural consumption.
R. Samadi, Y. Dinpashoh, A. Fakheri-Fard,
Volume 27, Issue 3 (12-2023)
Abstract
A hydrological parameter affecting the management of water resource systems is changes in the amount and occurrence time of extreme precipitation (OTEP). In this research, the seasonality of precipitation in the Lake Urmia (LU) basin was analyzed using the daily extreme precipitation data of 30 rain gauges in the statistical period of 1991-2018. The uniformity of OTEP was tested by Rayleigh and Kuiper’s tests at 0.1, 0.05, and 0.01 levels. The slope of the trend line for OTEP was estimated using the modified Sen slope estimator. The uniformity of OTEP was rejected at each level. The results revealed two strong seasons: late winter and early spring (S1) and autumn (S2) for OTEP. The results showed a general median seasonality index of 0.3, which changed to 0.82 and 0.9 for S1 and S2, respectively, after dividing the whole year into two seasons. The seasonal strength of S1 was similar in both the western and eastern parts of LU, but the west of the lake was stronger than the eastern part in S2. In S1, negative and positive trends in the OTEP were observed on average in 40% and 60% of the stations, respectively, with corresponding values of 77% and 27% for S2, respectively.
M. Dorfeshan, A.r. Masjedi, M. Heidarnejad, A. Bordbar,
Volume 27, Issue 3 (12-2023)
Abstract
Piano key overflows have a high discharge capacity. Proper design of these overflows requires sufficient accuracy in predicting the type of overflows. In this study, experiments were performed in a rectangular laboratory flume made of Plexiglas to investigate the effect of the relative length and width of the two-cycle piano switch overflow crest on the discharge coefficient. In present research, the flow intensity coefficient was investigated by installing a rectangular piano switch overflow with relative crest lengths of 0.8, 1, and 1.2 and relative crest widths of 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4 in 10 flow intensities in the channel. The results of this study showed that by increasing hydraulic load, the flow intensity coefficient first increases and then decreases. Also, by increasing the relative length of the crest by 50%, the current intensity coefficient increases by 43% in the overflow. Increasing the relative width of the overflow crest by 50% increases the current intensity coefficient by 25% in the overflows. Also, an equation was presented to determine the maximum relative scour depth, and the correlation coefficient of the results of this equation with the laboratory results is about 0.90.
H.r. Owliaie, E. Adhami, M. Najafi Ghiri,
Volume 27, Issue 3 (12-2023)
Abstract
Soil resources are important components of the ecosystem, and therefore, their quality should be considered. One of the important factors affecting the quality of soils is land use change. The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of land use change and deforestation on some soil fertility and biological characteristics in the forest area of the Yasouj region. In this area, four land uses of dense forest, sparse forest, deforested (degraded) lands, and rainfed agriculture were randomly sampled from two slope classes. In each land use 10 soil surface samples were taken. Fifteen soil fertility and biological characteristics were measured using routine methods. The results showed that dense forest and deforested (degraded) lands had the best and worst conditions, respectively, in terms of the measured parameters. Among the measured characteristics, the values of alkaline phosphate, exhaled respiration, nitrogen, basal respiration, acid phosphatase, manganese, and zinc showed the greatest decrease respectively, and the values of phosphorus and potassium exhibited the least decrease, as a result of land use change from dense forest to degraded lands. The findings showed that the conversion of ecosystems such as forests to agricultural lands or deforestation has led to a severe decrease in the fertility and biological indicators of soil quality. Therefore, the protection programs of these areas should be more considered.
M. Sehat, A. Bordbar, A.r. Masjedi, M. Heidarnejad,
Volume 27, Issue 4 (12-2023)
Abstract
Today, abutments disrupt the normal flow of rivers and cause scouring and erosion of sedimentary materials around them, creating holes and resulting in much damage every year. Researchers have proposed various methods to reduce the power of water erosion. One of the essential methods in this regard is creating slots in abutments. Since the expansion of the scour hole endangers the stability of the bridge structure, this study examined the effect of slot dimensions in the support on the scour hole dimensions. The findings demonstrated that the presence of slots in abutments effectively reduces the dimensions of scour holes. With the slot, the volume of the scour hole can be reduced by up to 50%. Furthermore, as the relative speed of scouring increases by 75%, the depth of the scour hole also increased up to 140%. An increase in slot depth leads to a decrease in scour hole depth of up to 85%.
M. Abtahi, M. Khosroshahi,
Volume 27, Issue 4 (12-2023)
Abstract
Biological operations to combat wind erosion must be carried out in the calm bed of dunes, which is often challenging due to high-velocity winds. Therefore, the necessary precondition for stopping the movement of sand is to create obstacles in the path of their movement, protecting newly planted vegetation from wind damage and ensuring stability during the initial years. In this project, various methods of preventing wind erosion, including creating a windbreak to reduce wind speed below the erosion threshold and sand spraying to increase the wind threshold, were evaluated in the dunes of Abuzidabad, Kashan, under severe wind erosion. The windbreaks used include mesh with a percentage of 50% porosity in a checkerboard with dimensions of 2.5 * 2.5 m, and cottonwood harvested from cotton fields in a grid of 5 * 5 meters. The height and distance of the windbreaks were calculated using the wind threshold speed and the maximum wind speed of the region. Sand spraying was tested on dunes and clay-salt panes with 50% and 30% density. To compare the rate of soil displacement in the above and control treatments, graded wooden indicators up to a height of one meter of sediment traps were used. In addition, the effect of net windbreak on the percentage of successful establishment of the Holoxylon sp. plant compared to the control was investigated. In this study, the cost of each method was calculated separately and compared with the cost of spraying oil mulch. The results showed that 50% sand spraying, in addition to having the best performance in stabilizing sands and preventing the formation of dust, as well as stability, also has a lower implementation cost than other methods. Therefore, the 50% sand spraying method is introduced as the best method to stabilize and prevent erosion at the lowest cost and also environmental compatibility.
B. Ebrahimi, M. Pasandi, H. Nilforoushan,
Volume 27, Issue 4 (12-2023)
Abstract
The different land uses in the irrigation water area of the eleven streams of Khansar city during 1969, 1995, 2014, and 2019 have been identified and their area has been determined by analysis of the aerial photos as well as the satellite images of QuickBird, and Landsat in the Google Earth Engine (GEE) environment. Then, the net and gross areas of land under irrigation water, area of non-agricultural land uses, location and area of agricultural land uses under irrigation of the streams are separated according to the type of agricultural activity (orchard or farmland) for each stream. Aerial photos of the study area dated 1969 are the basis for the assessment of agricultural conditions before the law of Fair Water Allocation. The results showed that non-agricultural and particularly urban and residential land uses have increased since 1969. In other words, land use of part of the agricultural lands has been changed to residential and urban land uses. Despite the decreasing trend of agricultural land uses in the last 50 years, these changes have not been the same between the farm and orchard land uses and the area under orchard plantation showed an increasing trend. These changes have dramatically influenced on water demand of the streams. Land use has not significantly changed from 2014 to 2019 and no noticeable change was observed in the area of the agricultural and green agricultural lands as well as the percentage of the orchard and farming lands during these years. The results of this study confirmed the significant changes in agricultural land use and consequently water consumption in the district of the eleven streams of Khansar in recent decades. This study also highlighted the high efficiency of the combined use of aerial photos, spectral satellite images with medium spatial resolution, and visible spectral satellite data with high spectral resolution, as well as using cloud system capabilities of the Google Earth Engine to study changes in agricultural land uses during last decades.
A.r. Hossienpur, M. Barati, M.h. Salehi,
Volume 27, Issue 4 (12-2023)
Abstract
The kinetics of potassium release may be affected by P When phosphorus (P) fertilizer is applied to soils. The objective of this study was to the effect of Ca(H2Po4)2 fertilizer on the kinetics of non-exchangeable potassium (NEK) release in 10 calcareous soils. The amount of 100 mg kg-1 of P as Ca(H2Po4)2 was added to the soils. Treated and untreated soils were incubated at 70% of field capacity and 25±1°C for 90 days. After that, the NEK release was studied by 0.01 M CaCl2 extractant in 2017 hours by successive extraction methods in the treated and untreated soils. The results showed the NEK released in treated soils less than in untreated soils. The mean cumulative NEK released after 2017 h in the treated and untreated soils was 260.6 and 303.3 mg kg-1, respectively. The release of NEK in all soils was fast in the initial stages and continued at a lower speed in the later stages until the end of the experiment. The kinetics of NEK release was evaluated using kinetic equations. Based on the highest coefficients of determination (R2) and the lowest standard error (SE), the kinetics of NEK release in treated and untreated soils were described by the power function equation. The results of this research could be helpful for the precise fertilizer recommendation for the study in calcareous soils.
J. Abedi Koupai, A. Chehreraz, F. Dadvand,
Volume 27, Issue 4 (12-2023)
Abstract
The scarcity of freshwater resources increases the importance of seawater and brackish water desalination processes. However, a large amount of specific energy requirements, and high operational costs, present a big challenge in adopting desalination technologies. Due to high expenses of energy, desalination of saline waters by low-cost methods is important. The objective of this research was to investigate the ability of two adsorbents (zeolite and graphene oxide) to remove salinity ions from aqueous solutions in Caspian Sea water and water of the well of the Dark zone in Isfahan. At first, some graphene oxide was made according to Homer's method. Then, the characteristics of graphene oxide were known by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and using an electron microscope. After that, the ability of adsorbents to remove salinity agent cations and anions was evaluated. To investigate a fixed-bed zeolite column with graphene oxide (GO) layer was used to remove Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, and Cl– from 50 cc of saline water. Also, Hexadecyl trimethylamine (HDTMA) was used to modify natural zeolites. The results showed that among the adsorbents for the water of the well in the Dark zone, 30 mg graphene oxide with 13 gr zeolite had the highest adsorption rate (23.84 percent of salinity reduction), and for Caspian Sea water, 13 gr zeolite modified by surfactants had the highest adsorption rate (23.43 percent of salinity reduction). Also, the removal of cations and anion followed the sequence: K+ >Ca2+ >Mg2+ >Cl– >Na+.
R. Hosseinpour, H.r. Asgari, H. Nikanhad Qermakher, E. Malekzadeh, M.k. Kianian,
Volume 27, Issue 4 (12-2023)
Abstract
The soils of desert areas are mostly low in organic matter and may fluctuate greatly in terms of acidity. Biochars are one of the materials used to improve and modify some soil characteristics. This compound is very resistant to decomposition and remains in the soil for a longer period, reducing agricultural waste and turning it into a soil conditioner. This leads to keeping carbon in the soil, increasing food security, increasing biodiversity, and reducing deforestation. In this research, an attempt was made to investigate the biochar of fodder beet plant waste produced at different pyrolysis temperatures and its physical and chemical characteristics. For this purpose, fodder beet wastes were collected from settlements around Birjand and after being crushed and air-dried, they were pyrolyzed in an electric furnace under limited oxygen conditions at a temperature range of 300-700 degrees Celsius. Then, the characteristics of the produced biochars were performed with 3 repetitions of measurements and statistical analyses with SPSS software. The results of this research showed that the characteristics of biochars changed significantly with temperature change. The highest yield percentage (59%), organic carbon (56.33%), total nitrogen (0.53%), water retention (0.84g/g) at 300 and 400 degrees Celsius, and the highest amount of ash (% 76), acidity (8.21) and electrical conductivity (0.1ds/cm) was obtained at a temperature of 700 degrees Celsius. The percentage of carbon and the efficiency of biochar produced at temperatures of 300 and 400 degrees Celsius were higher than other biochar produced at other temperatures. Biochar produced at 300°C has better characteristics in terms of carbon percentage and acidity efficiency compared to biochar produced at 400°C. Although these differences were not statistically significant, due to biochar production being more economical in terms of energy consumption, it is recommended to produce biochar at a temperature of 300 degrees Celsius.
H. Azadbeygi, M. Najarchi, Dr H. Lajevardi,
Volume 27, Issue 4 (12-2023)
Abstract
The present research explores the experimental and numerical investigation of homogeneous earth dams in rapid drawdown conditions. The numerical model was evaluated and calibrated due to the saturation status using the experimental model. The calculated error between the piezometric pressure data and the seepage line in the numerical and experimental model indicated that the results of the Seep/W numerical model data had acceptable accuracy. Also, to determine the thickness of the filter adjusted in the upstream side slope of the homogeneous earth dam in rapid drawdown condition, input data to the numerical model including hydraulic conductivity, rate of the water level drop (depletion of the dam reservoir in three scenarios of 2, 3, and 4 days), the different side slopes of the body (m = 1, 2, and 3), and the thickness of the filter layers were determined. It is worth mentioning that the number of layers and the soil properties of the filter materials were determined based on the USBR which consisted of three types of soil structure (sand, gravel, and gravel with sand). The maximum hydraulic gradient of the dam materials was used to estimate the thickness of the filter layers. Finally, some dimensional fewer numbers were presented to estimate the filter layers by changing the input data through the numerical model to attain the safe conditions for the values of the hydraulic gradient at the upstream side slope. Results of the numerical model indicated that for the construction of the dam with the thickness of the presented filter, the values of the available hydraulic gradient at the point of water exit from the upstream side slope of the body of the earth dam were lower than the critical hydraulic gradient of the earth dam materials in rapid drawdown condition.
S. Jalinousi, E. Joudaki, A. Moghadassi, M. Mahdieh,
Volume 27, Issue 4 (12-2023)
Abstract
This research presents the application of phytoremediation to remove ammonia from effluent possessing high ammonium content and alkalinity in one of the most complex refineries in Iran. The objective of this research was to find new methods to protect and preserve water resources. At first, the algae distribution was investigated. After purifying the samples, Chlorella Vulgaris was selected as resistant algae in the areas that experienced ammonia shocks. A 10-liter container and an airlift photobioreactor with similar laboratory conditions were developed to control biomass production. Experiments were conducted over 20 days and maximum biomass production occurred in the first 16-17 days. Cell density was expressed as dry cell weight in ammonia concentration from 10 mg/L to 500 mg/L. It was also observed that when the Nitrogen content of the culture medium was less than 50 mg/L, ammonia was completely removed in both methods. At a concentration of 10 mg/L, total ammonia in both methods was removed in the first week. At 50 mg/L to 100 mg/L concentrations, about 94% of ammonia was removed in the glass container and about 95% in the bioreactor. In these concentrations, with high ammonia content, the final cell density, and absorption power were significantly low and this was evident at 500 mg/L. Prevention of water evaporation and biomass settling, better control of some vital parameters including pH, temperature, light, and energy intensity, effective mass and heat transfer, and carbon dioxide concentration led to better efficiency of the airlift photobioreactor. A noteworthy point in this result was the extraordinary performance of Chlorella Vulgaris in removing toxic pollutants such as ammonia and possibly using it in the biological systems of sanitary, refineries, and petrochemicals.
M. Salari, V. Rahdari, S. Maleki, R. Karami,
Volume 27, Issue 4 (12-2023)
Abstract
the countries of Iran and Afghanistan. A long period of drought has happened in this area by human interventions after 1999. The objective of current study is to predict the Hamoun wetland situation in scenarios with and without human intervention using the Markov model-automated cellular for 2019 and the next forty years. Land cover maps of the study area using satellite images for 1987 as a normal year, 1991 as a wet year, and 2019 as a year with human effects were prepared. Then, prediction model for 2019 were prepared using 1987 and 1991 cover layers in four scenarios, prediction models were prepared for the next forty years in normal, drought, and wet conditions. If the natural process of watering of Hamoun wetland continues, lower than 362735 hectares of wetland should become watering in 2019, while, according this year land cover map, less than 50000 hectares of wetland have water. Also, by continuation of the current trend and the effect of human activities in the 40-year models, 11230 hectares of the area will be watering, and if the natural process of the wetland continued using the model of 2019 this amount was equal to 373311 hectares. The results of the research show the completely different situation of the Hamoun wetland in the case of no human intervention in the watering of this wetland in 2019 and the model of the next forty years.
S. Barani, M. Zeinivand, M. Ghomeshi,
Volume 27, Issue 4 (12-2023)
Abstract
In this study the effect of orifice number and dimensions in combined structure sharp crested rectangular weir with multiple square orifice was investigated. For this propose, some experiments in different flow rate, different orifice number and dimensions were done. The results showed that by different orifice numbers and dimensions, flow discharge increased at the same upstream flow head. This increasing trend was observed in all numbers and dimensions of the investigated experiments. The analysis of the quantitative results showed that by increasing the number of orifices, the discharge rate through the combined structure of weir-orifice was increased on average 2.06 liters per second and by increasing each centimeter of orifice dimensions, the discharge was increased by 2.82 liters per second. Also by calculating the percentage of flow rate increase, it was observed that by adding the orifice number, it increases by 18.7% and by increasing the size of the orifice by one centimeter, the flow rate increases by 28.1%.
R. Dabiri, H. Abghari, A. Ghorbani,
Volume 27, Issue 4 (12-2023)
Abstract
Management of watersheds and sustainable development today requires the most suitable and fastest method of obtaining and integrating information for optimal management and planning. One of the challenges of watershed management in the stage of planning and implementation of remedial and rehabilitation operations is choosing the appropriate and correct location; to have the necessary maximum efficiency and effectiveness, due to the high cost of mechanical operations and the lack of financial resources, select the right place to construct mechanical corrective dams has particular importance. Therefore, the objective of this research was to locate mechanical watershed management operations with a multi-criteria approach using AHP and ANP decision methods and compare the two methods in the geographic information system environment at the Saqezchi-Chay watershed. The research criteria and sub-criteria of 14 variables included soil (depth and texture), climate (type and precipitation amount), land use and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), hydrological factors and soil protection (flow accumulation, sedimentation rate, and curve number), topography (elevation and slope) and economic and social (distance from the village, from loan sources and the road). Expert judgments for weighting were collected through a questionnaire and in a field method with a statistical population of 29 experts and university professors. The results of this research showed that the ANP method had a significant correlation with the AHP method at the level of 95% and with an intensity of 0.839 and by comparing the prioritization of the two methods with Masonry Check Dams structures implemented in the Saqezchi-Chay watershed, it was determined that the ANP method prioritizes with more accuracy and resolution due to its network nature and increasing the range of changes.
A. Mahdavi, S. Soltani Koopaei, R. Modares, M. Samiei,
Volume 27, Issue 4 (12-2023)
Abstract
Land use changes are one of the main factors in the amount of surface runoff changes in watersheds. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate it to reduce the damages (human and financial) caused by floods and to modify watershed management. The watershed of Nahre Azam is located in the north of Shiraz city and a lot of loss of life and money to the residents of Shiraz due to floods has occurred in previous years. The present research was conducted to investigate the relationship between land use change and runoff in the Nahre Azam watershed in Shiraz using the SWAT model in the period of 2004-2020. The model was calibrated using data from 2004 to 2014 and validated for 2015 to 2020. These images were classified into 6 main land uses using the supervised classification method after performing necessary pre-processing, and a land use map was prepared for 2040 using the Markov chain method. Then, the effect of the land use change in 2003 and 2040 on the amount of simulated runoff was evaluated with the recalibrated model. The calibration results of Nahre Azam watershed for the values of statistical parameters in the calibration step for the coefficient of determination, P-Facor and R-Facor are 0.77, 0.72, and 2.43, respectively, and for the validation step we obtained 0.69, 0.65, and 2.3 respectively. The analysis of the land use map showed that the main land use change in the region related to the conversion of pastures to agricultural land and urban land, which caused a decrease in pastures. Also, the results of the model simulation using the land use maps of 2003 and 2040 indicated that the amount of runoff decreased. The results revealed that if all the uncertainties are minimized, the calibrated SWAT model can produce acceptable hydrological simulation results for the user, which is useful for water resource and environmental managers and politicians as well as city managers of Shiraz.
