GIS-Based Landslide Susceptibility Mapping in Qazvin Province of Iran

Landslides pose serious life and property losses annually around the world. In the present research, the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) is applied for landslide hazard zonation of Qazvin Province, Iran. Qazvin Province, located in the Central Basin of Iran with an area of 15,821 km(2), occupies 1% of Iran's total area. This province is located between longitudes 48 degrees 45 ' to 50 degrees 50 E and latitudes 35 degrees 37 ' and 36 degrees 45 ' N. In the present work, the effect of geomorphological (slope and aspect), geological (lithology, slope difference, strata slope, earthquake acceleration, ground aspect difference, and strata aspect), and engineering geology (point load index, geological strength index, specific gravity, cohesion, internal friction angle, weathering, and condition of discontinuities) parameters is investigated on landslide occurrence through the AHP method. After analysis of the obtained data in ArcGIS software, the effect of each information layer on landslide occurrence was determined and zoning was done. The results obtained by comparing the prepared zoning map and distribution of the occurred landslides show the high accuracy of the AHP method for landslide zoning in Qazvin Province.