Assessment of landslide risks in the western High Atlas Mountains of Morocco following the El Haouz earthquake, using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and multi-criteria GIS.
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1
L'institut scientifique, av. Ibn Batouta, Rabat
2
Regional Center for Education and Training Professions,
Rabat, Morocco
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ABSTRACT
This study aims to delineate landslide susceptibility maps for the Western High Atlas region using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. Several data points were considered for mapping the landslide susceptibility, including slope, lithology, curvature, fault density, aspect, hydrographic network, and seismic magnitudes. Spatially thematic layers and distributed maps of all the parameters were created in a GIS environment. To assign appropriate weights, the relative importance of these thematic layers in landslide occurrence was determined by comparing them with Preferred Landslide Model from the USGS database and on Field trip in the study area. The landslide susceptibility map was then generated by a weighted sum method in a GIS environment after being analyzed using the AHP method.
The landslide susceptibility map created in this study were classified as very high (5,30%), high (15.10%), moderate (59.41%), low (14.91%), and very low (5.27%). Overlay analysis of the satellite data with the landslide susceptibility map showed that the moderate to very high susceptibility zones were able to contain 72.24% of the total area (32 123,1 Km2). The study's results help to determine landslide-prone areas in the region and provide a reference for subsequent construction following the Al Haouz seismic disaster in 2023. Additionally, the analysis of landslide susceptibility in this area contributes to the study of landslides in similar sites.