Morphometric factors affecting gully erosion development and its climatic zoning in Kermanshah Province, Iran

Gully erosion contributes severe land degradation. It is therefore, necessary to identify the aggravating factors and to provide for sensitive areas to gully development. The aim of this study was to determine the spatial and climatic distribution of gully in Kermanshah Province, Iran and to identify the morphological characteristics and the main factors of their development. First, using 1: 20,000 and 1: 50,000 aerial photographs, the predominantly gully areas of the province were identified and then this information was corrected using field suevey. The climatic zones of the gully areas are identified using existing maps and modified by the Domarten Method. In each climate, one to three gully areas were identified as targets and in each of them a gully was identified and two replications were identified. The gully chanel chrectreristices were location, landuse, dimensions at the head-cut, intervals of 25, 50 and 75%, slope, width, length and cross section. The results showed that 17% of areas in the Kermanshah Province was affecterd by gully erosion comprising eight sub-climate classes. Dominat topographic conditions of gullies were developed at hilly and gentle plain areas with Trapezoidal cross section. The cross section indicated deep and V-shaped gully in marl formations (Fars group). These areas included Sarfiroozabad, Somar and Jabbarabad where most of gully measures were deeper and wider than other parts. Among the effective factors in creating and expanding the gully, we can mention heavy rainfall, slope, soil erodibility and destruction of vegetation upstream of the basin as natural factors and change of land use and improper exploitation as human factors in developing gully erosion.