Doline susceptibility mapping using multisource data in the karst aquifers of Saldaran mountain, High Zagros Belt

Doline susceptibility mapping (DSM) in karst aquifer is important in terms of estimating the vulnerability of the aquifer to pollutants, estimating the infiltration rate, and infrastructures exposed to the development of dolines. In this research, doline susceptibility map was prepared in Saldaran mountain by generalized linear model (GLM) using 14 affecting parameters extracted from satellite images, digital elevation model, and geology map. Only 8 parameters have been inputted to the model which had correlation with dolines. In this regards, 306 dolines were identified by the photogrammetric Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) method in 600 hectares of Salderan lands and then, these data were divided into the training (70%) and testing (30%) data for modelling. The results of DSM modeling showed that classified probability of doline occurrences in the Saldaran mountain were as follow: 16.5% of the area high to very high, 72% in the class of low to very low, and 5% in the moderate class. Also, locally, in Saldaran mountain, the Pirghar aquifer has the highest potential for the doline development, followed by Bagh Rostam and Sarab aquifers. Also, the precipitation, digital elevation model, Topographic Position Index, drainage density, slope, TRASP (transformed the circular aspect to a radiation index), Snow-Covered Days and vegetation cover index are of highest importance in the DSM modeling, respectively. Accurate evaluation of the model using the Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC) curve represents a very good accuracy (AUC=0.953) of the DSM model.