Morphometric and Soil Erosion Characterization Based on Geospatial Analysis and Drainage Basin Prioritization of the Rabigh Area Along the Eastern Red Sea Coastal Plain, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Soil erosion is one of the most significant problems in global environmental development. Assigning, analyzing, and quantifying the main physical characteristics of drainage basins are powerful keys in identifying regions where there is a higher risk of soil erosion and where prompt mitigation actions are needed. Drainage basins and their drainage systems are ideally defined using the analysis morphometric parameters and their quantitative description. The present study aims to analyze morphometric parameters to prioritize drainage basins that are prone to erosion. Topographic sheets and remotely sensed digital elevation model (DEM) datasets have been prepared and analyzed using geospatial techniques to delineate drainage basins of different sizes and extract different ordered drainage systems. Based on the analysis of morphometric parameters, the Rabigh area was divided into 12 drainage basins, which significantly contribute to determining soil erosion priority levels. The present study selected and applied the most effective morphometric parameters to rank and prioritize the drainage basins of the study area after considering the crucial quantitative characteristics, such as linear, relief, and areal aspects. For each single basin, the compound factor was assigned from several morphometric parameters and applied to rank the Rabigh area. The results confirm that Basins 1, 4, 11, and 12 require a high level of soil erosion priority over an area of 2107 km2; however, Basins 3, 8, 9, and 10 have little degradation and a low level of soil erosion priority. Therefore, in the regions where high soil erosion is a factor, mitigation techniques such as terracing, filter strips, contouring, and other effective and useful structural and non-structural methods should be applied.