Assessment of Morphometric Characteristics of Wadi Al-Shumar Catchment in Jordan

摘要

The Geographic information system and Aster DEM data with 30 m resolution have been used for the derivation of the morphometric parameters of the Al-Shumar watershed in Jordan. It is an area of 330 km2, and it has seven sub-catchments. The drainage pattern of the watershed shows a dendritic and parallel pattern, with a drainage density value of 1.49 - 1.85 km/km2. The bifurcation value of the sub-watersheds varies from 2.679 to 4.434, which reveals homogeneous drainage networks that formed on rocks when the influence of geologic structure on the stream network is negligible. The form factor value is near the rectangular shape except for the Al-Shiah and Al-Zarnouk watershed, these values are close to the circular shape and therefore they are vulnerable to flood risk in case of frequent rainfall events. The results are important in understanding the process of rainfall-runoff in Dryland environments and in adaptation of suitable water management practices on the sub-catchment level.