AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO EVALUATE GEOHAZARD POTENTIALITY IN THE DAMT HOT SPRINGS AREA, WESTERN VOLCANIC PLATEAU, YEMEN

Al-Nabhani, M. S.; Khanbari, Kh.; El-Anbaawy, M. I.; Said, M. S.

doi:10.21608/asge.2022.319356

AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO EVALUATE GEOHAZARD POTENTIALITY IN THE DAMT HOT SPRINGS AREA, WESTERN VOLCANIC PLATEAU, YEMEN

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Egypt

² Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Sana'a University and Yemen Remote sensing and GIS Center, Yemen

10.21608/asge.2022.319356

Abstract

The Damt hot springs area has a high vulnerability to geohazards (e.g., earthquake, mass wasting, and flash flood hazards). It is located at the southeastern escarpment of the Western Yemen Volcanic Plateau (WYVP) which is considered as the most volcanic and tectonic active provenience in Yemen. The relatively high risk of integrated factors (e.g., annual rainfall, steep slopes, and potential seismotectonic activities in the study area) has caused it to be an inherently susceptible area. Therefore, this study attempts to assess the geo-environmental conditions and factors and their implication on triggering the geohazards in Damt District.
An integrated approach using field observation, remote sensing analysis, and geospatial data analysis was applied to reveal geohazard prone zones. To better understand the causative factors controlling the geohazards and their environmental impacts, topographical, geological, and hydrological characteristics were mapped and investigated. The common anthropogenic factors including human interference through, excavation of the slopes mainly for house building and mountain terraced cultivation, inconvenient hot spring water utilization, and habitation patterns around the travertine cones area was integrated with the causative factors to increase the risk potentiality of geo-environmental problems.
Based on spatial integration of all contributing factors, most of the scattered hanged villages in the high relief, steep-sloped, highly weathered mountainous volcanic zone is prone to serious geohazards. In this respect, several mitigation measures, including the determination of several dams’ localities, are proposed to protect the urban area and enhance the water resources.

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