The Use of GIS in Estimating the Real Capacity of Rain Erosion (The Fournier Case Study for Zayandeh Rood Basin)

Interpolation, the generalization of point data to scatter data, and combining maps are three cases of important applications of GIS in Climatology studies. In this study, we have tried to estimate rain erosion capacity (Fournier Method) by using GIS capability in interpolation and the generalization of point data to scatter data. In Fournier method, the rain erosion capacity is calculated through the use of two climatic parameters (annual precipitation and the rainfall mean in the rainiest month of the year) and two physiological parameters (the height and slope of the region). The findings indicated that there is significant difference between these two methods of calculating rain erosion capacity. Using the mean of rain, erosion potential was estimated to be almost 121 tonnes per km2 annually, while this amount was estimated to be 267 tonnes per km2 by using GIS capabilities.