Rock Units Erosion Susceptibility Detection and Classification Using Nonlinear Correlation Analysis and Landsat ETM+ Data

The use of accurate lithological maps is inevitable in the preparation of rock unit’s erosion susceptibility maps. In this study, rock unit outcrops in the Soh Basin (50 km Northern Isfahan) were extracted using nonlinear correlation analysis of satellite data. Moreover, rock unit’s erosion susceptibility such as marl, shale, and quaternary deposits and resistant rock units such as sandstone and limestone were extracted based on soil erosion intensity factors. The lithology of the basin was studied using the virtual variables method. Initially, rock units, as a virtual independent variable, and the PC1 (the first principal component) of ETM+ multispectral bands were analyzed by a multiple linear regression model. Afterward, rock units were analyzed in logistic regression analysis as virtual dependent variables. The results revealed that logistic regression analysis is a suitable model for rock unit’s extraction.