Spatial mapping of water erosion with MCDA tool in ArcGIS

Explore how water erosion is modeled using empirical, conceptual, and physical approaches, including RUSLE, MUSLE, SWAT, and 3D process-based models, with MCDA in ArcGIS.

Explore multi-criteria analysis tools and MCDA theory that evaluate conflicting criteria in decision making, using quantitative and qualitative aspects, including Analytical Hierarchy Process and Analytical Network Process.

Download Landsat 8 and Aster data, global soil data, and CRU precipitation to create seven thematic layers for erosion mapping; standardize to 30-meter pixels in UTM zone 42N.

Merge Landsat bands into a single multispectral image using the composite bands tool, then refine the area with a mask to produce a true color visualization for the study region.

Collect training samples and classify a Landsat scene in ArcGIS to map land cover, distinguishing water, glaciers, barren land, urban areas, rocks, forests, and rangelands using near-infrared signatures.

Perform post-classification correction in ArcGIS to merge misclassified land cover and refine training samples before extracting the study area, aiming for about 70–75 percent accuracy for the overlay.

Learn to calculate slope from a digital elevation model using a 3x3 neighborhood, interpret slope and aspect, and apply degree and percent rise outputs for erosion analysis in ArcGIS.

Download aster digital elevation model tiles for a defined study area, then mosaic the five tiles into a single dataset to support spatial erosion analysis.

Calculate slope for mosaic data using ArcGIS surface toolset, reclassify the raster into discrete classes, and prepare a study-area dataset for MCDA erosion risk analysis.

Reproject the mosaic digital elevation model from geographic to a UTM coordinate system. Ensure a 30-meter pixel resolution and correct zone, and apply the transformation in ArcGIS.

Explore the topographic wetness index (TWI) and how it quantifies a cell’s water accumulation using total catchment area, flow direction, flow accumulation, and slope in a digital terrain model.

Convert the slope from degrees to radians with map algebra, then set the data frame to utm zone 40-42 and resample to 30-meter resolution.

Compute tangents of slope using a raster calculator on sloping gradients in utm coordinates. Apply conditional logic to assign values for zero-slope areas and highlight high-slope regions for erosion mapping.