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Geospatial analysis of factors driving gully erosion: a case study from Southeastern Nigeria

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Abstract

Gully erosion studies are usually complex and expensive due to the multiple nature of the causative factors, heterogeneity of the underlying geologic materials, and the high volume of point source data required within a given area. For this reason, thorough gully erosion studies are rarely carried out, especially in developing countries with few resources allocated to environmental studies. Thus, it becomes difficult in solving problems arising from such a geologic hazard in those areas. However, the availability of data emanating from remotely sensed operations can be utilized in solving complex gully erosion problems using modern geospatial analytical tools. Consequently, a gully erosion susceptibility study was carried out in Anambra State, Southeastern Nigeria, by integrating remotely acquired geomorphologic and environmental data with the geotechnical information that was derived from field and laboratory investigations. The integrated geomorphologic, environmental, and geotechnical data were analysed with analytical tools such as ArcGIS, Google Earth, and Microsoft Excel, following the frequency ratio method. Results from the study revealed that slope angle, soil plasticity, angle of internal friction, cohesion, and population density contributed about 20%, 23%, 20%, 18%, and 9%, respectively, to soil’s susceptibility to gullying. Slope angle positively correlated with the frequency of gully erosion, whereas population density, plasticity, cohesion, and angle of internal friction negatively correlated with the frequency of gully erosion. The spatial distribution of the data revealed areas that are susceptible to gullying in their various degrees, thus providing affordable information for proper environmental planning and development.

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Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Mr. Michael and Mr. Kazeem of the Nigerian geological survey agency for providing laboratory assistance. They are also grateful to Mr. Idris and Ms. Chidinma for providing assistance during the fieldwork and to Ms. Anulika for proofreading and improving the English language quality of this work.

Funding

No funds, grants, or other support were received. Also, all authors certify that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest or non-financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geological Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria

    Chukwuebuka Emeh

  2. Department of Geology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria

    Ogbonnaya Igwe & Tochukwu A. S. Ugwoke

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  1. Chukwuebuka Emeh
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study’s conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by EC, OI, and UT Anthony Silas. The first draft of the manuscript was written by EC, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Chukwuebuka Emeh.

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Emeh, C., Igwe, O. & Ugwoke, T.A.S. Geospatial analysis of factors driving gully erosion: a case study from Southeastern Nigeria. Nat Hazards 117, 2903–2933 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-023-05971-6

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