Rockfall susceptibility assessment in Kuandian County (Northeast China) by combining information content method and analytic hierarchy process.

The Kuandian County (Northeast China) has suffered frequent rockfall disasters because of its topography, geological setting, and anthropogenic activities. This research work conducts rockfall susceptibility assessment in Kuandian County by comprehensively combining the Information Content Method (ICM) with the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Firstly, information contents of the evaluation factors are calculated via statistical analysis on the existing rockfall sites. Then, weights of the evaluation factors are determined by adopting AHP. In the final step, the susceptibility value of each evaluation unit is obtained by weighted summation of the information content of each evaluation factor. The combination of ICM and AHP is able to promote the objectiveness of the evaluation process and accuracy of the evaluation results. Furthermore, in order to analyze the influence of evaluation factor setting on susceptibility, assessments using reduced number of evaluation factors are also conducted for comparative analysis. Additionally, to analyze the influence of evaluation units on susceptibility, comparative analysis on the assessment results from both slope units and grid units in a small area is performed. The susceptibility assessment results presented in this study are generally consistent with the current situation of rockfall disasters in Kuandian County, providing reliable data support for disaster prevention and mitigation. Furthermore, the outcome of this study serves as a methodological reference for rockfall risk assessment in Northeast China and other mountainous regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]