Abstract: Karst surface collapse is the main geological disaster in Wuhan area. We selected nine evaluation factors including formation lithology, groundwater exploitation, distribution of fault zone, thickness of overburden, structure of overburden, engineering activities and distance from the Yangtze River, development of karst caves, and karst collapse points to calculate their comprehensive information values by combining weights determined by analytic hierarchy process and information value calculated by information quantity method. Then the risk zoning assessment of karst surface collapse in Wuhan region was conducted. The accuracy of applying AHP-Information quantity method to the karst surface collapse risk assessment in Wuhan region is verified according to comparison with karst surface collapse already occurred. Points which have already seen karst surface collapse are almost in high risk zone. The evaluation results provide basis for the prevention and control of karst surface collapse in Wuhan region,and the evaluation method could also provide reference for the risk assessment of karst surface collapse in other areas.

Key words: karst surface collapse, AHP, information quantity method, risk assessment, Wuhan region