Advanced Digital Terrain Analysis Using Roughness-Dissectivity Parameters in GIS

Research output: Other contribution

Abstract

The local variation of terrain properties causes profound changes in the biosphere, microclimate, hydrologic cycle, and in the distribution of human activities on this planet. With the dawn of computerized technology, the terrain is represented in a digital form and new methods are needed to effectively describe, evaluate and quantify terrain properties. The purpose of this project is to develop new methods and procedures for terrain analyses within a GIS environment. The focus is to develop tools for capturing the local terrain variability. The selected parameters such as the hypsometric integral (modified Martonne’s index), roughness index, and basic statistical measures (mean, range and variance) are combined with newly developed dissectivity parameters, drainage lengths and landuse characteristics in one unified package and programmed in GIS using the ARC Macro Language (AML). The digital terrain data from this analysis can then be correlated with other spatial information to determine the influence of terrain properties on the ecosystem or other variables of interest including the human systems.

Original languageUndefined/Unknown
StatePublished - Jan 1 2004

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