Geomorphometrics
Encyclopedia
Geomorphometrics is the discipline based on the computational measures of the geometry
, topography
and shape of the Earth's
horizons, and their temporal
change. (Turner 2006)
of the geometry
, topography
, and physical landforms of the Earths horizons, over time (Turner, 2006), and branches out from the disciplines of geomorphology
, geomatics
and geomorphometry
. Geomorphology has a long history as a concept and area of study, with geomorphometry being one of the oldest related disciplines (Schmidt, 2005). Geomatics is a more recently evolved sub-discipline, and even more recent is the concept of geomorphometrics. This has only recently been developed since the availability of more flexible and capable geographic information system
(GIS) packages, as well as higher resolution Digital Elevation Model
(DEM) (Turner, 2007). It is a response to the development of this GIS technology to gather and process DEM data
(e.g. remote sensing
, the Landsat program
and photogrammetry
).
, axis-orientation, and object-definitions the derived spatial data may yield meaning with subjective observation or parameter
isation, or alternatively processed as fuzzy data
to handle the varying contributing errors more quantitatively – for example as a 70% overall chance of a point representing the peak of a mountain given the available data, rather than an educated guess to deal with the uncertainty (Fisher et al., 2004).
-based software package
for geomorphometrics in association with the University of Leeds
. Example output can be accessed from the external links section.
(overseen by Brian Klinkenberg) and at Dalhousie University
.
Geometry
Geometry arose as the field of knowledge dealing with spatial relationships. Geometry was one of the two fields of pre-modern mathematics, the other being the study of numbers ....
, topography
Topography
Topography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, moons, and asteroids...
and shape of the Earth's
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
horizons, and their temporal
Time
Time is a part of the measuring system used to sequence events, to compare the durations of events and the intervals between them, and to quantify rates of change such as the motions of objects....
change. (Turner 2006)
Overview
The term ‘’geomorphometrics’’ refers to:- Digital Elevation ModelDigital elevation modelA digital elevation model is a digital model or 3-D representation of a terrain's surface — commonly for a planet , moon, or asteroid — created from terrain elevation data....
- GeomaticsGeomaticsGeomatics is the discipline of gathering, storing, processing, and delivering geographic information, or spatially referenced information.-Overview and etymology:...
- GeometryGeometryGeometry arose as the field of knowledge dealing with spatial relationships. Geometry was one of the two fields of pre-modern mathematics, the other being the study of numbers ....
- GeomorphologyGeomorphologyGeomorphology is the scientific study of landforms and the processes that shape them...
- GeomorphometryGeomorphometryGeomorphometry is the science of quantitative land surface analysis. It gathers various mathematical, statistical and image processing techniques that can be used to quantify morphological, hydrological, ecological and other aspects of a land surface. Common synonyms for geomorphometry are...
- Landforms
- Landsat programLandsat programThe Landsat program is the longest running enterprise for acquisition of satellite imagery of Earth. On July 26, 1972 the Earth Resources Technology Satellite was launched. This was eventually renamed to Landsat. The most recent, Landsat 7, was launched on April 15, 1999. The instruments on the...
- PhotogrammetryPhotogrammetryPhotogrammetry is the practice of determining the geometric properties of objects from photographic images. Photogrammetry is as old as modern photography and can be dated to the mid-nineteenth century....
- Remote sensingRemote sensingRemote sensing is the acquisition of information about an object or phenomenon, without making physical contact with the object. In modern usage, the term generally refers to the use of aerial sensor technologies to detect and classify objects on Earth by means of propagated signals Remote sensing...
- Scientific modellingScientific modellingScientific modelling is the process of generating abstract, conceptual, graphical and/or mathematical models. Science offers a growing collection of methods, techniques and theory about all kinds of specialized scientific modelling...
- TopographyTopographyTopography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, moons, and asteroids...
History and Origins
Geomorphometrics deals with the quantificationQuantification
Quantification has several distinct senses. In mathematics and empirical science, it is the act of counting and measuring that maps human sense observations and experiences into members of some set of numbers. Quantification in this sense is fundamental to the scientific method.In logic,...
of the geometry
Geometry
Geometry arose as the field of knowledge dealing with spatial relationships. Geometry was one of the two fields of pre-modern mathematics, the other being the study of numbers ....
, topography
Topography
Topography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, moons, and asteroids...
, and physical landforms of the Earths horizons, over time (Turner, 2006), and branches out from the disciplines of geomorphology
Geomorphology
Geomorphology is the scientific study of landforms and the processes that shape them...
, geomatics
Geomatics
Geomatics is the discipline of gathering, storing, processing, and delivering geographic information, or spatially referenced information.-Overview and etymology:...
and geomorphometry
Geomorphometry
Geomorphometry is the science of quantitative land surface analysis. It gathers various mathematical, statistical and image processing techniques that can be used to quantify morphological, hydrological, ecological and other aspects of a land surface. Common synonyms for geomorphometry are...
. Geomorphology has a long history as a concept and area of study, with geomorphometry being one of the oldest related disciplines (Schmidt, 2005). Geomatics is a more recently evolved sub-discipline, and even more recent is the concept of geomorphometrics. This has only recently been developed since the availability of more flexible and capable geographic information system
Geographic Information System
A geographic information system, geographical information science, or geospatial information studies is a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present all types of geographically referenced data...
(GIS) packages, as well as higher resolution Digital Elevation Model
Digital elevation model
A digital elevation model is a digital model or 3-D representation of a terrain's surface — commonly for a planet , moon, or asteroid — created from terrain elevation data....
(DEM) (Turner, 2007). It is a response to the development of this GIS technology to gather and process DEM data
Data
The term data refers to qualitative or quantitative attributes of a variable or set of variables. Data are typically the results of measurements and can be the basis of graphs, images, or observations of a set of variables. Data are often viewed as the lowest level of abstraction from which...
(e.g. remote sensing
Remote sensing
Remote sensing is the acquisition of information about an object or phenomenon, without making physical contact with the object. In modern usage, the term generally refers to the use of aerial sensor technologies to detect and classify objects on Earth by means of propagated signals Remote sensing...
, the Landsat program
Landsat program
The Landsat program is the longest running enterprise for acquisition of satellite imagery of Earth. On July 26, 1972 the Earth Resources Technology Satellite was launched. This was eventually renamed to Landsat. The most recent, Landsat 7, was launched on April 15, 1999. The instruments on the...
and photogrammetry
Photogrammetry
Photogrammetry is the practice of determining the geometric properties of objects from photographic images. Photogrammetry is as old as modern photography and can be dated to the mid-nineteenth century....
).
How geomorphometrics works
With a topographic landscape the question arises as to where a feature is and also as to how accurately it can be classified or identified. Geomorphometrics involves deriving values from the DEM data that infer geomorphological features, such as whether relative local values describe peaks, passes, pits, planes, channels and ridges. Due to limitations from resolutionImage resolution
Image resolution is an umbrella term that describes the detail an image holds. The term applies to raster digital images, film images, and other types of images. Higher resolution means more image detail....
, axis-orientation, and object-definitions the derived spatial data may yield meaning with subjective observation or parameter
Parameter
Parameter from Ancient Greek παρά also “para” meaning “beside, subsidiary” and μέτρον also “metron” meaning “measure”, can be interpreted in mathematics, logic, linguistics, environmental science and other disciplines....
isation, or alternatively processed as fuzzy data
Fuzzy logic
Fuzzy logic is a form of many-valued logic; it deals with reasoning that is approximate rather than fixed and exact. In contrast with traditional logic theory, where binary sets have two-valued logic: true or false, fuzzy logic variables may have a truth value that ranges in degree between 0 and 1...
to handle the varying contributing errors more quantitatively – for example as a 70% overall chance of a point representing the peak of a mountain given the available data, rather than an educated guess to deal with the uncertainty (Fisher et al., 2004).
Applications
Quantitative surface analysis through geomorphometrics provides the tools for scientists and managers interested in land management (Albani et al., 2004). Applications areas include:- Landscape ecologyLandscape ecologyLandscape ecology is the science of studying and improving relationships between urban development and ecological processes in the environment and particular ecosystems...
- Predictive vegetation modelling (see scientific modellingScientific modellingScientific modelling is the process of generating abstract, conceptual, graphical and/or mathematical models. Science offers a growing collection of methods, techniques and theory about all kinds of specialized scientific modelling...
and vegetationVegetationVegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region; it refers to the ground cover provided by plants. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic characteristics. It is broader...
) - Derivation of drainage networks (see scientific modelling, hydrologyHydrologyHydrology is the study of the movement, distribution, and quality of water on Earth and other planets, including the hydrologic cycle, water resources and environmental watershed sustainability...
, hydroinformaticsHydroinformaticsHydroinformatics is a branch of informatics which concentrates on the application of information and communications technologies in addressing the increasingly serious problems of the equitable and efficient use of water for many different purposes...
and surface-water hydrologySurface-water hydrologySurface-water hydrology is a field that encompasses all surface waters of the globe...
) - Landform identification (see topography)
Geomorphometricians
As a relatively new and unknown branch of GIS the topic of geomorphometrics has few ‘famous’ pioneer figures as is the case with other fields such as hydrology (Robert Horton) or geomorphology (Roger Chorley). In the past geomorphometrics have been used in a wide range of studies (including some high profile geomorphology papers by academics such as Evans, Leopold and Wolman (Chorley, 1972; Klimanek, 2006) but it is only recently that GIS practitioners have begun to integrate it within their work. Nonetheless it is becoming increasingly used by researchers such as Andy Turner and Joseph Wood.International Organisations
Large institutions are increasingly developing GIS-based geomorphometric applications, one example being the creation of a JavaJava
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
-based software package
Software package (installation)
In package management systems, which are commonly used with Linux-based operating systems, a package is a specific piece of software which the system can install and uninstall....
for geomorphometrics in association with the University of Leeds
University of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
. Example output can be accessed from the external links section.
Education in geomorphometrics (institutions)
Academic institutions are increasingly devoting more resources into geomorphometrics training and specific courses although these are still currently limited to a few universities and training centres. The most accessible at present include online geomorphometrics resource library in conjunction with the University of Leeds and lectures and practicals delivered as part of wider GIS modules, the most comprehensive at present offered at the University of British ColumbiaUniversity of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
(overseen by Brian Klinkenberg) and at Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University is a public research university located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The university comprises eleven faculties including Schulich School of Law and Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine. It also includes the faculties of architecture, planning and engineering located at...
.
Geomorphometry/geomorphometrics software
The following computer software has specialized terrain analysis modules or extensions (listed in alphabetical order):- ANUDEM
- ArcGISArcGISArcGIS is a suite consisting of a group of geographic information system software products produced by Esri.ArcGIS is a system for working with maps and geographic information...
(Spatial Analyst extension) - ILWISILWISILWIS is a GIS / Remote sensing software for both vector and raster processing. ILWIS features include digitizing, editing, analysis and display of data as well as production of quality maps...
- LandSerfLandSerfLandSerf is a free geographic information system for editing, processing and visualizing spatial data. It is particularly suited to handling Digital Digital Elevation Models and other surface models...
- SAGA GISSAGA GISSAGA GIS is a free and open source geographic information system used for editing spatial data. It was originally developed by a small team at the Department of Physical Geography, University of Göttingen, Germany, and is now being maintained and extended by an international developer...
(Terrain analysis modules)
See also
The topic of geomorphometrics is a close affiliate of a number of other fields such as:- GeomorphometryGeomorphometryGeomorphometry is the science of quantitative land surface analysis. It gathers various mathematical, statistical and image processing techniques that can be used to quantify morphological, hydrological, ecological and other aspects of a land surface. Common synonyms for geomorphometry are...
- TopographyTopographyTopography is the study of Earth's surface shape and features or those ofplanets, moons, and asteroids...
- PedometricsPedometricsPedometrics is the application of mathematical and statistical methods for the study of the distribution and genesis of soils.Pedometrics is a neologism derived from the Greek roots pedos, soil and, metron, measurement...
- Geographic information systemGeographic Information SystemA geographic information system, geographical information science, or geospatial information studies is a system designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present all types of geographically referenced data...
- GeomorphologyGeomorphologyGeomorphology is the scientific study of landforms and the processes that shape them...
- GeomaticsGeomaticsGeomatics is the discipline of gathering, storing, processing, and delivering geographic information, or spatially referenced information.-Overview and etymology:...
External links
- http://www.geog.leeds.ac.uk/people/a.turner/research/interests/geomorphometrics - University of Leeds - school of Geography, geomorphometrics home page
- http://www.personal.leeds.ac.uk/~gy06drs/ - example of Leeds University-developed geomorphometrics output with processing- and resolution-based parameters
- http://www.geog.ubc.ca/~brian/index.shtml - University of British ColumbiaUniversity of British ColumbiaThe University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
- department of Geography - http://www.googlesyndicatedsearch.com/u/Dalhousie?hl=en&ie=ISO-8859-1&domains=www.dal.ca&q=geomorphometrics&sitesearch=dal.ca - Dalhousie UniversityDalhousie UniversityDalhousie University is a public research university located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The university comprises eleven faculties including Schulich School of Law and Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine. It also includes the faculties of architecture, planning and engineering located at...
- geomorphology and landscape evolution module