Terrain Analysis at Multiple Scales: Effects on Terrain Attribute Calculation and Quantitative Soil-Landscape Modeling. (S05-thompson538459-poster)
Authors:
J.A. Thompson* - North Carolina State Univ.
R.E. Austin - North Carolina State Univ.
E.S. Anderson - North Carolina State Univ.
Abstract:
Terrain analysis of digital elevation model (DEM) data has become important for assessing soil variability, however the scale of analysis influences calculated terrain attributes and resulting
soil-landscape relationships. The processes that control soil variability, and consequently the landscape factors that regulate these processes, vary at different spatial scales. Selecting a single DEM resolution to model soil variability is therefore highly dependent on the scale of the process being modeled. We hypothesize that each topographically derived terrain attribute maintains some optimum resolution for predicting soil variability. Furthermore, resampling and generalizing a high-resolution DEM to achieve a lower resolution product for calculating terrain attributes at coarser scales results in an unnecessary loss of information. Our objectives are to develop algorithms for multi-scale terrain analysis and examine scale effects on terrain attribute values and soil-landscape relationships. We present results derived from calculation of terrain attributes at multiple scales from various high-resolution DEM, quantifying changes in terrain attribute characteristics when calculated at different scales, and examining changes in
correlations between terrain attributes and selected soil properties associated with changes in the scale of terrain attribute calculation.
Speaker Information: James Thompson, North Carolina State Univ., Department of Soil Science Campus Box 7619, Raleigh, NC 27695-7619; Phone: 919.513.0255; E-mail: [email protected]
Session Information: Wednesday, November 5, 2003, 4:00 PM-6:00 PM Presentation Start: 4:00 PM (Poster Board Number: 1211)
Keywords: terrain analysis; spatial modeling; soil variability; digital elevation models
