Effects of vertical resolution and map scale of digital elevation models on geomorphological parameters used in hydrology

Abstract

The advent of digital elevation models (DEMs) has made it possible to objectively extract, calculate and store geomorphological parameters for hydrological modelling at several scales. For a grid-based DEM, the threshold area used to extract the channel network is analogous to the scale of the map produced. In addition to the map scale, the effects of the vertical resolution of the DEM on some frequently used geomorphological parameters in hydrology are examined using high-resolution DEMs of two natural and two artificial catchments. The vertical resolution was varied between 1 cm and 1 m, the most common vertical resolution of DEMs. At a fixed map scale, the mean absolute percentage error in the geomorphological parameters caused by a decrease in vertical resolution is within the range 0-5% for the medium-sized catchments and 0-10% for the small catchments studied. Although it is true that a change in vertical resolution may cause a change in the individual pixel slope, area and topographic index (area/slope), particularly in low relief terrain, their cumulative distributions do not show any significant change with the vertical resolution. The shape of the normalized width function is not very sensitive to the vertical resolution and the map scale. For small catchments order change may occur at different map scales for the different vertical resolution DEMs of the same catchment, causing a significant change in order-related parameters such as Horton ratios. It is suggested that the vertical resolution of the DEM of a catchment be considered satisfactory for most hydrological applications if the ratio of the average drop per pixel and vertical resolution is greater than unity. This ratio criterion could be used to define the minimum pixel area for reliable channel network definition for any given vertical resolution. The minimum pixel area places a lower bound on the horizontal resolution with which a channel network can be extracted from a DEM. These results could potentially be used to assess the adequacy for hydrological purposes of existing and proposed digital elevation databases.

Hydrographic network extraction and watersheds delimitation software of the South Oran (North Wester Algeria)

“…By cons, in plain area, the altitude changes mean is less than the altimetrical accuracy of Aster data, which affects quality of the extraction [16][17][18][19][20][21]. Thus, the extraction of river system requires the availability of a digital terrain model (DTM) and the preparation from this one of a raster of flow directions and a raster of accumulations thresholds.…”

A review of the synthetic unit hydrograph: from the empirical UH to advanced geomorphological methods

“…The function has the advantage that it can be easily derived from maps or, more appropriately in the case of large catchments, from digital data sources, such as DEMs. Gyasi-Agyei et al (1995) examined the effects of the vertical resolution of the DEM and the map scale on geomorphological parameters using highresolution DEMs. It was found that for small catchments, order change may occur at different map scales for the different vertical resolution DEMs of the same catchment, causing a significant change in order-related parameters such as Horton ratios.…”

Nationwide Digital Terrain Models for Topographic Depression Modelling in Detection of Flood Detention Areas

“…Furthermore, horizontal [10][11][12][13][14][15][16] and vertical accuracy [10,17], terrain relief [13], algorithms used for terrain derivative delineation and data structure affect the accuracy of a digital terrain model (DTM) [10]. Grid DTMs, which store elevation values in a regular matrix of pixels, are commonly used in hydrologic analyses.…”

“…The effects of the acquisition method and grid size of a DTM on hydrologically interesting terrain derivatives, such as river network and watershed representation, slope and aspect, specific catchment areas and CTI-values (Compound Topographic Index), have been studied [10][11][12]18]. Additionally, the impact of vertical errors of DTMs on terrain derivatives has been examined [10,17] as well as the impact of DTMs on hydrologic modelling [15,16,19] and flood simulation [3,14,18]. The suitability of a DTM for terrain analysis has also been examined.…”