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Resolution Sensitivity of a Compound Terrain Derivative as Computed from LiDAR-Based Elevation Data

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The European Information Society

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Geoinformation and Cartography ((LNGC))

Abstract

New technologies such as Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) provide high resolution digital elevation data. These data offer new possibilities in the field of terrain modelling and analysis. However, not very much is known about the effects when these data are used to compute broadly applied terrain derivatives. In this paper the sensitivity of the Topographic Wetness Index (TWI) and its two constituting components gradient and Specific Catchment Area (SCA) regarding the resolution of LiDAR-based elevation data is examined. For coarser resolutions a shift in the TWI distribution to higher values is noted. TWI distributions at different resolutions differ significantly from each other. These findings have an impact on aspatial and spatial modelling based on the TWI.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, University of Zurich - Irchel, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland

    Ralph K. Straumann & Ross S. Purves

Authors
  1. Ralph K. Straumann
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  2. Ross S. Purves
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstr. 190, CH-8057, Zürich, Switzerland

    Sara Irina Fabrikant

  2. Wageningen UR Centre for Geo-Information, Droevendaalsesteeg 3, 6708 PB, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Monica Wachowicz

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© 2007 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Straumann, R.K., Purves, R.S. (2007). Resolution Sensitivity of a Compound Terrain Derivative as Computed from LiDAR-Based Elevation Data. In: Fabrikant, S.I., Wachowicz, M. (eds) The European Information Society. Lecture Notes in Geoinformation and Cartography. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-72385-1_5

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