The altimetric frequency curve depicts at successive altitudes either the frequency of certain levels (spot heights, highest points in grid squares, summit heights) or the areas or lengths of flats (summits, shoulders, benches, cols). The various methods involve sampling with differing degrees of objectivity, but all are designed to demonstrate the existence of erosion surfaces or levels and to correlate levels from area to area.
Frequencies, areas or lengths (as totals or percentages) are generally plotted on the horizontal axis and altitudinal groups on the vertical. Refinement is possible by subdividing the frequency columns, so as to illustrate the dimensions and lithologies of flats. Interpretation of results varies with the altitudinal class intervals, which themselves are dependent upon the contour intervals of maps. Figure 1shows how running sum class intervals merely smooth out some of the irregularities of simple class frequencies, just as large intervals smooth out the...
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Clarke, J.I. (1968). Altimetric frequency curve . In: Geomorphology. Encyclopedia of Earth Science. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-31060-6_8
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