How does DEM resolution affect microtopographic characteristics,hydrologic connectivity,and modelling of hydrologic processes?

The resolution of a digital elevation model (DEM) is a crucial factor in watershed hydrologic and environmental modelling. DEM resolution can cause significant variability in the representation of surface topography, which further affects quantification of hydrologic connectivity and simulation of hydrologic processes. The objective of this study is to examine the effects of DEM resolution on (1) surface microtopographic characteristics, (2) hydrologic connectivity, and (3) the spatial and temporal variations of hydrologic processes. A puddle‐to‐puddle modelling system was utilized for surface delineation and modelling of the puddle‐to‐puddle overland flow dynamics, surface runoff, infiltration, and unsaturated flow for nine DEM resolution scenarios of a field plot surface. Comparisons of the nine modelling scenarios demonstrated that coarser DEM resolutions tended to eliminate topographic features, reduce surface depression storage, and strengthen hydrologic connectivity and surface runoff. We found that reduction in maximum depression storage and maximum ponding area was as high as 97.56% and 76.36%, respectively, as the DEM grid size increased from 2 to 80 cm. The paired t‐test and fractal analysis demonstrated the existence of a threshold DEM resolution (10 cm for the field plot), within which the DEM‐based hydrologic modelling was effective and acceptable. The effects of DEM resolution were further evaluated for a larger surface in the Prairie Pothole Region subjected to observed rainfall events. It was found that simulations based on coarser resolution DEMs (>10 m) tended to overestimate ponded areas and underestimate runoff discharge peaks. The simulated peak discharge from the Prairie Pothole Region surface reduced by approximately 50% as the DEM resolution changed from 2 to 90 m. Fractal analysis results elucidated scale dependency of hydrologic and topographic processes. In particular, scale analysis highlighted a unique constant–threshold–power relationship between DEM scale and topographic and hydrologic parameters/variables. Not only does this finding allow one to identify threshold DEM but also further develop functional relationships for scaling to achieve valid topographic characterization as well as effective and efficient hydrologic modelling. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

‘Out with the Old?’ Why coarse spatial datasets are still useful for catchment‐scale investigations of sediment (dis)connectivity

The increasing popularity of remote sensing techniques has created numerous options for researchers seeking spatial datasets, especially digital elevation models (DEMs), for geomorphic investigations. This yields an important question regarding what DEM resolution is most appropriate when answering questions of geomorphic significance. The highest possible resolution is not always the best choice for a particular research aim, and DEM resolution should be tailored to fit both the scale of investigation and the simplicity/complexity of modelling processes applied to the dataset. We find that DEM resolution has a significant effect on a simple model of bed load sediment connectivity in the Lockyer Valley, Queensland. We apply a simple bed load transport threshold to catchment DEMs at three different resolutions – 1 m, 5 m, and 25 m. We find that using a 1 m resolution DEM generates numerous disconnections along tributary channel networks that underestimates the sediment contributing area, i.e. effective catchment area (ECA), of seven tributary basins of Lockyer Creek. Utilizing a coarser (lower‐resolution) DEM helps eliminate erroneous disconnections, but can reduce the detail of stream network definition. We find that the 25 m resolution DEM provides the best measure of ECA for comparing sediment connectivity between tributary catchments. The utility of simple models and coarse‐resolution datasets is important for undertaking large, catchment‐scale geomorphic investigations. As catchment‐scale investigations are becoming increasingly entwined with river management and rehabilitation efforts, scientists need not embrace an ‘out with the old’ philosophy. Simple models and coarse‐resolution datasets can help better integrate geomorphic research with management strategies and provide inexpensive and quick first‐order insights into catchment‐scale processes that can help focus future management efforts. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of DEM resolution on modelling hydrological connectivity in a complex agricultural catchment with woody crops

Digital elevation model (DEM) resolution influences hydrological simulation. However, its influence when modelling hydrological connectivity (HC) in woody crops remains to be seen. We assessed surface topography, microtopography and HC in an agricultural sub‐catchment (27.4 ha) using six photogrammetry‐derived DEMs with 0.03, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5 and 1 m cell sizes. Land uses included vineyards, olive groves, cereal fields, and forestry patches. We ran an updated version of Borselli's HC index (IC) using the D‐Infinity approach. We assessed HC in woody crops at high spatial resolution for the first time. After analysing the differences in the contributing area, the flow width, the soil roughness, the convergence index and the IC (normalised and non‐normalised) at different scales (hillslope, land uses and compartments, ephemeral gullies, depositional areas and the sub‐catchment outlet) and accounting for the field vertical components, we propose an optimum DEM resolution (0.2 m) to improve modelling of structural HC in woody crops. The modelled hydrological features at this threshold resolution matched well with the geomorphic features associated with the short‐ and medium‐term patterns of soil redistribution. Higher DEM resolutions, especially at 0.03 and 0.05 m, introduced bias in the input data and the IC computations. Finally, we observed good agreement between the outputs at the lowest resolution, 1 × 1 m, and the long‐term soil redistribution patterns (functional connectivity). Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of elevation resolution on evapotranspiration simulations using MODFLOW

Surface elevations represented in MODFLOW head-dependent packages are usually derived from digital elevation models (DEMs) that are available at much high resolution. Conventional grid refinement techniques to simulate the model at DEM resolution increases computational time, input file size, and in many cases are not feasible for regional applications. This research aims at utilizing the increasingly available high resolution DEMs for effective simulation of evapotranspiration (ET) in MODFLOW as an alternative to grid refinement techniques. The source code of the evapotranspiration package is modified by considering for a fixed MODFLOW grid resolution and for different DEM resolutions, the effect of variability in elevation data on ET estimates. Piezometric head at each DEM cell location is corrected by considering the gradient along row and column directions. Applicability of the research is tested for the lower Rio Grande (LRG) Basin in southern New Mexico. The DEM at 10 m resolution is aggregated to resampled DEM grid resolutions which are integer multiples of MODFLOW grid resolution. Cumulative outflows and ET rates are compared at different coarse resolution grids. Results of the analysis conclude that variability in depth-to-groundwater within the MODFLOW cell is a major contributing parameter to ET outflows in shallow groundwater regions. DEM aggregation methods for the LRG Basin have resulted in decreased volumetric outflow due to the formation of a smoothing error, which lowered the position of water table to a level below the extinction depth.     

EFFECT OF DIGITAL ELEVATION MODEL RESOLUTION ON EMPIRICAL ESTIMATION OF SOIL LOSS AND SEDIMENT TRANSPORT WITH GIS

The horizontal accuracy of topographic data represented by digital elevation model (DEM) resolution brings about uncertainties in landscape process modeling with raster GIS. This paper presents a study on the effect of topographic variability on cell-based empirical estimation of soil loss and sediment transport. An original DEM of 10m resolution for a case watershed was re-sampled to three realizations of higher grid sizes for a comparative examination. Equations based on the USLE are applied to the watershed to calculate soil loss from each cell and total sediment transport to streams. The study found that the calculated total soil loss from the watershed decreases with the increasing DEM resolution with a linear correlation as spatial variability is reduced by cell aggregation. The USLE topographic factors (LS) extracted from applied DEMs represent spatial variability, and determine the estimations as shown in the modeling results. The commonly used USGS 30m DEM appears to be able to reflect essential spatial variability and suitable for the empirical estimation. The appropriateness of a DEM resolution is dependent upon specific landscape characteristics, applied model and its parameterization. This work attempts to provide a general framework for the research in the DEM-based empirical modeling.     

How do sediment yields from post‐wildfire debris‐laden flows depend on terrain slope,soil burn severity class,and drainage basin area? Insights from airborne‐LiDAR change detection

We derived a high‐resolution, spatially continuous map of erosion and deposition associated with the debris‐laden flows triggered by the 2011 Las Conchas wildfire and subsequent rainstorms over a 197 km² area in New Mexico, USA. This map was produced using airborne‐LiDAR‐derived bare‐earth digital elevation models (DEMs) acquired approximately one year before and one year after the wildfire. Differencing of the pre‐wildfire and post‐wildfire‐and‐rainstorm bare‐earth DEMs yielded a DEM‐of‐difference (DoD) map that quantifies the magnitude of ground‐surface elevation changes due to erosion/deposition within each 1 m² pixel. We applied a 0.3 m threshold filter to our DoD to remove changes that could have been due to artifacts and/or imperfect georeferencing. The 0.3 m value for the threshold filter was chosen based on the stated accuracy of the LiDAR as well as a comparison of areas of significant topographic change mapped in aerial photographs with those predicted using a range of candidate threshold values for the DoD filter. We developed an automated procedure that accepts the DoD map as input and computes, for every pixel in the DEM, the net sediment volume exported through each pixel by colluvial and/or fluvial processes using a digital routing algorithm. An analysis of the resulting sediment volume map for the Las Conchas fire demonstrates that sediment volume is proportional to upstream contributing area. After normalized by contributing area, the average sediment yield (defined as the sediment volume divided by the contributing area) increases as a power‐law functions of the average terrain slope and soil burn severity class (SBSC) with exponents equal to approximately 1.5. Our analysis quantifies the relationships among sediment yield, average terrain slope, and average soil burn severity class at the watershed scale and should prove useful for predicting the geomorphic response of wildfire‐affected drainage basins. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Inferring sediment transfers and functional connectivity of rivers from repeat topographic surveys

High-resolution topographic models have revolutionized monitoring of river changes by comparing sequential river topographic surveys (i.e. change detection). Nevertheless, much more may be obtained from this innovative quantification of changes. In this paper, we enhance the interpretation of geomorphic processes by presenting a new method for understanding of sources and sinks of sediment, river sediment transfers and functional sediment connectivity. Repeat digital elevation models (DEMs) obtained by photogrammetry were used to quantify topographic change after two floods by creating a DEM of difference (DoD) of a 6.5 km-long reach of Rambla de la Viuda stream, an ephemeral gravel-bed river in eastern Spain. The proposed method involved dividing the channel into 10 m-long longitudinal strips that were used to systematically draw boundaries between the erosional and depositional areas of the DoD. The analysis objectively: (i) drew a series of erosional and depositional segments, from 120 to 1360 m in length; (ii) estimated ranges of source-to-storage sediment transport distances, 320–670 m in the upstream and middle reaches and up to 2030 m in the lower reach; and (iii) obtained values of functional connectivity (i.e. the ratio between the sediment exported (erosion) and retained (deposition), ranging from 10³ to 10⁻³). The variability in these three parameters along the river was found to be related to the level of channel disturbance by in-stream mining during the 1990s and 2000s. Additionally, this method indicates that the main process responsible for self-adjustment of the present morphosedimentary conditions is intra-reach erosion of banks and channel beds. Thus, this study proposes a new methodology to characterize morphological change, sediment transfer and connectivity that may serve as environmental indicators of the hydromorphological integrity of rivers with potential application to the European Water Framework Directive. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sub‐grid scale parameterization of hillslope runoff and erosion processes for catchment‐scale models of semi‐arid landscapes

The processes of hillslope runoff and erosion are typically represented at coarse spatial resolution in catchment‐scale models due to computational limitations. Such representation typically fails to incorporate the important effects of topographic heterogeneity on runoff generation, overland flow, and soil erosion. These limitations currently undermine the application of distributed catchment models to understand the importance of thresholds and connectivity on hillslope and catchment‐scale runoff and erosion, particularly in semi‐arid environments. This paper presents a method for incorporating high‐resolution topographic data to improve sub‐grid scale parameterization of hillslope overland flow and erosion models. Results derived from simulations conducted using a kinematic wave overland flow model at 0.5 m spatial resolution are used to parameterize the depth–discharge relationship in the overland flow model when applied at 16 m resolution. The high‐resolution simulations are also used to derive a more realistic parameterization of excess flow shear stress for use in the 16 m resolution erosion model. Incorporating the sub‐grid scale parameterization in the coarse‐resolution model (16 m) leads to improved predictions of overland flow and erosion when evaluated using results derived from high‐resolution (0.5 m) model simulations. The improvement in performance is observed for a range of event magnitudes and is most notable for erosion estimates due to the non‐linear dependency between the rates of erosion and overland flow. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

TerraSAR-X/TanDEM-X获取高精度数字高程模型技术研究

以双星系统(TerraSAR-X/TanDEM-X)下的bistatic数据模式为例研究了差分干涉获取高精度DEM产品的融合算法和技术流程.针对不同观测几何条件下(升降轨,不同入射角)观测数据的畸变和缺失,提出一种迭代的顾及垂直基线、阴影和叠影的数据融合新方法重建高分辨率高精度的数字高程模型,并对TanDEM-X融合的DEM在不同地物属性特征下(山区及高楼林立的城区)的精度进行定量分析.本文采用了两对覆盖珠海、澳门区域的升降轨TerraSAR-X/TanDEM-X干涉对进行融合处理,并通过收集的高精度Lidar数据进行精度比较分析.此外,本文还定量分析了TanDEM-X的DEM对常规DInSAR技术的改进,并与SRTM、ASTER的结果进行对比.结果表明:提出的升降轨融合方法较单一轨道平台能够较好地改正或减弱由于几何畸变引起的高程信息缺失或错误,通过与Lidar数据的对比发现TanDEM-X的融合DEM在山区的精度较高,其残差的标准差为3.5 m,较单一轨道(升、降轨)分别降低8%和22%,能够通过迭代的方法获取高分辨率(可达2~5m)、高精度的地形信息;而针对城区密集建筑物的复杂地形来说,融合的DEM的精度稍低,残差的标准差为11.8m,但较单一轨道(升、降轨)来说有较大改进,其残差标准差分别降低了28%和22%;而在分布较为稀疏的居民区,融合的DEM能够较Lidar数据获取更好的建筑物高度及外形信息,此时的残差标准差可达5m.同时,TanDEM-X的融合DEM作为外部DEM能够较SRTM和ASTER来说更好地去除地形信息,尤其在山区及高程建筑密集分布的城区,从而利于后续的相位解缠和形变信息的精确获取和解译,为更高精度的时序InSAR形变监测提供有利条件.     

Evaluating DEM source and resolution uncertainties in the Soil and Water Assessment Tool

DEMs as important input parameters of environmental risk assessment models are notable sources of uncertainties. To illustrate the effect of DEM grid size and source on model outputs, a widely used watershed management model, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT), was applied with two newly available DEMs as inputs (i.e. ASTER GDEM Version 1, and SRTM Version 4.1). A DEM derived from 1:10,000 high resolution digital line graph (DLG) was used as a baseline for comparisons. Eleven resample resolutions, from 5 to 140?m, were considered to evaluate the impact of DEM resolution on SWAT outputs. Results from a case study in South-eastern China indicate that the SWAT predictions of total phosphorus and total nitrogen decreased substantially with coarser resample resolution. A slightly decreasing trend was found in the SWAT predicted sediment when DEMs were resampled to coarser resolutions. The SWAT predicted runoff was not sensitive to resample resolution. For different data sources, ASTER GDEM did not perform better than SRTM in SWAT simulations even it was provided with a smaller grid size and higher vertical accuracy. The predicted outputs based on ASTER GDEM and SRTM were similar, and much lower than the ones based on DLG. This study presents potential uncertainties introduced by DEM resolutions and data sources, and recommends strategies choosing DEMs based on research objects and maximum acceptable errors.     

Topographic locations and size of earthquake‐ and typhoon‐generated landslides,Tachia River,Taiwan

Analysis of mapped landslide locations using a high‐resolution (5‐m grid) digital elevation model (DEM) in the Tachia River basin, Taiwan, finds distinct differences in the topographic locations and size of landslides during the 1999 Chi‐Chi earthquake and the 2001 Toraji typhoon. Our analysis supports Densmore and Hovius' hypothesis that earthquake‐induced landslides cluster near ridgetops due to topographic amplification of ground shaking, and that typhoon‐induced landslides occur with greater frequency lower on slopes. In addition, the differing topographic locations of seismically‐induced and subsequent typhoon‐induced landslides shows no evidence of residual post‐earthquake influences on landslides during typhoon Toraji previously hypothesized for drainage basins closer to the earthquake epicenter. Our results support the interpretation that in this tectonically active landscape, seismically‐induced landslides help shatter and erode ridgetops but typhoon‐triggered landslides concentrate erosion farther downslope, with the combination acting to more uniformly lower upland terrain than either process does individually. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spatial discretization of large watersheds and its influence on the estimation of hillslope sediment yield

The combined use of water erosion models and geographic information systems has facilitated soil loss estimation at the watershed scale. Tools such as the Geo‐spatial interface for the Water Erosion Prediction Project (GeoWEPP) model provide a convenient spatially distributed soil loss estimate but require discretization to identify hillslopes and channels. In GeoWEPP, the TOpographic PArameteriZation (TOPAZ) model is used as an automated procedure to extract a watershed boundary, hillslopes and channels from a digital elevation model (DEM). Previous studies in small watersheds have shown that the size of the hillslopes and the channel distribution affect the model estimates, but in large watersheds, the effects on the soil loss estimates have yet to be tested. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of discretization on the hillslope sediment yield estimates using GeoWEPP in two large watersheds (>10 km²). The watersheds were selected and discretized varying the TOPAZ parameters [critical source area (CSA) and minimum source channel length (MSCL)] in a 30‐m resolution digital elevation model. The drainage networks built with TOPAZ were compared with each other using the drainage density index. The results showed that the discretization affected hillslope sediment yield estimates and their spatial distribution more than the total runoff. The drainage density index and the hillslope sediment yield were proportional but inversely related; thus, soil loss estimates were highly affected by the spatial discretization. As a result of this analysis, a method to choose the CSA and MSCL values that generates the greatest fraction of hillslopes having profile lengths less than 200 m was developed. This slope length condition is particularly crucial when using the WEPP and GeoWEPP models, in order for them to produce realistic estimates of sheet and rill erosion. Finally, and as a result of this analysis, a more reliable method was developed for selecting the TOPAZ channel network parameters (CSA and MSCL). Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Extracting drainage networks and their connectivity using LiDAR data

Policies, measures, and models geared towards flood prevention and managing surface waters benefit from high quality data on the presence and characteristics of drainage ditches. As a cost and labour effective alternative for acquiring such data through field surveys, we propose a method (a) to extract vector data representing ditch drainage networks based on local morphologic features derived from high resolution digital elevation models (DEM) and (b) to identify possible connections in the ditch network by calculating a probability of the connectivity using a logistic regression where the predictor variables are characteristics of the ditch centre lines or derived from the DEM. Using Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) derived DEMs with a 1 m resolution, the method was developed and tested for a mixed agricultural residential area in north‐eastern Belgium. The derived ditch segments had an error of omission of 8% and an error of commission of 5%. The original positional accuracy of the centre lines of the extracted ditches was 0.6 m and could be improved to 0.4 m by shifting each vertex to the position of the lowest LiDAR point located within a radius equal to the spatial resolution of the used DEM. About 69% of the false disconnections in the network were identified and corrected leading to a reduction of the unconnected parts of the ditch network by 71%. The extracted and connected network approximated the reference ditch network fairly well.     

Measuring rill erosion at plot scale by a drone‐based technology

The traditional direct method (i.e. metric ruler and rillmeter) of monitoring rill erosion at plot scale is time consuming and invasive because it modifies the surface of the rilled area. Measuring rill features using a drone‐based technology is considered a non‐invasive method allowing a fast field relief. In the experimental Sparacia area a survey by a quadricopter Microdrones md4‐200 was carried out, and this relief allowed the generation of a Digital Elevation Model (DEM), with a mesh size of 1 cm and a resolution elevation equal to 2 mm, for three plots (L, G and C) affected by rill erosion. At first for the experimental L plot, which is 44 m long, the rill features were surveyed by a ‘manual’ method which was carried out by drawing on the PC screen the rill paths obtained by a visual orthophoto interpretation. This manual method was not applicable for the plots in which rills of limited depth occurred and were not detectable. Then, for both L plot and the other experimental plots having a length ranging from 22 to 44 m, an ‘automatic’ extraction method of rills from DEM was applied. Using an appropriate calculation routine, a vector coverage of transects orthogonal to the main flow direction (i.e. the maximum slope steepness path) was generated. The intersection of each plot DEM with the transect coverage allowed to obtain both the cross sections and the main rill morphological features. For the L plot the comparison between the rill morphological features obtained by the two different methods (manual, automatic) was carried out. Finally, the length–volume relationship and a dimensionless relationship proposed in literature were tested for all studied experimental plots. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Identifying mechanisms of shore platform erosion using Structure-from-Motion (SfM) photogrammetry

Shore platforms control wave energy transformation which, in turn, controls energy delivery to the cliff toe and nearshore sediment transport. Insight into shore platform erosion rates has conventionally been constrained at millimetre-scales using micro-erosion metres, and at metre-scales using cartographic data. On apparently slowly eroding coasts, such approaches are fundamentally reliant upon long-term observation to capture emergent erosion patterns. Where in practise timescales are short, and where change is either below the resolution or saturates the mode of measurement, the collection of data that enables the identification of the actual mechanisms of erosion is hindered. We developed a method to monitor shore platform erosion at millimetre resolution within metre-scale monitoring plots using Structure-from-Motion photogrammetry. We conducted monthly surveys at 15 0.25 m² sites distributed across the Hartle Loup platform in North Yorkshire, UK, over one year. We derived topographic data at 0.001 m resolution, retaining a vertical precision of change detection of 0.001 m. We captured a mean erosion rate of 0.528 mm yr^-1, but this varied considerably both across the platform and through the year. We characterized the volume and shape of eroded material. The detachment volume–frequency and shape distributions suggest that erosion happens primarily via removal of shale platelets. We identify that the at-a-point erosion rate can be predicted by the distance from the cliff and the tidal level, whereby erosion rates are higher closer to the cliff and at locations of higher tidal duration. The size of individual detachments is controlled by local micro-topography and rock structure, whereby larger detachments are observed on more rough sections of the platform. Faster erosion rates and larger detachments occur in summer months, rather than in more energetic winter conditions. These results have the potential to form the basis of improved models of how platforms erode over both short- and long-timescales. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Impact of grid resolution on the integrated and distributed response of a coupled surface–subsurface hydrological model for the des Anglais catchment,Quebec

Digital elevation models (DEMs) at different resolutions (180, 360, and 720 m) are used to examine the impact of different levels of landscape representation on the hydrological response of a 690‐km² catchment in southern Quebec. Frequency distributions of local slope, plan curvature, and drainage area are calculated for each grid size resolution. This landscape analysis reveals that DEM grid size significantly affects computed topographic attributes, which in turn explains some of the differences in the hydrological simulations. The simulations that are then carried out, using a coupled, process‐based model of surface and subsurface flow, examine the effects of grid size on both the integrated response of the catchment (discharge at the main outlet and at two internal points) and the distributed response (water table depth, surface saturation, and soil water storage). The results indicate that discharge volumes increase as the DEM is coarsened, and that coarser DEMs are also wetter overall in terms of water table depth and soil water storage. The reasons for these trends include an increase in the total drainage area of the catchment for larger DEM cell sizes, due to aggregation effects at the boundary cells of the catchment, and to a decrease in local slope and plan curvature variations, which in turn limits the capacity of the watershed to transmit water downslope and laterally. The results obtained also show that grid resolution effects are less pronounced during dry periods when soil moisture dynamics are mostly controlled by vertical fluxes of evaporation and percolation. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

High-accuracy topographical information extraction based on fusion of ASTER stereo-data and ICESat/GLAS data in Antarctica

In order to better support Antarctic inland ice sheet expedition from Zhongshan Station to Dome A, the topographic data are necessary. At present, although the entire Antarctic DEM provided by RAMP (Radarsat Antarctic Mapping Project) was estimated at the highest horizontal (spatial) resolution of about 200 m, the real horizontal resolution of the DEM varies from place to place depending on the density and scale of the original source data. For ice shelves and the inland ice sheet, the horizontal resolution is about 5 km; the vertical accuracy is estimated to be ±50 m in interior East Antarctic ice sheet and away from the mountain ranges. Therefore, more accurate topographic data are unavailable in Antarctica. In order to meet the requirements of high-accuracy topographic information for further researches, this paper mainly addresses a fusion study of ASTER stereo pairs and ICESat/GLAS altimetry data for extraction of high-accuracy DEM in East Antarctica, based on the high horizontal resolution (15 m) of ASTER and vertical accuracy (13.8 cm) of ICESat/GLAS. First, some altimetry data were selected as vertical control points to reduce errors of image correlation matching during the extraction of ASTER-based DEM. Second, ice sheet altimetry data derived from ICESat were used to generate DEM ranging from 75° to 81°S because existing ASTER data do not cover this area and high density of the coverage of ICESat altimetry data. Finally, the DEM in coverage of the expedition route was produced. The analysis of result reveals that the DEM accuracy is improved significantly. The absolute vertical accuracy of DEM is higher than 15 m in some cases and higher than 30 m for all the areas along the expedition route except from the 009-001 scene; the interior accuracy is higher than 15 m and higher than 7 m in some cases. It can meet the requirements of topographic map at 1:50000 scale, which is an economic and advantageous method to produce the topographic products. Supported by National Natural Science Foundation (Grant No. 40606002), Surveying and Mapping in Chinese Antarctic Expedition Area (Grant No. 1469990711109-1), National Key Technology R & D Program (Grant No. 2006BAD18B01), and GLA12 dataset of ICESat/GLAS in National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC)     

基于CryoSat-2测高数据的全南极冰盖DEM的建立与精度评估

数字高程模型(DEM)是南极冰盖变化研究的基础,由于现场实测数据的稀缺,卫星测高数据是南极地区构建DEM的'主要数据来源.CryoSat-2是新一代用于极地冰盖、海冰监测的测高卫星,本文利用2012-12-2015-01两个完整周期的CryoSat-2测高数据建立一个新的南极冰盖DEM.坡度是影响卫星测高精度的重要因素之一,利用改进的重定位方法对CryoSat-2数据进行坡度改正.插值方法是影响DEM精度的重要因素,通过对几种常用插值方法的比较,最后选用克里金插值方法对测高数据进行插值,建立了1km分辨率的南极DEM.在88°S以南的CryoSat-2数据空白区,利用南极数字数据库(ADD)的等高线数据对DEM进行填补,建立了全南极冰盖DEM.利用ICESat卫星测高数据、IceBridge航空测高数据以及GPS地面实测数据对新建立的CryoSat-2 DEM进行精度验证,并与Bamber 1 km DEM、ICESat DEM、RAMPv2 DEM以及JLB97 DEM等四种国际上常用的南极DEM进行比较.结果表明:新建立的CryoSat-2 DEM的整体精度约为0.730±8.398 m;在冰弯顶部区域,DEM精度优于1 m;在冰架上,DEM精度约为4 m;在内陆冰盖大部分地区,DEM精度优于10 m;在地形复杂的山区和沿海边缘地区,DEM误差超过150 m.     

Detecting short-term evolution of Etnean scoria cones: a LIDAR-based approach

The 2001 and 2002–2003 flank eruptions on Mount Etna (Italy) were characterized by intense explosive activity which led to the formation of two large monogenetic scoria cones (one from each eruption) on the upper southern flank of the volcano. Continuous monitoring of Etna, especially during flank eruptions, has provided detailed information on the growth of these cones. They differ in genesis, shape, and size. A set of high resolution (1 m) digital elevation models (DEMs) derived from light detection and ranging (LIDAR) data collected during four different surveys (2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007) has been used to map morphology and to extract the morphometric parameters of the scoria cones. By comparing LIDAR-derived DEMs with a pre-eruption (1998) 10 m DEM, the volume of the two scoria cones was calculated for the first time. Comparison of the LIDAR-derived DEMs revealed in unprecedented detail morphological changes during scoria cone degradation. In particular, the morphologically more exposed and structurally weaker 2002–2003 cone was eroded rapidly during the first few years after its emplacement mainly due to gravitational instability of slopes and wind erosion.     

Soil erosion and overland flow in Japanese cypress plantations: spatio-temporal variations and a sampling strategy

ABSTRACT

Many studies have focused on soil erosion in unmanaged Japanese cypress plantations because the sparse understory vegetation and litter covering the forest ground enhance soil erosion. In this study, soil erosion, litter, and overland flow measurements were conducted over 14 months to identify the spatio-temporal variation and examine the optimal sample size. Fifteen traps (each 0.25 m wide) were installed in line along the bottom of a 15-m-wide slope. Soil erosion and overland flow had large spatial variations as compared to litter. The temporal coefficient of variation of soil erosion and overland flow was highest during dry seasons, while smaller during wet seasons. The random sampling analysis showed that the rate of decrease in spatio-temporal variation became moderate as the sample size increased beyond six. This result indicated that the optimal sample size was five, the total width of which was equivalent to about 8% of the monitored slope width.