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Lecture 4

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Bitthal Bharadwaj
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15 views

Lecture 4

Uploaded by

Bitthal Bharadwaj
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Digital terrain analysis

using DEM data

Dr. Pawan Kumar Gautam


M.Sc. Ph.D.
What is DEM ?
A digital elevation model (DEM) is a digital model or three
dimensional (3d) representation of an earth surface elevation with
respect to any reference datum.

DEM is the simplest form of digital representation of topography .

DEMs are used to determine terrain attributes such as elevation at


any point, slope and aspect.
Different Model
A DEM (Digital Elevation Model): Represents the bare-Earth
surface, removing all natural and built features.

A DSM (Digital Surface Model) captures both the natural and


built/artificial features of the environment.

A DTM (Digital Terrain Model) typically augments a DEM,


by including vector features of the natural terrain, such as rivers
and ridges. A DTM may be interpolated to generate a DEM, but
not vice versa.
DSM DTM
DSM DTM
DEM
A DEM is a 3D representation of a terrain’s surface, representing
elevation data without distinguishing between natural and
artificial objects. It typically includes the bare ground surface but
may also capture some features like buildings or vegetation
depending on the data source.
DTM
A DTM is an elevation model that represents the bare ground
surface (bare-earth model), much like a DEM, but often includes
additional information to improve terrain analysis, such as
breaklines and ridges. DTMs focus on representing the Earth's
natural topography in more detail.
DSMs
A DSM captures both the terrain’s surface and all objects on it,
including buildings, trees, and other structures. It is essentially a
representation of the surface as seen from above.
Differences Between DEM, DTM, and DSM
Here is the image showing the comparison between a DEM, and DSM,
illustrating the differences in surface representation.
Type of DEM
DEMs are generated by using the elevation information from several point
spaced at regular or irregular intervals.

The DEM could be acquired through technique such as photogrammetry


LiDAR, Land surviving etc. DEMs are commonly build using data collected
using remote sensing technique, but they may also be build from land
surviving.

DEMs use different structures to accurize or store the elevation information


from various source.Two main type of structure used are the following:

1. Raster DEM – Regular square grids


2. Vector DEM – Triangulate irregular network (TIN)
Triangulate irregular network (TIN)
A Triangulated Irregular Network (TIN) is a vector-based digital
terrain model (DTM) used in geographic information systems (GIS) to
represent the surface of the Earth. Unlike a regular grid DEM, a TIN uses
irregularly spaced points and creates a surface by forming triangles between
these points, making it particularly useful for modeling complex terrains.
Contour based DEM
Contours represent points having equal heights/ elevations with
respect to a particular datum such as Mean Sea Level (MSL).

In the contour-based structure, the contour lines are traced from


the topographic maps and are stored with their location (x, y) and
elevation information.
Source of DEM
1. CartoDEM: Offers DEM data with 30 m resolution. IRS

2. SRTM (Shuttle Radar Topography Mission): Provides global


coverage with 30 m to 90 m resolution. NASA

3. ASTER (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and


Reflection Radiometer): Offers DEM data with 30 m resolution.

4. LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging): High-resolution DEMs


with up to 1 m accuracy.

5. Satellite Altimetry: For larger-scale terrains, altimetry data is used in


coastal and sea surface studies.
USE of DEM
1. Slope: Calculating the gradient, slope direction, and slope length
terrain features like ridges, valleys, and plains.

2. Elevation Profiles: Create elevation profiles along specific paths to


analyze changes in terrain over distance.

3. Aspect map: Represent the steepness and the compass direction of the
slope, which are crucial in hydrological and erosion modeling.

4. Curvature map: Measures the convexity/concavity of the surface,


helpful in assessing water flow and erosion potential.

5. Hillshade map: Simulates shadows cast by the terrain under a light


source to give a 3D perception of the terrain.
1. Roughness and Ruggedness map: Quantifies the variability in
terrain elevation to assess surface complexity.

2. Hydrological Modeling: Identification of drainage networks,


watershed delineation, flow accumulation, flow direction, stream power
index (SPI), and topographic wetness index (TWI).

3. Erosion and Sediment Modeling: DEMs are used to assess erosion


risk through terrain features like slope steepness and runoff direction.

4. Geological and Geomorphological Studies: Studying geological


structures, lithology, and tectonic activities in different terrains.

5. Watershed Delineation: Use DEMs to identify watershed boundaries


and flow accumulation patterns, aiding in hydrological analysis.
Terrain analysis
Hillshade map
Contour map
Relief Map
Basin analysis
3d Model
Thematic maps
Longitudinal profiles
Thankyou

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