Terrain characterization using SRTM data

Abstract

Earth's surface possesses relief because the geomorphic processes operate at different rates, and geologic structure plays a dominant role in the evolution of landforms (Thornbury, 1954). The spatial pattern of relief yields the topographic mosaic of a terrain and is normally extracted from the topographical maps which are available at various scales. As cartographic abstractions are scale dependent, topographical maps are rarely good inputs for terrain analysis. Currently, the shuttle radar topography mission (SRTM) provides one of the most complete, highest resolution digital elevation model (DEM) of the Earth. It is an ideal data-set for precise terrain analysis and topographic characterization in terms of the nature of altimetric distribution, relief aspects, patterns of lineaments and surface slope, topographic profiles and their visualisation, correlation between geology and topography, hypsometric attributes and finally, the hierarchy of terrain sub-units. The present paper extracts the above geomorphic features and terrain character of part of the Chotonagpur plateau and the Dulung River basin therein using SRTM data. © 2010 Indian Society of Remote Sensing.