TecDEM: A MATLAB based toolbox for tectonic geomorphology, Part 1: Drainage network preprocessing and stream profile analysis

Abstract

We present TecDEM, a software shell implemented in MATLAB that applies tectonic geomorphologic tasks to digital elevation models (DEMs). The first part of this paper series describes drainage partitioning schemes and stream profile analysis. The graphical user interface of TecDEM provides several options: determining flow directions, stream vectorization, watershed delineation, Strahler order labeling, stream profile generation, knickpoints selection, Concavity, Steepness and Hack indices calculations. The knickpoints along selected streams as well as stream profile analysis, and Hack index per stream profile are computed using a semi-automatic method. TecDEM was used to extract and investigate the stream profiles in the Kaghan Valley (Northern Pakistan). Our interpretations of the TecDEM results correlate well with previous tectonic evolution models for this region. TecDEM is designed to assist geoscientists in applying complex tectonic geomorphology tasks to global DEM data. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.