A new approach for dealing with depressions in digital elevation models when calculating flow accumulation values

Auteur(s) et Affiliation(s)

ARNOLD, N.

Scott Polar Research Inst., Dept. of Geography, Univ., Cambridge, Royaume-Uni

Description :
In this paper, some of the main flow accumulation algorithms and some existing techniques for dealing with closed depressions in DEMs are reviewed. A new algorithm is presented which assumes that such depressions are real features in the landscape, and which allows them to ‘fill’ and then ‘overflow’ into downstream areas within the DEM. Examples with a synthetic and two real DEMs suggest that, at least in these cases, the assumption that depressions are real is justified. These results also suggest that determining the size distribution for depressions within a DEM could form the basis for identifying whether artifact depressions are a problem in individual DEMs.

Type de document :
Article de périodique

Source :
Progress in physical geography, issn : 0309-1333, 2010, vol. 34, n°. 6, p. 781-809, nombre de pages : 29, Références bibliographiques : 43 ref.

Date :
2010

Editeur :
Pays édition : Royaume-Uni, London, Sage Publications

Langue :
Anglais