Landscape Characterization

Geomorphic processes form landscape features that are apparent at different scales. The level of detail afforded through high-resolution topographic data being collected through the 3D Elevation Program (3DEP), combined with high-performance processing capabilities, enable quantification of surface details not previously available. Geomorphometric analysis evaluates landscape characteristics by assessing values derived from topographic data —such as roughness, fractal dimension, relief, specific catchment area, and drainage pattern—to categorize landscape conditions. Classifying and understanding the distribution of landscape conditions within the United States helps optimize the development and implementation of effective workflows for the extraction and validation of cartographic features, and the generalization of these features for multi-scale representations.

The above image shows Eastern Great Plains and Central Interior Appalachian landscape features spanning much of Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana as depicted with a 100-meter resolution elevation model overlain with 1:2,000,000-scale hydrographic features.