SAGA-GIS Module Library Documentation (v2.1.3)

Module Slope, Aspect, Curvature

Calculates the local morphometric terrain parameters slope, aspect and if supported by the chosen method also the curvature. Besides tangential curvature also its horizontal and vertical components (i.e. plan and profile curvature) can be calculated.

References:

Maximum Slope
- Travis, M.R., Elsner, G.H., Iverson, W.D., Johnson, C.G. (1975):
'VIEWIT: computation of seen areas, slope, and aspect for land-use planning',
USDA F.S. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-11/1975, 70p. Berkeley, California, U.S.A.

Maximum Triangle Slope
- Tarboton, D.G. (1997):
'A new method for the determination of flow directions and upslope areas in grid digital elevation models',
Water Ressources Research, Vol.33, No.2, p.309-319

Least Squares or Best Fitted Plane
- Horn, B. K. (1981):
'Hill shading and the relectance map',
Proceedings of the IEEE, v. 69, no. 1, p. 14-47.

- Beasley, D.B., Huggins, L.F. (1982):
'ANSWERS: User's manual',
U.S. EPA-905/9-82-001, Chicago, IL. 54pp.

- Costa-Cabral, M., Burges, S.J., (1994):
'Digital Elevation Model Networks (DEMON): a model of flow over hillslopes for computation of contributing and dispersal areas',
Water Resources Research, v. 30, no. 6, p. 1681-1692.

Fit 2.Degree Polynom
- Evans, I.S. (1979):
'An integrated system of terrain analysis and slope mapping',
Final report on grant DA-ERO-591-73-G0040. University of Durham, England.

- Bauer, J., Rohdenburg, H., Bork, H.-R. (1985):
'Ein Digitales Reliefmodell als Vorraussetzung fuer ein deterministisches Modell der Wasser- und Stoff-Fluesse',
Landschaftsgenese und Landschaftsoekologie, H.10, Parameteraufbereitung fuer deterministische Gebiets-Wassermodelle,
Grundlagenarbeiten zu Analyse von Agrar-Oekosystemen, (Eds.: Bork, H.-R. / Rohdenburg, H.), p.1-15

- Heerdegen, R.G., Beran, M.A. (1982):
'Quantifying source areas through land surface curvature',
Journal of Hydrology, Vol.57

- Olaya, V. (2006):
'Basic Land-Surface Parameters',
in: Hengl, T., Reuter, H.I. [Eds.]: Geomorphometry: Concepts, Software, Applications. Developments in Soil Science, Elsevier, Vol.33, 141-169.

- Zevenbergen, L.W., Thorne, C.R. (1987):
'Quantitative analysis of land surface topography',
Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 12: 47-56.

Fit 3.Degree Polynom
- R.M. Haralick (1983):
'Ridge and valley detection on digital images',
Computer Vision, Graphics and Image Processing, Vol.22, No.1, p.28-38

Parameters

 NameTypeIdentifierDescriptionConstraints
InputElevationGrid (input)ELEVATION--
OutputSlopeGrid (output)SLOPE--
AspectGrid (output)ASPECT--
General Curvature (*)Grid (optional output)C_GENE--
Profile Curvature (*)Grid (optional output)C_PROF--
Plan Curvature (*)Grid (optional output)C_PLAN--
Tangential Curvature (*)Grid (optional output)C_TANG--
Longitudinal Curvature (*)Grid (optional output)C_LONGZevenbergen & Thorne (1987) refer to this as profile curvature-
Cross-Sectional Curvature (*)Grid (optional output)C_CROSZevenbergen & Thorne (1987) refer to this as plan curvature-
Minimal Curvature (*)Grid (optional output)C_MINI--
Maximal Curvature (*)Grid (optional output)C_MAXI--
Total Curvature (*)Grid (optional output)C_TOTA--
Flow Line Curvature (*)Grid (optional output)C_ROTO--
OptionsMethodChoiceMETHOD-Available Choices:
[0] maximum slope (Travis et al. 1975)
[1] maximum triangle slope (Tarboton 1997)
[2] least squares fitted plane (Horn 1981, Costa-Cabral & Burgess 1996)
[3] 6 parameter 2nd order polynom (Evans 1979)
[4] 6 parameter 2nd order polynom (Heerdegen & Beran 1982)
[5] 6 parameter 2nd order polynom (Bauer, Rohdenburg, Bork 1985)
[6] 9 parameter 2nd order polynom (Zevenbergen & Thorne 1987)
[7] 10 parameter 3rd order polynom (Haralick 1983)
Default: 6
Slope UnitsChoiceUNIT_SLOPE-Available Choices:
[0] radians
[1] degree
[2] percent
Default: 0
Aspect UnitsChoiceUNIT_ASPECT-Available Choices:
[0] radians
[1] degree
Default: 0
(*) optional

Command-line

Usage: saga_cmd ta_morphometry 0 -ELEVATION <str> [-SLOPE <str>] [-ASPECT <str>] [-C_GENE <str>] [-C_PROF <str>] [-C_PLAN <str>] [-C_TANG <str>] [-C_LONG <str>] [-C_CROS <str>] [-C_MINI <str>] [-C_MAXI <str>] [-C_TOTA <str>] [-C_ROTO <str>] [-METHOD <str>] [-UNIT_SLOPE <str>] [-UNIT_ASPECT <str>]
  -ELEVATION:<str>  	Elevation
	Grid (input)
  -SLOPE:<str>      	Slope
	Grid (output)
  -ASPECT:<str>     	Aspect
	Grid (output)
  -C_GENE:<str>     	General Curvature
	Grid (optional output)
  -C_PROF:<str>     	Profile Curvature
	Grid (optional output)
  -C_PLAN:<str>     	Plan Curvature
	Grid (optional output)
  -C_TANG:<str>     	Tangential Curvature
	Grid (optional output)
  -C_LONG:<str>     	Longitudinal Curvature
	Grid (optional output)
  -C_CROS:<str>     	Cross-Sectional Curvature
	Grid (optional output)
  -C_MINI:<str>     	Minimal Curvature
	Grid (optional output)
  -C_MAXI:<str>     	Maximal Curvature
	Grid (optional output)
  -C_TOTA:<str>     	Total Curvature
	Grid (optional output)
  -C_ROTO:<str>     	Flow Line Curvature
	Grid (optional output)
  -METHOD:<str>     	Method
	Choice
	Available Choices:
	[0] maximum slope (Travis et al. 1975)
	[1] maximum triangle slope (Tarboton 1997)
	[2] least squares fitted plane (Horn 1981, Costa-Cabral & Burgess 1996)
	[3] 6 parameter 2nd order polynom (Evans 1979)
	[4] 6 parameter 2nd order polynom (Heerdegen & Beran 1982)
	[5] 6 parameter 2nd order polynom (Bauer, Rohdenburg, Bork 1985)
	[6] 9 parameter 2nd order polynom (Zevenbergen & Thorne 1987)
	[7] 10 parameter 3rd order polynom (Haralick 1983)
	Default: 6
  -UNIT_SLOPE:<str> 	Slope Units
	Choice
	Available Choices:
	[0] radians
	[1] degree
	[2] percent
	Default: 0
  -UNIT_ASPECT:<str>	Aspect Units
	Choice
	Available Choices:
	[0] radians
	[1] degree
	Default: 0