Module SAGA Wetness Index
The 'SAGA Wetness Index' is, as the name says, similar to the 'Topographic Wetness Index' (TWI), but it is based on a modified catchment area calculation ('Modified Catchment Area'), which does not think of the flow as very thin film. As result it predicts for cells situated in valley floors with a small vertical distance to a channel a more realistic, higher potential soil moisture compared to the standard TWI calculation.
References
- Boehner, J., Koethe, R. Conrad, O., Gross, J., Ringeler, A., Selige, T. (2002): Soil Regionalisation by Means of Terrain Analysis and Process Parameterisation. In: Micheli, E., Nachtergaele, F., Montanarella, L. [Ed.]: Soil Classification 2001. European Soil Bureau, Research Report No. 7, EUR 20398 EN, Luxembourg. pp.213-222.
- Boehner, J. and Selige, T. (2006): Spatial prediction of soil attributes using terrain analysis and climate regionalisation. In: Boehner, J., McCloy, K.R., Strobl, J. [Ed.]: SAGA - Analysis and Modelling Applications, Goettinger Geographische Abhandlungen, Goettingen: 13-28. (pdf)
- Author: (c) 2001 by J.Boehner, O.Conrad
 
- Specification: grid
 
- Menu: Terrain Analysis|Hydrology|Topographic Indices
 
Parameters
|   | Name | Type | Identifier | Description | Constraints | 
| Input | Elevation | Grid (input) | DEM | - | - | 
 | Weights (*) | Grid (optional input) | WEIGHT | - | - | 
| Output | Catchment area | Grid (output) | AREA | - | - | 
 | Catchment slope | Grid (output) | SLOPE | - | - | 
 | Modified Catchment Area | Grid (output) | AREA_MOD | - | - | 
 | Topographic Wetness Index | Grid (output) | TWI | - | - | 
| Options | Suction | Floating point | SUCTION | the lower this value is the stronger is the suction effect | Minimum: 0.000000 Default: 10.000000 | 
 | Type of Area | Choice | AREA_TYPE | - | Available Choices: [0] absolute catchment area [1] square root of catchment area [2] specific catchment area Default: 1 | 
 | Type of Slope | Choice | SLOPE_TYPE | - | Available Choices: [0] local slope [1] catchment slope Default: 1 | 
 | Minimum Slope | Floating point | SLOPE_MIN | - | Minimum: 0.000000 Default: 0.000000 | 
 | Offset Slope | Floating point | SLOPE_OFF | - | Minimum: 0.000000 Default: 0.100000 | 
 | Slope Weighting | Floating point | SLOPE_WEIGHT | weighting factor for slope in index calculation | Minimum: 0.000000 Default: 1.000000 | 
| (*) optional | 
Command-line
Usage: saga_cmd ta_hydrology 15 [-DEM <str>] [-WEIGHT <str>] [-AREA <str>] [-SLOPE <str>] [-AREA_MOD <str>] [-TWI <str>] [-SUCTION <str>] [-AREA_TYPE <str>] [-SLOPE_TYPE <str>] [-SLOPE_MIN <str>] [-SLOPE_OFF <str>] [-SLOPE_WEIGHT <str>]
  -DEM:<str>         	Elevation
	Grid (input)
  -WEIGHT:<str>      	Weights
	Grid (optional input)
  -AREA:<str>        	Catchment area
	Grid (output)
  -SLOPE:<str>       	Catchment slope
	Grid (output)
  -AREA_MOD:<str>    	Modified Catchment Area
	Grid (output)
  -TWI:<str>         	Topographic Wetness Index
	Grid (output)
  -SUCTION:<str>     	Suction
	Floating point
	Minimum: 0.000000
	Default: 10.000000
  -AREA_TYPE:<str>   	Type of Area
	Choice
	Available Choices:
	[0] absolute catchment area
	[1] square root of catchment area
	[2] specific catchment area
	Default: 1
  -SLOPE_TYPE:<str>  	Type of Slope
	Choice
	Available Choices:
	[0] local slope
	[1] catchment slope
	Default: 1
  -SLOPE_MIN:<str>   	Minimum Slope
	Floating point
	Minimum: 0.000000
	Default: 0.000000
  -SLOPE_OFF:<str>   	Offset Slope
	Floating point
	Minimum: 0.000000
	Default: 0.100000
  -SLOPE_WEIGHT:<str>	Slope Weighting
	Floating point
	Minimum: 0.000000
	Default: 1.000000