Tool Flow Accumulation (Flow Tracing)
Flow tracing algorithms for calculations of flow accumulation and related parameters. These algorithms trace the flow of each cell in a DEM separately until it finally leaves the DEM or ends in a sink.
The Rho 8 implementation (Fairfield & Leymarie 1991) adopts the original algorithm only for the flow routing and will give quite different results.
References
- 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, 30:1681-1692. doi:10.1029/93WR03512.
 - Fairfield, J. & Leymarie, P. (1991): Drainage networks from grid digital elevation models. Water Resources Research, 27:709-717. doi:10.1029/90WR02658.
 - Lea, N.L. (1992): An aspect driven kinematic routing algorithm. In: Parsons, A.J. & Abrahams, A.D. [Eds.], 'Overland Flow: hydraulics and erosion mechanics', London, 147-175. doi:10.1201/b12648.
 
- Author: O.Conrad (c) 2001
 
- Menu: Terrain Analysis|Hydrology|Flow Accumulation|Alternatives
 
Parameters
|   | Name | Type | Identifier | Description | Constraints | 
| Input | Elevation | grid, input | ELEVATION | - | - | 
 | Sink Routes (*) | grid, input, optional | SINKROUTE | - | - | 
 | Weights (*) | grid, input, optional | WEIGHTS | - | - | 
 | Input for Mean over Catchment (*) | grid, input, optional | VAL_INPUT | - | - | 
 | Material for Accumulation (*) | grid, input, optional | ACCU_MATERIAL | - | - | 
 | Accumulation Target | grid, input | ACCU_TARGET | - | - | 
| Output | Flow Accumulation | grid, output | FLOW | - | - | 
 | Mean over Catchment | grid, output | VAL_MEAN | - | - | 
 | Accumulated Material (*) | grid, output, optional | ACCU_TOTAL | - | - | 
 | Accumulated Material (Left Side) (*) | grid, output, optional | ACCU_LEFT | - | - | 
 | Accumulated Material (Right Side) (*) | grid, output, optional | ACCU_RIGHT | - | - | 
| Options | Grid System | grid system | PARAMETERS_GRID_SYSTEM | - | - | 
 | Step | integer number | STEP | For testing purposes. Only generate flow at cells with step distance (each step row/column). | Minimum: 1 Default: 1 | 
 | Flow Accumulation Unit | choice | FLOW_UNIT | - | Available Choices: [0] number of cells [1] cell area Default: 1 | 
 | Method | choice | METHOD | - | Available Choices: [0] Rho 8 [1] Kinematic Routing Algorithm [2] DEMON Default: 1 | 
 | Flow Correction | boolean | CORRECT | - | Default: 1 | 
 | Minimum DQV | floating point number | MINDQV | DEMON - Minimum Drainage Quota Volume (DQV) for traced flow tubes | Minimum: 0.000000 Maximum: 1.000000 Default: 0.000000 | 
| (*) optional | 
Command-line
Usage: saga_cmd ta_hydrology 2 [-ELEVATION <str>] [-SINKROUTE <str>] [-WEIGHTS <str>] [-FLOW <str>] [-VAL_INPUT <str>] [-VAL_MEAN <str>] [-ACCU_MATERIAL <str>] [-ACCU_TARGET <str>] [-ACCU_TOTAL <str>] [-ACCU_LEFT <str>] [-ACCU_RIGHT <str>] [-STEP <num>] [-FLOW_UNIT <str>] [-METHOD <str>] [-CORRECT <str>] [-MINDQV <double>]
  -ELEVATION:<str>    	Elevation
	grid, input
  -SINKROUTE:<str>    	Sink Routes
	grid, input, optional
  -WEIGHTS:<str>      	Weights
	grid, input, optional
  -FLOW:<str>         	Flow Accumulation
	grid, output
  -VAL_INPUT:<str>    	Input for Mean over Catchment
	grid, input, optional
  -VAL_MEAN:<str>     	Mean over Catchment
	grid, output
  -ACCU_MATERIAL:<str>	Material for Accumulation
	grid, input, optional
  -ACCU_TARGET:<str>  	Accumulation Target
	grid, input
  -ACCU_TOTAL:<str>   	Accumulated Material
	grid, output, optional
  -ACCU_LEFT:<str>    	Accumulated Material (Left Side)
	grid, output, optional
  -ACCU_RIGHT:<str>   	Accumulated Material (Right Side)
	grid, output, optional
  -STEP:<num>         	Step
	integer number
	Minimum: 1
	Default: 1
  -FLOW_UNIT:<str>    	Flow Accumulation Unit
	choice
	Available Choices:
	[0] number of cells
	[1] cell area
	Default: 1
  -METHOD:<str>       	Method
	choice
	Available Choices:
	[0] Rho 8
	[1] Kinematic Routing Algorithm
	[2] DEMON
	Default: 1
  -CORRECT:<str>      	Flow Correction
	boolean
	Default: 1
  -MINDQV:<double>    	Minimum DQV
	floating point number
	Minimum: 0.000000
	Maximum: 1.000000
	Default: 0.000000