Nicole Meyer
DEMS, RIVER NETWORKS AND WATERSHEDS WITH RIVERTOOLS
Hypsometric analysis is the study of ground surface area distribution of a landmass with respect to
elevation (Strahler) A hypsometric curve plots the elevation distribution in a watershed. Additionally, a
hypsometric curve plots normalized elevation vs. cumulative basin area. Lastly these curves can be used
to infer the stage of development of the drainage network (see figure below)
The hypsometric integral is the proportionate area below the hypsometric curve. The integral varies
from 0 to 1, with values close to 0 indicating highly eroded regions and values close to 1 indicating
slightly eroded regions (Antonia Pedrera, er al. 2009). Therefore, the lower the value the more eroded
the stream.
(Sarp and Toprak)
G. Sarpa, V. Toprakb , S. Duzgun http://www.isprs.org/proceedings/2011/ISRSE-34/211104015Final00591.pdf
Keller E A and Pinter N 1996 “Active tectonics: Earthquakes Uplift and Landscapes”; Prentice Hall, New Jersey.
Antonio Pedrera, José Vicente Pérez-Peña, Jesús Galindo-Zaldívar, José Miguel Azañón, Antonio Azor , 2009. “Testing the sensitivity of
geomorphic indices in areas of low-rate active folding (eastern Betic Cordillera, Spain) Geomorphology 105 (2009) 218–231