Application of Continues Wavelet Transform to Investigate the Resolution Effect of Digital Elevation Model on Topographic Index Distribution
Vahid Nourani
Vahid Nourani, Associate Prof., Dept. of Water Resources Eng., Faculty of Civil Eng., Univ. of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran; Formerly, Visiting Associate Prof., St. Anthony Falls Lab. and NCED, Dept. of Civil Eng., Univ. of Minnesota, USA.
Manuscript received on October 15, 2011. | Revised Manuscript received on October 26, 2011. | Manuscript published on November 05, 2011. | PP: 405-410 | Volume-1 Issue-5, November 2011. | Retrieval Number: E0251101511/2011©BEIESP
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© The Authors. Published By: Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication (BEIESP). This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)
Abstract: Current progress in computer, geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing technology has led to the LIDAR (light detection and ranging) data, as a new generation of high-resolution digital elevation model (DEM). Although such a high resolution DEM can be a useful tool for terrain analysis, high amount of noise is also expected to be existent in a mega-data set. To deal with this problem in this study, continues wavelet transform (CWT), as a mathematical filter, was employed to extract slope, specific area and topographic index which are important parameters in hydro-environmental studies at different resolutions. In this way the proposed methodology was applied to 1-m resolution LIDAR DEM of the Elder Creek River watershed where is a sub-basin of the South Folk Eel River basin at California. The results were also compared favorably with the results of a classic method. The result indicates that smoothing ability of the wavelet can be a promising DEM processing alternative to cope with the noise and pits of a high resolution DEM.
Keywords: DEM, Elder Creek River, GIS, LIDAR Topography, Wavelet transform.