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Estimating surface flow paths on a digital elevation model using a triangular facet network

Zhou, Qiming ; Pilesjö, Petter LU and Chen, Yumin (2011) In Water Resources Research 47. p.07522-07522
Abstract
This study attempts to develop a method for the simulation of surface flow paths on a digital elevation model (DEM). The objective is to use a facet-based algorithm to estimate the surface flow paths on a raster DEM. A grid DEM was used to create a triangular facet network (TFN) over which the surface flow paths were determined. Since each facet in the network has a constant slope and aspect, the estimations of, for example, flow direction and divergence/convergence are less complicated compared to traditional raster-based solutions. Experiments were undertaken by estimating the specific catchment area (SCA) over a number of mathematical surfaces, as well as on a real-world DEM. Comparisons were made between the derived SCA by the TFN... (More)
This study attempts to develop a method for the simulation of surface flow paths on a digital elevation model (DEM). The objective is to use a facet-based algorithm to estimate the surface flow paths on a raster DEM. A grid DEM was used to create a triangular facet network (TFN) over which the surface flow paths were determined. Since each facet in the network has a constant slope and aspect, the estimations of, for example, flow direction and divergence/convergence are less complicated compared to traditional raster-based solutions. Experiments were undertaken by estimating the specific catchment area (SCA) over a number of mathematical surfaces, as well as on a real-world DEM. Comparisons were made between the derived SCA by the TFN algorithm with some algorithms reported in the literature. The results show that the TFN algorithm produced the closest outcomes to the theoretical values of the SCA compared with other algorithms, deriving more consistent outcomes and being less influenced by surface shapes. The real-world DEM test also shows that the TFN was capable of modeling flow distribution without noticeable "artifacts," and its ability of tracking flow paths makes it an appropriate platform for dynamic surface flow simulation. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Water Resources Research
volume
47
pages
07522 - 07522
publisher
American Geophysical Union (AGU)
external identifiers
  • wos:000292844300004
  • scopus:79960689580
ISSN
0043-1397
DOI
10.1029/2010WR009961
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
5609b378-1e67-4d16-a234-7d27c86fe440 (old id 2092812)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 14:50:57
date last changed
2023-09-17 20:14:33
@article{5609b378-1e67-4d16-a234-7d27c86fe440,
  abstract     = {{This study attempts to develop a method for the simulation of surface flow paths on a digital elevation model (DEM). The objective is to use a facet-based algorithm to estimate the surface flow paths on a raster DEM. A grid DEM was used to create a triangular facet network (TFN) over which the surface flow paths were determined. Since each facet in the network has a constant slope and aspect, the estimations of, for example, flow direction and divergence/convergence are less complicated compared to traditional raster-based solutions. Experiments were undertaken by estimating the specific catchment area (SCA) over a number of mathematical surfaces, as well as on a real-world DEM. Comparisons were made between the derived SCA by the TFN algorithm with some algorithms reported in the literature. The results show that the TFN algorithm produced the closest outcomes to the theoretical values of the SCA compared with other algorithms, deriving more consistent outcomes and being less influenced by surface shapes. The real-world DEM test also shows that the TFN was capable of modeling flow distribution without noticeable "artifacts," and its ability of tracking flow paths makes it an appropriate platform for dynamic surface flow simulation.}},
  author       = {{Zhou, Qiming and Pilesjö, Petter and Chen, Yumin}},
  issn         = {{0043-1397}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{07522--07522}},
  publisher    = {{American Geophysical Union (AGU)}},
  series       = {{Water Resources Research}},
  title        = {{Estimating surface flow paths on a digital elevation model using a triangular facet network}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2010WR009961}},
  doi          = {{10.1029/2010WR009961}},
  volume       = {{47}},
  year         = {{2011}},
}