Geomorfometria - parametry morfometryczne w charakterystyce rzeźby terenu

Autorki przedstawiają geomorfometrię jako dziedzinę związaną z określaniem morfometrycznych cech powierzchni terenu, jej podstawowe problemy oraz metody oparte na numerycznych modelach terenu.

Morphometry, which has been accompanying geography sińce 19th century, establishes numerical parameters describing Earth surface relief. Every type of measurement is conditioned by certain methodological assumptions which determine the way they are conducted. In the process it is very important to adjust the scale of the elaboration to the size of forms under analysis and to the goal of research. The choice of the size of reference units in which morphometric parameters are determined is equally essential. A.F. Pitty (1969), A.J.W. Gerard and DA. Robinson (1971) stressed the relation between the calculated slope angle and the size of the interval in which the angle is measured, even during measurements in open terrain. Morphometric parameters in traditional morphometry were determined on the basis of contour-line image of relief. Slope and slope aspect were then determined. Nowadays, the parameters are calculated on the basis of digital terrain models in the form of TIN or GRID. The article presents the algorithms for calculation of slope and slope aspect with the use of raster model. Depending on the number of adjacent grids considered in calculations, the algorithms for the determination of slope and slope aspect base on two, three, four, eight and nine points (P.L. Guth 1995). Among basic attributes of topographic surface describing the shape of the slope is surface curvature,