GEOMORPHOMETRIC MAPPING OF GRAND CANYON FROM THE 1-DEGREE USGS
DEMS
Nikos A. Kokkas™ *, George Ch. Miliaresis h
* Technological Educational Institute of Athens, Department of Topography, 4 Olympias Str. , Athens 165-61, Greece -
nkokkas@mail.com
* Geology Department, University of Patras, RION, 26500, Greece - miliaresis@email.com
Commission PS WG IV/9
KEY WORDS: Remote Sensing, Geomorphology, GIS, Segmentation, Comparison, Extraterrestrial, Visualization
ABSTRACT:
In a previous research effort a terrain partition framework was defined allowing the partition of the landscape of Valles Marineris
chasma (an elongated steep-sided depression located in Mars) to elementary objects. Each object was parametrically represented on
the basis of its spatial 3-dimensional arrangement and mapped according to a terrain classification scheme. In the current research
effort Grand Canyon is delineated from the one degree USGS DEMs and various geomorphometric parameters are computed in an
attempt to capture the geomorphometric signature of the largest canyon in earth. More specifically, the landscape was described on
the basis of the statistical parameters computed for elevation and gradient, histogram frequency distributions and rose diagrams. The
geomorphometric comparison indicates that Valles Marineris is a steeper terrain with higher relief variability. The rectilinear
mountain fronts are a key indicator of the tectonic forces that shape the terrain of Valles Marineris chasma. The terrain of Grand
Canyon is developed parallel to fluvial process direction while in Valles Marineris the terrain flows vertically to the mountain fronts.
Thus, the key factor controlling the development of the landscape in Grand Canyon is fluvial process versus tectonism in Valles
Marineris. Valles Marineris is less massive than Grand Canyon but this is due to the much greater elevation range observed (12 km
versus 2.5 km).
1. INTRODUCTION
New concepts, data, and methods, emergent in geographic
information science in recent years have presented scientists
with new opportunities to gain fresh insights into the study of
landscape (Pike, 1995; Pike, 2000; Saura and Martinez, 2001).
Landscape dynamics is considered to involve scale, pattern and
process that extend across various geographical domains
through their spatial interactions. In the current approach, a)
scale is regional or physiographic, b) pattern expresses the
partition of landscape to elementary units and their
representation on the basis of their spatial 3-dimensional
arrangement (Evans, 1981; Miliaresis, 2001a) and c) process
expresses the relationship between tectonics and topography
(Merits and Ellis, 1995; Summerfield, 2000).
Towards this end the mountains were considered to form the
elementary morphotectonic units at regional scale and their
definition and modeling characterized the landscape (Miliaresis,
2001a) The previous studies were based on the moderate
resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) GTOPO30 and
GLOBE. On the other hand nowadays, moderate resolution
DEMs and imagery are available for Mars (MOLA
Topographic Map, 2002). For example the equatorial system of
troughs was first seen on Mariner 9 images and was one of the
most spectacular discoveries of this mission (Kieffer et al.
1992; Greeley, 1994). The main trough system (Valles
Marineris) was named in honor of the achievement of the
Mariner 9 mission.
Thus, it would be of a great research interest to study the
planetary landscapes and compare them to the terrestrial one. A
* Corresponding author.
840
previous effort in characterizing the landscape of the Valles
Marineris chasma has been completed and therefore various
geomorphometric parameters is calculated (Miliaresis and
Kokkas, 2003).
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Figure 1. Index map of the one degree DEM available from
USGS.
This paper focuses on the mapping and characterization of the
landscape dynamics in Grand Canyon from the one degree
DEM available from USGS (Figure 1). With the calculation of
the geomorphometric parameters a comparison between the
Valles Marineris chasma and the Grand Canyon will be
performed.
