AUTOMATED MAPPING OF LAND COMPONENTS FROM DIGITAL ELEVATION DATA

An algorithm for automating the mapping of land components from digital elevation data is described. Land components are areas of relatively uniform slope and aspect and often correspond with ridge crests, shoulders, head slopes, back slopes or foot slopes. Aspect regions, which generally span from stream to ridge, are first identified by generalizing an aspect map derived from digital elevation data. The aspect regions are then split successively into land components by grouping pixels above or below an automatically determined contour of elevation or 'distance from stream'. The contour approximates a slope break. The land components mapped in this way give a complete polygonization of a hilly landscape and are a reasonable approximation of manually mapped land components.