APPLİCATİON OF TOPOGRAPHİC-BASED METRİCS FOR HYDROLOGİCAL CHARACTERİZATİON

Abstract

Hydrological analysis in a geographic information system is based in the structure of the terrain, represented as a matricial grid of cell values, representing elevation as a basic infrastructure for modelling. Using this data structure it is possible to apply a set of spatial analysis operations in order to define the flow structure and generate a set of topographic based metrics that can be used as hydrological characterization of hydrographic basins. The purpose of this project was to perform a detailed hydrological analysis of a given area, namely an hydrographic basin, using Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data to model water flow, accumulation, and terrain characteristics. By utilizing this model, we can accurately predict water movement across the landscape, identify potential areas for river formation, and understand the relationships between terrain slope and water distribution. The topographic based metrics generated were summarized as zonal statistics to territorial administrative areas/zones (counties), allowing its hydrological characterization. This type of analysis is essential for managing water resources, preventing floods, and planning sustainable land use, especially in areas prone to water-related challenges.