Positive and negative terrains on northern Shaanxi Loess Plateau

doi:10.1007/s11442-010-0064-6

Abstract

Abstract:

The Loess positive and negative terrains (P–N terrains), which are widely distributed on the Loess Plateau, are discussed for the first time by introducing its characteristic, demarcation as well as extraction method from high-resolution Digital Elevation Models. Using 5 m-resolution DEMs as original test data, P–N terrains of 48 geomorphological units in different parts of Shaanxi Loess Plateau are extracted accurately. Then six indicators for depicting the geomorphologic landscape and spatial configuration characteristic of P–N terrains are proposed. The spatial distribution rules of these indicators and the relationship between the P–N terrains and Loess relief are discussed for further understanding of Loess landforms. Finally, with the integration of P–N terrains and traditional terrain indices, a series of un-supervised classification methods are applied to make a proper landform classification in northern Shaanxi. Results show that P–N terrains are an effect clue to reveal energy and substance distribution rules on the Loess Plateau. A continuous change of P–N terrains from south to north in Shaanxi Loess Plateau shows an obvious spatial difference of Loess landforms and the positive terrain area only accounted for 60.5% in this region. The P–N terrains participant landform classification method increases validity of the result, especially in the Loess tableland, Loess tableland-ridge and the Loess low-hill area. This research is significant on the study of Loess landforms with the Digital Terrains Analysis methods.

Key words: Loess Plateau, positive and negative terrains, DEM, shoulder-lines, spatial differentiation

ZHOU Yi, TANG Guo'an, YANG Xin, XIAO Chenchao, ZHANG Yuan, LUO Mingliang. Positive and negative terrains on northern Shaanxi Loess Plateau[J].Journal of Geographical Sciences, 2010, 20(1): 64-76.

References

[1] Cai Q G, 1998, Research of rill initiation condition on loess hillslopes. Journal of Sediment Research, 1: 52–59. (in Chinese)

[2] Chen C K, 1956. Landform type and its evolution in south-eastern of east Gansu province. Acta Geographica Sinica, 22(3): 223–231. (in Chinese)

[3] Chen G W, 1994. Remote Sensing Research on Resources and Environment of Loess Plateau Key Area. Beijing: Publishing House of Electronics Industry. (in Chinese)

[4] Chen H, Wang K Z, 1999. Study on the slope-gully erosion in a small watershed in the middle reaches of Yellow River. Geographical Research, 18(4): 363–372. (in Chinese)

[5] Chen N, Wang Q M. 2007. Study on the relationship between the resolution and the slope extracted by DEM based on single grid. Journal of China University of Mining & Technology, 36(4): 499–504. (in Chinese)

[6] Demoulin A, Bovy B, Rixho G et al., 2007. An automated method to extract fluvial terraces from digital elevation models: The Vesdre valley, a case study in eastern Belgium. Geomorphology, 91: 51–64.

[7] Deng Y X, 2007. New trends in digital terrain analysis: Landform definition, representation, and classification. Progress in Physical Geography, 31(4): 405–419.

[8] Dragut L, Blaschke T, 2006. Automated classification of landform elements using object-based image analysis. Geomorphology, 81: 330–344.

[9] Garbrecht J, Martz L W, 1994. Grid size dependency of parameters extracted from digital elevation models. Computer and Geosciences, 20: 85–87.

[10] Hossein S, Rober B, Forood S et al., 2008. Landform classification from a digital elevation model and satellite imagery. Geomorphology, 100: 453–464.

[11] Jiang D L, Zhao C X, Chen Z L, 1966. Research on the sediment source in middle reaches of Yellow River. Acta Geographica Sinica, 31(1): 20–36. (in Chinese)

[12] Jing K, 1986. A study on gully erosion on the Loess Plateau. Scientia Geographica Sinica, 6(4): 340–347. (in Chinese)

[13] Jozef M, Ian E, 2008. Elementary forms for land surface segmentation: The theoretical basis of terrain analysis and geomorphological mapping. Geomorphology, 95: 236–259.

[14] Li M, Yao W Y, Chen J N, 2005. Impact of different grass cover ages on the sediment yield process in the slope-gully system. Acta Geographica Sinica, 60(5): 725–732. (in Chinese)

[15] Liang G L, Chen H, Cai Q G, 2004. Research progress of modern topographic evolvement and landform erosion in Loess Plateau. Research of Soil and Water Conservation, 11(4): 131–137. (in Chinese)

[16] Liu P J, Zhu, Q K; Wu D L et al., 2006. Automated extraction of shoulder line of valleys based on flow paths from grid Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data. Journal of Beijing Forestry University, 28(4): 72–76. (in Chinese)

[17] Lu Z C, Jia S F, Huang K X, 1991. Drainage Geomorphic System. Dian: Dalian Publishing House. (in Chinese)

[18] Luo L X, 1956. A tentative classification of landforms in the Loess Plateau. Acta Geographica Sinica, 22(3): 201–222. (in Chinese)

[19] Lv G N, Qian Y D, 1998. Study of automated extraction of shoulder line of valley from grid digital elevation data. Scientia Geographica Sinica, 18(6): 567–573. (in Chinese)

[20] Macmillan, R A, Perrapiece W W, Norlan S C et al., 2000. A generic procedure for automatically segmentation landforms into landform elements using DEMs, heuristic rules and fuzzy logic. Fuzzy Sets and Systems, 113: 81–109.

[21] Mohamed A, Bastawesy B, Fikry I et al., 2008. The use of remote sensing and GIS for the estimation of water loss from Tushka lakes, southwestern desert, Egypt. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 52: 73–80.

[22] Richard J P, 2000, Geomorphometry-diversity in quantitative surface analysis. Progress in Physical Geography, 24(1): 1–20.

[23] Shary P A, Sharayab L S, Mitusov A V, 2002. Fundamental quantitative methods of land surface analysis. Geoderma, 107: 1–43.

[24] Song N P, Zhang F R, 2007. The changing process and mechanism of the farming-grazing transitional land use pattern in Ordos. Acta Geographica Sinica, 62(12): 1299–1308. (in Chinese)

[25] Tang G A, 2000. A Research on the Accuracy of Digital Elevation Models. Beijing: Science Press. 179–186.

[26] Tang G A, Li F Y, Liu X J et al., 2008. Research on the slope spectrum of the Loess Plateau. Science in China (Series E), Technological Sciences, 51(1): 175–185.

[27] Tang G A, Xiao C C, Jia D X et al., 2007. DEM based investigation of loess shoulder-line. In: Proceedings of SPIE-Geoinformatics 2007. Geospatial Information Science, 6753: 67532E.

[28] Tang G A, Zhao M D, Li T W et al., 2003. Simulation on slope uncertainty extracted from DEMs at different resolution levels: A case study in the Loess Plateau. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 13(4): 387–394.

[29] Wang X G, Sun H, 2004. Study on waterpower desertification in Loess Plateau based on 3S technology. Journal of Arid Land Resources & Environment, 24(22): 87–91. (in Chinese)

[30] Wang W Z, Jiao J Y, 2002. Temporal and spatial variation features of sediment yield intensity on Loess Plateau. Acta Geographica Sinica, 57(2): 210–217. (in Chinese)

[31] Wen Z F, Ya Q J, 2007. Quantitative estimation of helium-3 spatial distribution in the lunar regolith layer. ICARUS, 190: 15–23.

[32] Wu L C, 2005. A research on gully characteristics and their spatial variance based on DEM in the Loess Plateau, Master’s Thesis of Northwestern University. (in Chinese)

[33] Wu Y Q, Zheng Q H, Zhang Y G et al., 2008. Development of gullies and sediment production in the black soil region of northeastern China. Geomorphology, 101: 683–691.

[34] Xu Y, Yang B, Liu G B et al., 2009. Topographic differentiation simulation of crop yield and soil and water loss on the Loess Plateau. Journal of Geographical Sciences, 19(3): 331–339.

[35] Yan B W, Wang T, Ma Y G, 2004. Research on the development phase of the water erosion gully in the Loess Plateau. Yellow River, 26(6): 16–18. (in Chinese)

[36] Yang Q K, Li R, Cao M M, 2006. Advances of quantitative assessment on regional soil erosion. Advances in Earth Science, 6(8): 849–856. (in Chinese)

[37] Yi H W, 2004. A research on information mining of the Loess Plateau gully based on DEM. Master’s Thesis of Northwestern University. (in Chinese)

[38] Zhou Q M, Liu X J, 2006. Digital Terrain Analysis. Beijing: Science Press, 136–138. (in Chinese)

[39] Zhu Q, Zhao J, Zhong Z et al., 2003. An efficient algorithm for the extraction of topographic structures from large scale grid DEMs. In: Li Z L, Zhou Q M, Kainz W (eds.). Advances in Spatial Analysis and Decision Making. Netherland: Balkema, 99–107.

[40] Zhu X M, 1956. Soil erosion classification in Loess Plateau. Journal of Soil, 4(2): 99–115. (in Chinese)