PC-based two-dimensional discrete fourier transform programs for terrain analysis

A two-dimensional Fast Fourier Transform (2D-FFT) program written in C language was developed for the personal computer with the specific purpose of extracting periodicities from digital elevation model (DEM) data. The program generates the individual frequency pairs, the coefficients representing the amplitudes of the cosine and sine waves, the angle the wavefront makes in the terrain, the wavelength, the power of the wave, the percent contribution the wave makes to the overall landscape, and finally the overall percentage of variance accounted for by the model. The landscape can be reconstructed based on the number of significant waveforms extracted. Generalizations on the spatial trends of the terrain therefore can be made. The Fourier analysis provides insight to the nature and complexity of the terrain. An application of the program to the karst landscape of Manati, Puerto Rico is illustrated. Copyright © 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.