SATELLITE IMAGERY APPLIED TO MAPPING OF THE EROSION MICRORELIEF STRUCTURES

Different remote sensing techniques became an effective way of Digital Terrain Models (DTMs) production. However, large-scale modelling of the relief (i.e., microrelief that is composed by landforms with dimensions from few meters to few tens of meters) remains time-consuming and expensive process. Very high resolution satellite imagery (spatial resolution higher than 1 meter) could be characterized as one of the most effective tool for microrelief modelling, due to relative cheapness and ease of processing. In our study, we investigate capabilities of the microrelief structures interpretation and mapping. Currently we focused on estimation of the applicability of very high resolution satellite images for these purposes. Our particular interest is dedicated to the interpretation of the modem erosion network. This network has relatively high dynamics and incorporates weakly developed streambeds of modern temporal streams, which are difficult to interpret on the relief model. Currently we have produced DTMs for our Test Area, and provided preliminary comparative estimation of interpretation accuracy of the modern erosion network. The study was partially supported by Russian Foundation for Basic Research (RFBR), research project No. 15-05-07463 A. Used satellite imagery courtesy of the DigitalGlobe Foundation.