AUTOMATED CLASSIFICATION OF GENERIC TERRAIN FEATURES IN DIGITAL ELEVATION MODELS

Using digital elevation models (DEMs), it is possible to automatically replicate the manual classification of elevated terrain features, or mounts, in certain physiographic regions. Results of the automatic classification, which uses percent slope and critical point information, are compared to a manual classification of the same area using computer-generated synthetic stereo images. Success of the automated classification appears to be limited by the algorithm, the nature of the regional terrain, and the quality of available digital elevation data. However, regional and local knowledge about the area may improve the classification results.