Abstract
Drainage network analysis includes several operations that quantify the topological organization of stream networks. Network analysis operations are frequently performed on streams that are derived from digital elevation models (DEMs). While these methods are suited to application with fine-resolution DEM data, this is not the case for coarse DEMs or low-relief landscapes. In these cases, network analysis that is based on mapped vector streams is an alternative. This study presents a novel vector drainage network analysis technique for performing stream ordering, basin tagging, the identification of main stems and tributaries, and the calculation of total upstream channel length and distance to outlet. The algorithm uses a method for automatically identifying outlet nodes and for determining the upstream-downstream connections among links within vector stream networks while using the priority-flood method. The new algorithm was applied to test stream datasets in two Canadian study areas. The tests demonstrated that the new algorithm could efficiently process large hydrographic layers containing a variety of topological errors. The approach handled topological errors in the hydrography data that have challenged previous methods, including disjoint links, conjoined channels, and heterogeneity in the digitized direction of links. The method can provide a suitable alternative to DEM-based approaches to drainage network analysis, particularly in applications where stream burning would otherwise be necessary.
Highlights
Drainage network analysis involves quantifying the topological organization of the streams that are contained within a drainage basin [1]
Classic geomorphological research that was pioneered by Horton [2] demonstrated the association between topological measures of stream size or network position and processes operating within fluvial landscapes
The motivation was to create an algorithm for analyzing vector river networks that is robust against common types of topological errors that are found in these data and an algorithm that makes few assumptions regarding the nature of the digitized data
Summary
Drainage network analysis involves quantifying the topological organization of the streams that are contained within a drainage basin [1]. The extraction of a river network from DEM data involves applying a flow algorithm [15,16,17] to characterize the pattern of surface drainage direction based on local topographic gradients. These data are used to model the spatial pattern of upslope catchment area [18], which is a measure of the size of the area that drains to each grid cell in a DEM. Vector-based drainage network analysis is an attractive alternative when fine-resolution DEM data are unavailable or when working at very large geographic extents These methods are often more efficient and they have the potential to avoid many of the limitations that are associated with raster alternatives. The motivation was to create an algorithm for analyzing vector river networks that is robust against common types of topological errors that are found in these data (e.g., conjoined adjacent networks and non-endpoint channel connections) and an algorithm that makes few assumptions regarding the nature of the digitized data (e.g., inconsistency in the digitizing direction of stream links)
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