Abstract
This research reports the use of a new method of geomorphological mapping in GIS environments, using a full-coverage, object-based method, following the guidelines of the new geomorphological legend proposed by ISPRA–AIGEO–CNG. This methodology is applied to a tributary valley of the Germanasca Valley, shaped into calcschist and greenschist, of the Piedmont Zone (Penninic Domain, Western Alps). The investigated sector is extensively affected by dep-seated gravitational slope deformation (DSGSD) that strongly influences the geological setting and the geomorphological features of the area. The mapping of these gravitational landforms in a traditional way creates some difficulties, essentially connected to the high density of information in the same site and the impossibility of specifying the relationships between different elements. The use of the full-coverage, object-based method instead is advantageous in mapping gravitational evidence. In detail, it allows for the representation of various landforms in the same sector, and their relationships, specifying the size of landforms, and with the possibility of multiscale representation in the GIS environment; and, it can progressively be update with the development of knowledge. This research confirms that the use of the full-coverage, object-based method allows for better mapping of the geomorphological features of DSGSD evidence compared to classical representation.
Highlights
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutralTraditional geomorphological mapping (TGM) is a significant tool for landscape representation, mostly used for territorial planning
It is worth noting that medium and small-scale geomorphological maps exist, ranging from 1:100,000 to >1:1,000,000 [5,6]. We apply this new methodology in the Western Alps, following the guidelines of the new geomorphological legend proposed by the ISPRA–AIGEO–CNG working group for geomorphological mapping
The traditional geomorphological map (TGM) carried out in these areas generally implies only a representation of the upper edge of a gravitational morpho-structure or its axis, instead of the entire surface affected by the structure
Summary
Traditional geomorphological mapping (TGM) is a significant tool for landscape representation, mostly used for territorial planning. It allows for the specification of the morphological response to lithological variability and geological structure. Though the importance of geomorphological mapping is generally recognized, this traditional tool can’t overcome limits such as the impossibility of completely representing landforms and their relationships due to the use of linear symbols for mapping areal landforms. Traditional geomorphology, using only dimensionless symbols, is unable to specify the actual size of landforms. A geomorphological map can be considered a graphical inventory of a landscape depicting landforms and outcropping rocks. TGM mays either focus on selected landscape features, for example, only depicting the morphology of active processes, or deliver a full view on the landscape composition and its evolution [1,2]
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