Contributions of Mathematical Morphology to Theoretical and Quantitative Geomorphology

Abstract

Geomorphologists to quantify the forms of the relief created morphometry and orometry. The aim of orometry is to give a numerical expression of the relief in its total aspects. This discipline is developed recently thanks to the applications of mathematical morphology to geomorphology. For geomorphologists, mathematical morphology presents the major interest to count relief of a given form, by classifying them according to their density, their surface or their variation in level. For that, one subjects to Digital Elevation Models (DEM) a series of mathematical transformations that create artificial relief. The development of recognition automatic method of the forms is possible thanks to the methods presented. More than of the traditional results of numerical orometry, mathematical morphology allows to look some evolutions scénarii of the forms and to nourish the reflexion for creation of mathematical models. Mathematical morphology becomes thus an invaluable tool for dynamic geomorphology work. The first part of the paper evokes the bases of mathematical morphology. The second shows the applications possibilities with geomorphology and the third part gives geomorphological interpretation examples for some significant results. Key words: Geomorphology, Mathematical morphology, Morphometry, Orometry, Digital Elevation Models.