Mapping and statistical procedures applied to extract topographical features of fluvial terraces and erosive surfaces.

In recent decades, a huge advance in data collection has favoured the study of many questions related to geomorphic processes and associated landforms (Viles, 2016). This increment in data collection let face new questions and develop new methodologies in Geomorphology (Sofia et al., 2020). In this way, geomorphometry is a challenging discipline with the objective of quantify land-surface analysis and extract as well as detect geomorphological elements (Guyon and Elisseeff, 2008). As result, this discipline complement classis geomorphological maps with others extracted from digital elevation models providing land-surface metrics to investigate the full spectrum of geomorphology (Seijmonsbergen et al., 2011).

In this study, we investigate the extraction of topographical features from fluvial terraces and erosive surfaces by means of mapping procedures applied to a digital elevation model (spatial resolution of 5x5 m) using ArcGIS 10.7. This procedure was focussed on the quantification of elements (altitude, slope angle, length, and curvature, exposure) to characterize morphological elements that may define the presence of fluvial terraces as well as erosive surfaces. A Principal Component Analysis was performed to validate that procedure.

The procedure was conducted in two study areas: detection of fluvial terraces from the watershed of Guadalmedina river as well as of erosive surfaces in Sierras Subbéticas Geopark, both areas located in southern Spain.