The Geomorphologic Characterization of Qinling Mountain Based on DEM

摘要

The Qinling Mountain plays an important role in the formation and evolution of China continent, which is the North-South divide of China in physical geography. It constitutes three parts: East-Qinling, Central-Qinling and Western-Qinling Mountains. The paper was aimed at analyzing the different geomorphic characteristics based on DEM and the relation between the landforms and geology. Some topographic parameters were calculated, such as mean elevation, summit and base level, local relief and mean slope. The DEM data was the SRTM DEM with spatial resolution of 90m The swath profiles method was used, which the profiles were divided into 5-km -wide segments. For each segment, max, min and mean elevation data of 100-km-long swath were projected onto the profile. Three swath profiles were constructed across the eastern, central and western part through the Qinling Mountains. The results show that: elevation is higher in the west traverse comparing the central and east traverse. The area of granitite by high values of local relief which are related to the deeply incised valleys prevailing in the Taibai Mountain. Lithology and drainage network influence the geomorphology pattern in Qinling Mountain which is the reason that different geomorphology from the south to north.