Abstract
A MORPHOMETRIC INVESTIGATION INTO LANDSCAPE DEVELOPMENT IN THE CENTRAL FREE STATE.
An Application with the aid of a Geographic Information System
Key words: landscape development, morphometry, geomorphology, geographic
information systems, fluvial processes, drainage systems, modelling.
In the thesis, a geographic information system is used to investigate the morphometry
and active geomorphic processes in a semi-arid catchment area. The construction of a
digital terrain model from published sources is elucidated and an erosion model is used
to explain the spatial distribution of drainage basins in the study area
The study was conducted in the Modder river catchment in the central Free State. The
study area was chosen as the result of tectonic stability which should lessen the impact
of endogenic processes in the current form of the landscape
In the first part of the study, a set of morphometric parameters were chosen to
represent the current form of the landscape as accurately as possible. Several process
parameters were also identified to quantify the active erosion processes in the area.
To explain the relationships between form and process, a working erosion model is
used. This model was calibrated by using current environmental conditions.
In the second part of the thesis, a digital terrain model of the study area was
constructed. Several techniques for the construction were evaluated and a method for
stream and pan burning was developed. A geographic information system were used
to collect data sets from different published sources and to combine it into a single
database. The GIS was also used to extract the applicable parameters from the
database.
The last part of the study was devoted to the analysis of the data and the creation of a
development model for the catchment. Several statistical techniques were used to
classify the parameters and to group the drainage basins. The relationships between
the parameters were investigated and quantified.
From the study it was clear that a relationship exists between form and process in the
Modder river catchment area and that geographic information technology can be used
with success in the study of landforms.
The methodology developed for the study as well as the data generated might be
useful for the management of the catchment in various ways.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:ufs/oai:etd.uovs.ac.za:etd-03232004-085639 |
| Date | 23 March 2004 |
| Creators | Barker, Charles Henry |
| Contributors | Prof. G. du T. de Villiers |
| Publisher | University of the Free State |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en-uk |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://lourie.uovs.ac.za//theses/available/etd-03232004-085639/restricted/ |
| Rights | mixed, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to University Free State or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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