Digital Terrain Model Derivatives Analysis with the Aim of Identifying Specific Soil Types in Young Post-Glacial Topography with a Vector Approach

Abstract

This article discusses a study conducted in order to analyse selected Digital Terrain Model (DTM) derivates in  diverse young post-glacial topographic profiles  with the aim of identifying terrain features that could be related to the soils that formed there. The area under investigation is within the reach of the youngest Vistulian Glaciation, in the north-east of Poland. The main goal of the study was to reveal indirect relationships between a lithological soil type and terrain forms, which transpire from DTM derivatives. This can directly help to assign the type of soil in the area to one of the three soil types: a) made of sand, b) made of loam, c) wet-soils. The starting point for the research undertaken was the landscape approach to soil modelling and the article deals with medium scales. Derivatives were analysed using vector data notation, focusing on selected derivative values and their spatial location in relation to one another. The results obtained indicate the possibility of using this approach as an auxiliary approach in soil mapping of areas for which the quality of source materials (such as precipitation geometry) is low. Thus, they can be of assistance in improving the existing soil maps of selected scales. The trend revealed in the obtained results of DTM analysis can be considered as a contribution to realisation of assumptions of a study in digital soil mapping with the use of selected methods of AI.