Elevation modelling of an area of the Siverskyi Donets riverbed (near Haidary village, Chuguyevskiy district, Kharkiv region)

Abstract

Formulation of the problem. The article represents the practical experience of the bottom echo sounding and processing of the data received for digital elevation modelling. The relevance and specificity of using sonar equipment to study the specificity of the morphology of the underwater relief of small hydrological features are covered. The domestic and foreign publications in this area are analysed, and therefore the conclusion of the issue being not studied enough in domestic sources is made. Methods. The analysis of literature sources on modelling the river network, visualization of relief models. The bathymetric survey data was used to compile a bathymetric map of the river and build a digital elevation model. The purpose of the article is sharing developer experience in making of digital elevation models of a section of the riverbed on the example of the Siverskyi Donets River (near Haidary village, Chuguevskiy district, Kharkiv region). Processing of measurement data received as a result of echo sounder surveys. Preservation and recording of general information received to expand the river bottom relief database. Provide an overview of the uses and applications of geoinformation technologies, determine the research prospects based on the developed digital elevation models. Results. The results of echo sounding and post-processing of the data received using specialized software are presented. The section of the Siverskyi Donets River in the area of the geographical educational and scientific station «Haidary» was chosen as the territory for the hydrographic research (Haidary village, Chuguevsky District, Kharkiv region). The field part of the research was conducted using the equipment of the material and technical basis of the Physical Geography and Cartography Department of the V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, for instance using the Lawrance Elite 7 TI chartplotter-echosounder with modern scanning modes CHIRP, DownScan, StrucureScan. Scientific novelty and practical significance. The specificity of creating and visualizing in the ReefMaster software package is covered in the article. A model of the bottom of the corresponding section of the Siverskyi Donets River and a depth map, which will allow the future analysis of the dynamics and the prediction of changes of the bed configuration, have been developed on the basis of the field work results. The advantages of using budget equipment and software for performing underwater relief studies of such hydrological objects are formulated. The novelty of the study is not only the use of the methodological foundations of digital modelling, but also the alternative classification approaches for describing the relief and conducting morphostructural analysis based on the GIS technologies.