Opportunities and challenges from high resolution topography for understanding earth surface processes

In recent years, new remotely-sensed technologies, such as terrestrial and airborne laser scanner, have improved the detail and the quality of topographic information over larger areas (Tarolli et al., 2009). A new generation of high-resolution (~ 1 m) digital terrain models (DTMs) is now available, and it is widely used by researchers, offering new opportunities for the scientific community. These data call for the development of a new generation of methodologies for the objective recognition of geomorphic features related to hydro-geomorphological processes, but also of anthropogenic features related to human activity. This work presents an insight some of the recent developed tools, algorithms, and analysis of high resolution topography for the understanding of earth surface processes. The different assessed methodologies are based on the analysis of the statistic signature of morphology on topographic attributes distributions. The work starts with an overview of methodologies for objective extractions of channel heads, channel networks, and landslide features (landslide crowns) in mountainous landscapes (Tarolli and Dalla Fontana, 2009; Tarolli et al., 2012). The final part of the work describes similar automatic approaches applied in floodplain for the recognition and characterization of anthropogenic features such as ditches, roads scarps, and banks (Cazorzi et al. 2012, Sofia et al. 2012). Giving procedures that automatically recognize geomorphic and/or anthropogenic features can offer a strategic tool to better understand the earth surface processes, thus providing solutions for risk management, and suitable environmental planning.