Geomorphometry 2013 - Programme

Published: Jun 24, 2013 by ISG Board

Scientific Program

Start: Oct 16 2013 09:30 / End: Oct 20 2013 17:00 Timezone: Asia/Shanghai

DAY 1: Wednesday 16.10.2013

0930-1000 Opening ceremony
Word from the local organizers and Chair and Vice-chair of the society
1000-1020 Group photo and coffee break
1020-1105 Keynote: Michael Hutchinson
New Methods for Incorporating and Analysing Drainage Structure in Digital Elevation Models (K-1)
1105-1150 Keynote: Chenghu Zhou
Extracting geomorphologic features from high resolution DEM (K-2)
1200-1300 Lunch
1300-1330 Poster session day 1
  Chunmei Wang, Qinke Yang, David Jupp, Lei Wang and Rui Li.
Modeling of Topographic Spatial Structures Using Geo-statistical Method (P-1)
  Yi Yan and Fei Xiao.
Monitoring topographical changes of island in the outlet of the Dongting Lake from 2000 to 2010 using time series of Landsat images (P-2)
  Fei Xiao, Yi Yan, Qi Feng and Xuan Ban.
Characterize the spatial patterns of perennial waterlogged cropland using the micro-geomorphology structure in Jianghan Plain, middle reaches of the Yangtze River (P-3)
  Weiming Cheng.
Extraction of loess tableland from digital elevation model and ASTER image (P-4)
  Zhao Mingwei.
Extend the Analysis window to improve the Geo-Computation (P-5)
  Shangmin Zhao.
Characteristic analysis for typical loess 1 geomorphologic types based on slope spectrum (P-6)
  Ting Zhang, Trevor Page and David Oliver.
Effectiveness of Mitigation Measures on Phosphorus Delivery (P-7)
1330-1520 DEM generation methods
(session chair: Josef Strobl)
  Benjamin Bräutigam, Irena Hajnsek and Gerhard Krieger (invited speaker)
The TanDEM-X Mission: Earth Observation in 3D (I-1)
  Carlos Grohmann
Resampling morphometric data for regional-scale analysis (O-1)
  Niels Anders et al
High-Res Digital Surface Modeling using Fixed-Wing UAV-based Photogrammetry (O-2)
  Wan Qiao et al
Comparison of several methods for multi-scale DEM generalization in different landform areas (O-3)
  Zeng Fei et al
An MPI-CUDA Implementation for The Compression of DEM (O-4)
  Jaroslaw Jasiewicz et al
Content-based landscape retrieval using geomorphons (O-5)
1520-1540 Coffee break
1540-1740 DEM attributes and objects: extraction & mapping I
(session chair: Li Fayuan)
  Lucian Dragut et al
Land-surface segmentation to delineate elementary forms from Digital Elevation Models (O-6)
  Fuyuan Liang et al
An automated method to extract typical karst landform entities from contour lines on topographic maps (O-7)
  Guruh Samodra, et al
Application of supervised landform classification of 9-unit slope model for preliminary rockfall risk analysis in Gunung Kelir Indonesia (O-8)
  Dong Youfu
Research on Terrain Significance Index (O-9)
  Liu Kai et al
Research on the classification of terrain texture from DEMs based on BP neural network (O-10)
1810-2000 Welcome banquet!

DAY 2: Thursday 17.10.2013

0830-0915 Keynote: Ian Evans
Land surface derivatives (K-3)
0915-10:00 Keynote: Peter Guth
The Giga Revolution in Geomorphometry: Gigabytes of RAM, Gigabyte-Sized Data Sets, and Gigabit Internet Access (K-4)
1000-1020 Coffee break
1020-1200 DEM attributes and objects: extraction & mapping II
(session chair: Chenghu Zhou)
  Scott Peckham
Mathematical Surfaces for which Specific and Total Contributing Area can be Computed: Testing Contributing Area Algorithms (O-11)
  Liyang Xiong et al
Simulating Loess Underlying Bedrock Paleotopographic strata for Landscape Evolution in the Loess Plateau Based on Digital Elevation Models (O-12)
  Shijiang Yan et al
Terrain similarity characterizing approach based on two-dimensional continuous wavelet (O-13)
  Wenhui He
Research on 3D-Openness in urban area based on Urban Digital Elevation Model (O-14)
  Hongming Zhang et al
DEM based Extraction of LS factor: integrate channel networks and convergence flow (O-15)
1210-1300 Lunch
1300-1330 Poster session day 2
  Tian Jian.
Point pattern for landform based on SOFM (P-8)
  Kamila Justyna Lis and Tang Goan.
Fractal analysis of the Loess Plateau in China (P-9)
  Haijiang Wang and Qinke Yang.
Generalizing Resolution-assignable DEM Based on Rational-dilation Wavelet Transform and Sampling Theory (P-10)
  Lei Wang, Yong Qing Long and Fayuan Li.
The elevation error of DEMs caused by grid size (P-11)
  Zhang Zhenke, Fu Yuexin, Li Shengfen, Zhang Linghua and F Li.
Soil erosion and rill system evolution based on field observation in Kongshan Hill, South-west Jiangsu Province, China (P-12)
  Xu Hong Wang, Zhang Zhe, Fei Li and Xiao Ning Liu.
Construction of Remote Sensing Image Information Capacity Model for Evaluation on Land Surface Complexity (P-13)
  Li Xiaoyin.
Vegetation Pattern Topographic Differentiation of YaoXian county, Shaanxi province, China (P-14)
1430-1500 Coffee break
1330-1540 DEM analysis for land-cover, hydrological, soil-landscape and environmental modeling
(session chair: Michael Hutchinson)
  Qinke Yang et al (invited speaker)
Study on the Distributed Slope Length for Soil Erosion Prediction at Watershed Scale (I-2)
  Lucian Dragut et al
Evaluation of land-surface segmentation as support for soil sampling (O-16)
  Zhen Li et al
Development of gully and its controlling factors in the Loess Plateau of China using high spatial resolution imagery (O-17)
  Sheng Li et al
From rills to gullies: how do we measure them? (O-18)
  Yi Zhou et al
Method for extraction continuous shoulder line in Loess watershed (O-19)
  Dong Chen et al
Vegetation mapping using discrete-return and full-waveform airborne LiDAR data (O-20)
1540-1600 Coffee break
1330-1540 High performance computation and big data in terrain analysis; geo-computing and statistics analysis
(session chair: Peter Guth)
  Alexander Brenning (invited speaker)
Leveraging geomorphometric data and statistical computing to gain complementary insights into complex Earth surface processes (I-3)
  Baiping Zhang
Mass elevation effect: concept and quantification (O-21)
  Qinke Yang et al
Extraction and Analysis of Slope, Slope Length, and LS for National Soil Erosion Inventory in China (O-22)
  Xiaodong Song et al
Landscape planning of route-based visibility analysis (O-23)
  Ling Jiang et al
Extraction of drainage network from grid terrain datasets using parallel computing (O-24)
1800-1830 Geomorphometry society meeting (elections)
1800-2000 Conference dinner (outdoor barbeque or similar)

DAY 3: Friday 18.10.2013

0830-1020 Fundamental problems of geomorphometry I
(session chair: Ian Evans)
  Josef Strobl (invited speaker)
DTM Slope – simple measure, or to each his own? (I-4)
  Niculita Mihai et al
Floodplain delineation using cluster analysis of geomorphometric variables and class spectral statistics (O-25)
  Kosuke Naruse and Takashi Oguchi
Classification and formation environment of glacial valleys based on morphometric analyses (O-26)
  Cheng-Zhi Qin et al
A Browser/Server-based Prototype of Heuristic Modelling Environment for Digital Terrain Analysis (O-27)
  Jie Wang et al
Modeling hourly solar radiation over rugged terrains, based on DEM (O-28)
1020-1040 Coffee break
1040-1200 Fundamental problems of geomorphometry II
(session chair: Tang Guoan)
  Zhang Yanli et al
Estimating shortwave radiation based on DEM and MODIS atmospheric products in rugged terrain (O-29)
  Hu Ding et al
A Near-lossless Digital Watermarking Algorithm of DEM Based on DCT (O-30)
  Biju John et al
Use of SRTM Data for a Quick Recognition of the Active Tectonic Signatures (O-31)
  Zhang Zhenke et al
Soil erosion and rill system evolution based on field observation in Kongshan Hill, South-west Jiangsu Province, China (O-32)
1200-1300 Lunch
1330-1510 Fundamental problems of geomorphometry III
(session chair: Qiming Zhou)
  Jing Tang et al
Implementation of a multiple flow algorithm into the dynamic ecosystem model LPJ-GUESS (O-33)
  Sheng Jiang
Extraction of loess shoulder-line based on object-based image analysis (O-34)
  Shijie Zhu et al
Scale-effect of Hypsometric Integral in Loess Plateau (O-35)
  Weiling Guo et al
The scale effect analysis of slope length based on DEM multi-scale representation (O-36)
  Sheng Li et al
Snow distribution pattern and its influencing factors in a small watershed in Atlantic Canada (O-37)
1510-1530 Coffee break
1600-1700 Life achievement awards
Best paper awards
Towards Geomorphometry 2015
1800-2000 Dinner and visit to Fuzi temple

DAY 4: Saturday 19.10.2013:

Workshops from 9:00 to 17:00

0900-1200 Workshop
1200-1300 Lunch
1300-1500 Workshop
1500-1515 Coffee break
1515-1700 Workshop
1800-2100 Dinner

Workshops:

  • Peter Guth (US Naval Academy): Free and Open Source Geomorphometry Software
  • Jarek Jasiewicz: Watershed modeling with r.stream (GRASS GIS toolbox)
  • Scott Peckham: RiverTools 4.0

DAY 5: Sunday 20.10.2013:

Field trip to Zijing mountain and Xuanwu lake (optional) Venue: Xianlin Campus, Nanjing Normal University No.1 Wenyuan Road Nanjing China 32° 6’ 4.9896” N, 118° 55’ 6.312” E

story event Nanjing China

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Whitebox Workflows Next Gen released

Whitebox Workflows Next Gen, a complete rewrite of the Whitebox geospatial analysis platform, is now publicly available for Python, R, and QGIS.

Built from the ground up in pure Rust, Whitebox Next Gen provides more than 700 geospatial analysis tools for geomorphometry, terrain analysis, spatial hydrology, LiDAR processing, remote sensing, vector GIS, and spatial statistics. All three interfaces run on the same high-performance backend, allowing users to work in scripts, notebooks, statistical workflows, or a familiar desktop GIS environment.

Whitebox Next Gen is not an incremental update to the previous Whitebox architecture. It replaces the earlier monolithic system with a modular, full-stack geospatial platform. Core capabilities for raster and vector I/O, coordinate systems and reprojection, vector topology, spatial indexing, LiDAR processing, and other foundational operations are implemented directly within the Whitebox codebase rather than delegated to external C or C++ GIS libraries. This approach provides consistent cross-platform behaviour, fewer system-level dependencies, tighter control over performance and correctness, and greater flexibility for continued research and development

Highlights

  • More than 700 tools for geomorphometry, hydrology, LiDAR, remote sensing, vector analysis, spatial statistics, and general geospatial processing
  • Publicly available interfaces for Python, R, and QGIS
  • A modular, high-performance backend written entirely in Rust, including wbprojection, wbraster, wbvector, wblidar, wbspatialstats, and wbtopology open-source (MIT/Apache licensed) backend libraries
  • Most of the 80+ tools that existed within the previous extension product have been migrated to the new Whitebox open core, including the tools for advanced surface curvature analysis and DEM processing
  • Native coordinate-reference-system handling and reprojection workflows via wbprojection
  • Expanded raster support (19 formats), including GeoTIFF, Cloud-Optimized GeoTIFF (COGs), GeoPackage Raster, and JPEG2000
  • Expanded vector support (12 formats), including Shapefile, GeoPackage, FlatGeobuf, GeoParquet, GeoJSON, TopoJSON, and GML
  • Modern point-cloud support, including LAS, LAZ, COPC, E57, and PLY
  • A dedicated topology engine supporting robust vector analysis, network analysis, route-event workflows, and linear referencing
  • Local-first processing on Windows, macOS, and Linux
  • A consistent analysis platform across Python scripts and R workflows
  • A newly updated and more advanced QGIS Processing toolbox

Whitebox has particular strengths in terrain analysis, geomorphometry, spatial hydrology, and LiDAR processing. Whitebox Next Gen carries these areas forward while substantially expanding the project’s capabilities for vector analysis, remote sensing, modern spatial data formats, and reproducible geospatial workflows.

Get started

The geomorphometry community is invited to explore Whitebox Next Gen, test its tools and workflows, report issues, and contribute to the continued development of the project.

DEMIX reveals which DEMs perform best

First round of the DEMIX exercise published final report

Global digital elevation models (DEMs) have become routine operational inputs across mapping, environmental monitoring, modelling and Earth-observation workflows. Their broad coverage and global availability have made them data that many practitioners simply take for granted. But knowledge of the terrain and topography of Earth’s surface is fundamental for monitoring and understanding terrestrial ecosystems and the planet’s habitability. For that reason, the CEOS Working Group on Calibration and Validation (WGCV) maintains a subgroup dedicated to digital topography and the quality of DEMs, the ‘Terrain Mapping Sub-Group (TMSG).

DEMs are representations of elevation in the form of a georectified grid, at global scale commonly derived from space-based interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) or stereoscopic optical observations, while regionally and locally airborne Laser induced detection and ranging (LIDAR) has become the primary source. DEMs can be classified as digital surface models (DSMs) when depicting the lower surface of the atmosphere or digital terrain models (DTMs) when depicting the top of the lithosphere (the Earth’s crust).

A wide variety of DEM products exist – each having different characteristics which suit different applications. It can be challenging to understand which of the available DEM products are fit for purpose for certain applications or regions. That is the practical gap addressed by the Digital Elevation Model Intercomparison Exercise (DEMIX) undertaken by TMSG. By exposing where widely used global DEMs agree, where they differ and how those differences affect rankings, the exercise delivered evidence to users for selecting a DEM rather than defaulting to one by habit.

DEM products were compared through a ‘wine contest,’ which identified requirements of openness, reproducibility, adaptability, and statistical rigour. The characteristics, evaluations, and ranking for each DEM were collected in a GIS database with over 50,000 entries. A quantitative assessment was carried out for each global DEM based on pixel-by-pixel differences of geomorphometric parameters against finer spatial resolution (1-5 m resolution) reference DEMs.

The study incorporates an unprecedented amount of high quality reference data covering a broad range of landforms and surface types, comparing their characteristics without resampling or interpolation. Users are invited to consult the results of DEMIX in order to make informed choices when needing to use a DEM, or in some cases a combination of the most relevant DEMs for their applications.

The final rankings of the wine contest, presented below, compared the six DEMs based on land cover (forest, urban, or barren), slope (cliff, steep, gentle, or flat), differences in elevation, slope and roughness, and statistical metrics.

Led by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), the CEOS Working Group on Calibration and Validation (WGCV) Terrain Mapping Subgroup (TMSG) established DEMIX in partnership with the International Society for Geomorphometry. Several members of the International Society of the Geomorphometry contributed significantly and we hosted various secssions at our latest conference. The exercise was performed over a three-year period starting in 2020, with community-wide calls for participation and an assembly of experts producing a number of peer-reviewed publications, culminating with a JRC reference report published in July 2026.

The objective of DEMIX was to propose a procedure to rank the available free and open global DEMs, taking into consideration user needs while promoting the implementation of FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) principles. The exercise compared DEMs based on criteria for land cover and terrain slope categories, representative testing, and a statistically sound ranking approach. The report outputs tailored recommendations regarding available DEM products that are not limited to one domain, geographic area, or landscape type, with flexibility for different user needs and applications.

A major challenge in the comparison of the global DEMs were the varying formats, data, and metadata contents. The adoption of a common set of standards would enhance the quality and interoperability of global DEMs and streamline the exchange and utilisation of DEM data for both providers and users. DEMIX makes the following recommendations for data providers:

● Adopt a standardised grid layout, with complete grid definitions and encodings following ISO/OGC rules.

● Include vertical datum information as part of raster DEM files.

● Clearly indicate the product version in the file names.

● Participate in future DEMIX rounds, which serve as a neutral platform for independently evaluating products before their release.

● Provide high quality, finer resolution, accurate, and multi-temporal elevation data to be used as a reference alongside DEM products.

Global DEMs are indispensable operational geospatial datasets, but they should not be treated as error-free or interchangeable. DEMIX delivered to the global community a systematic and transparent method to help choose elevation products more intelligently and help define what better elevation measurements should look like in the future.

Further Reading:

Read more in the DEMIX Final Report, or see other DEMIX publications below - mainly by our ISG members:

  • Benchmarking Elevation Plus Land Surface Parameters Finds FathomDEM and Copernicus DEM Win as Best Global DEMs (2025) and subsequent discussion (2026a, 2026b)
  • Ranking of 10 Global One-Arc-Second DEMs Reveals Limitations in Terrain Morphology Representation 2025
  • Novel Approach for Ranking DEMs: Copernicus DEM Improves One Arc Second Open Global Topography (2024)
  • Digital Elevation Models: Terminology and Definitions (2021)
  • The Digital Elevation Model Intercomparison eXperiment DEMIX, a community-based approach at global DEM benchmarking (2021)

Coffee Talk - GeoNadir

Building the world’s largest repository of FAIR drone mapping data

Paul Mead GeoNadir

September 2nd, 2026
11:30 (UTC)

Bio: Paul Mead is Co-founder and Head of Business & Strategy at GeoNadir, a platform building the world’s largest repository of FAIR drone mapping data to support environmental decision-making. A non-technical co-founder, Paul focuses on strategy, commercial development, and building high-performing teams — a discipline shaped by 11 years in the New Zealand Army, including leading a bomb disposal team in Lebanon and service in Afghanistan and the Asia-Pacific region. Since 2013 he has built and led several small businesses and start-ups, with drones as a central technology since 2016. Alongside GeoNadir, Paul co-founded She Maps, an internationally recognised drone and geospatial STEM education organisation, and has helped raise over $7M in equity and non-equity funding across his ventures. He holds a Master of Philosophy from the University of Queensland and is a Chartered Manager.

Abstract: GeoNadir set out to build the world’s largest repository of FAIR drone mapping data, and ended up building something more powerful. Drones have democratised data capture, but the same democratised ability to generate decision-grade insights from the data is lacking. I’ll walk through how we’re closing that gap: the data infrastructure behind hosting large volumes of UAV imagery and derived products, and how we’re moving from manual analysis toward automated, repeatable geospatial analytics.