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Arid Land Geography ›› 2020, Vol. 43 ›› Issue (6): 1559-1566.doi: 10.12118/j.issn.1000-6060.2020.06.17

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Topography features of Qilian Mountains nature reserve based on SRTM DEM

ZHANG Kun1, XIAO Yan1, HE Zhen-fang1, 2, GAO Min1   

  1. 1 School of Environment and Planning, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, Shandong China; 2 Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, China
  • Received:2020-01-21 Revised:2020-05-16 Online:2020-11-25 Published:2020-11-25

Abstract: Landforms refer to the various forms of the earth that appear on the surface under the interaction of internal and external dynamics. It is an important member of the Earth’s surface system and plays a decisive role in other aspects of the Earth system. Qilian Mountains, which is located in the arid and semi- arid area of northwest China, exhibits unique natural geographical environment, which has great effects on the environmental protection of the natural geography in China and even in the world. This paper focused on analyzing the geomorphological features of Qilian Mountains nature reserve. In this paper, space analysis function of ArcGIS 10.5, statistical analysis function of Excel and SPSS were used to analyze SRTM DEM data of the study area. The optimal analysis window of relief amplitude was determined by the mean- variation analysis. Topographic factors such as elevation, relief amplitude, slope, surface incision, and surface roughness were extracted by Space Analysis and Raster Calculator function of ArcGIS 10.5. According to relevant standards, the five topographic factors were classified and processed by Reclassify and Zonal Statistics as a Table function of ArcGIS 10.5. Finally, the geomorphological features of Qilian Mountains nature reserve were analyzed. Results showed that the optimal analysis window of relief amplitude in the research area was 11×11 (0.98 km2), and the relief amplitude is 0-1 216 m. Based on the elevation and relief amplitude, the geomorphological features of the research area were divided into 13 categories. 87.28% of the study area is mid- altitude, while others consist of the middle- altitude plains, terraces, and hills as the main types of landforms. Zoulangnanshan, Lenglongling, Wushaoling, and Longshoushan are distributed in parallel with a complex terrain and with interspersed terraces and hills. These conclusions will provide a theoretical basis for further study on specific issues such as ecological protection, development, and utilization in this area.

Key words: SRTM DEM, topography characteristics, mean-variation analysis, Qilian Mountains nature reserve