GEOMORPHOMETRIC ANALYSIS OF ALBANIA RIVER BASINS

Abstract

Geomorphometry is the science of topographic quantification; its operational focusis the extraction of land-surface parameters and objects from digital elevationmodels (DEMs). In this reason, DEMs are main data sources in geomorphometricanalysis of interested areas and they give an opportunity analysing of themquantitatively. In this study, morphological and hydrological characteristics ofeight main river basins in Albania namely Drin, Mat, Ishmi, Erzen, Shkumbin,Seman, Vjosa, Bistrica were analysed using ASTER GDEM, which is an easy-touse,highly accurate DEM covering all the land on earth and available to all usersregardless of size or location of their target areas, and GIS. For this purpose,ASTER GDEM of Albania were pre-processed by fill and sink operations in GISbefore the analysing. After that slope, hypsometric curve and integral, streampower index, ruggedness number, form factor, drainage networks and relatedmorphometric characteristics such as bifurcation ratio, drainage density, length ofoverland flow, and time of concentration were analysed and results were evaluatedbetween the basins in point of flood risk. The results show that geomorphometricanalysis of the basins gives great opportunity on understanding geomorphicevolution and flood risk of the basins.