Articles | Volume 4, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-343-2016
© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Special issue:
https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-343-2016
© Author(s) 2016. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Topography-based flow-directional roughness: potential and challenges
University IUAV of Venice, DACC Department, Dorsoduro 2206, 30123
Venice, Italy
Marco Cavalli
National Council of Research of Italy, Research Institute for
Geo-Hydrogeological Protection, Corso Stati Uniti 4, 35127 Padua, Italy
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56 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Response of Sediment Connectivity to Altered Convergence Processes Induced by Forest Roads in Mountainous Watershed Q. Zhao et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14153603
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- Assessing the effect of fire severity on sediment connectivity in central Chile L. Martini et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139006
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- Impedance influence on the index of sediment connectivity in a forested mountainous catchment F. Zanandrea et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2019.106962
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- Sustainability of small dams for livestock and farming, a case study from Chitongo dam, rural Zambia L. Serrao et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/frwa.2025.1603004
- Frontiers in Geomorphometry and Earth Surface Dynamics: possibilities, limitations and perspectives G. Sofia et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-721-2016
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- Indices of sediment connectivity: opportunities, challenges and limitations T. Heckmann et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2018.08.004
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- Novel Approach for Ranking DEMs: Copernicus DEM Improves One Arc Second Open Global Topography C. Bielski et al. https://doi.org/10.1109/TGRS.2024.3368015
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- Overland flow during a storm event strongly affects stream water chemistry and bacterial community structure H. Le et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00027-021-00839-y
- Fractal analysis of the martian landscape: A study of kilometre-scale topographic roughness E. Pardo-Igúzquiza & P. Dowd https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2021.114727
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- A network theory approach for a better understanding of overland flow connectivity R. Masselink et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.10993
- Numerical Study on Surface Reconstruction and Roughness of Magnetorheological Elastomers J. Valencia et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/computation11030046
- Assessing flood probability for transportation infrastructure based on catchment characteristics, sediment connectivity and remotely sensed soil moisture Z. Kalantari et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.01.009
- Determination of Primary and Secondary Lahar Flow Paths of the Fuego Volcano (Guatemala) Using Morphometric Parameters M. Cando-Jácome & A. Martínez-Graña https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11060727
- Hydrogeomorphological analysis and modelling for a comprehensive understanding of flash-flood damage processes: the 9 October 2018 event in northeastern Mallorca J. Estrany et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-20-2195-2020
- Moving-Window Detrending for Grain-Roughness Parameterization J. Groom et al. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0001612
- Investigating sediment connectivity of a small catchment on the Loess Plateau using an appropriate index at an optimal spatial resolution J. Hu et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2025.133588
- Sediment connectivity concepts and approaches S. Najafi et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2020.104880
- Geomorphic effectiveness of check dams in a debris-flow catchment using multi-temporal topographic surveys S. Cucchiaro et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2018.11.004
- Mapping riverbed sediment size from Sentinel‐2 satellite data G. Marchetti et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.5394
- Combined use of UAV-SfM surveys, soil particle tracking with RFID tags and a sediment connectivity index to study plot-scale sediment transport M. López-Vicente et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164545
- Three-dimensional simulations of rockfalls in Ischia, Southern Italy, and preliminary susceptibility zonation M. Alvioli et al. https://doi.org/10.1080/19475705.2022.2131472
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- Morphodynamics and sediment connectivity index in an unmanaged, debris-flow prone catchment: a through time perspective L. Torresani et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-022-7746-2
- Terrain mapping and analysis for land management: the case of Megech-Dirma watershed, sub-basin of the Blue Nile basin, Northwest Ethiopia W. Habtu & J. Katihally https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-022-11110-5
- Drumlins and mega-scale glacial lineations as a continuum of subglacial shear marks: A LiDAR based morphometric study of streamlined surfaces on the bed of a Canadian paleo-ice stream S. Sookhan et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2022.107679
- Effects of agricultural drainage systems on sediment connectivity in a small Mediterranean lowland catchment A. Calsamiglia et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2018.06.011
- Sediment connectivity as a key to understand geomorphic effects of the Storm Alex in two mountain catchments of the Mediterranean Alps (Italy) F. Ardizzone et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2024.109176
- A simplified geostatistical approach for characterizing key aspects of short-range roughness S. Trevisani et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2023.106927
- Adaptation and implementation of the HOTSED framework for assessing seasonal scenarios and short-term weather extremes in a high-altitude watershed of the Eastern Alps M. La Licata et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2026.181528
- Review of sediment connectivity: Conceptual connotations, characterization indicators, and their relationships with soil erosion and sediment yield C. Shi et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2025.105091
- Geomorphodiversity index: Quantifying the diversity of landforms and physical landscape L. Melelli et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.01.101
- Mapping water and sediment connectivity M. Cavalli et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.04.071
- Assessment of connectivity in a water‐stressed wetland (Kaabar Tal) of Kosi‐Gandak interfan, north Bihar Plains, India M. Singh et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.4156
- Interannual evolution of hydrosedimentary connectivity induced by forest cover change in a snow‐dominated mountainous catchment T. Jautzy et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.3902
- Quantifying sediment connectivity: Moving toward a holistic assessment through a mixed methods approach M. Turley et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.5191
- Madograms help to quantify mountain frontal zones—An approach towards comparative spatial analysis of complex landforms M. Szymanowski et al. https://doi.org/10.1111/tgis.12822
56 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Response of Sediment Connectivity to Altered Convergence Processes Induced by Forest Roads in Mountainous Watershed Q. Zhao et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14153603
- Forest fire effects on sediment connectivity in headwater sub-catchments: Evaluation of indices performance M. López-Vicente et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139206
- Hacking the topographic ruggedness index S. Trevisani et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2023.108838
- Source areas, connectivity, and delivery rate of sediments in mountainous-forested hillslopes: A probabilistic approach A. Cislaghi & G. Bischetti https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.10.318
- Is higher resolution always better? A comparison of open-access DEMs for optimized slope unit delineation and regional landslide prediction M. Ahmed et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-25-2519-2025
- Terrain Analysis According to Multiscale Surface Roughness in the Taklimakan Desert S. Trevisani & P. Guth https://doi.org/10.3390/land13111843
- Assessing the effect of fire severity on sediment connectivity in central Chile L. Martini et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139006
- Spatial variation characteristics and influencing factors of sediment connectivity in the black soil region of northeast China W. Jia-nan et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2024.116895
- Impedance influence on the index of sediment connectivity in a forested mountainous catchment F. Zanandrea et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2019.106962
- LiDAR‐based semi‐automated mapping of drumlins and mega‐scale glacial lineations of the Green Bay Lobe, Wisconsin, USA: Ice sheet beds as glaciotribological systems N. Eyles et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.5486
- Sustainability of small dams for livestock and farming, a case study from Chitongo dam, rural Zambia L. Serrao et al. https://doi.org/10.3389/frwa.2025.1603004
- Frontiers in Geomorphometry and Earth Surface Dynamics: possibilities, limitations and perspectives G. Sofia et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-4-721-2016
- Geomorphometry today I. Florinsky https://doi.org/10.35595/2414-9179-2021-2-27-394-448
- SedInConnect: a stand-alone, free and open source tool for the assessment of sediment connectivity S. Crema & M. Cavalli https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cageo.2017.10.009
- Soil micro-topography change detection at hillslopes in fragile Mediterranean landscapes A. Eltner et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2017.10.034
- Using bed-roughness signatures to characterise glacial landform assemblages beneath palaeo-ice sheets F. Falcini et al. https://doi.org/10.1017/jog.2021.122
- Evaluation of DEM size and grid spacing for fluvial patch-scale roughness parameterisation J. Groom et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2018.08.017
- Multiscale analysis of surface roughness for the improvement of natural hazard modelling N. Brožová et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-21-3539-2021
- Global digital elevation models for terrain morphology analysis in mountain environments: insights on Copernicus GLO-30 and ALOS AW3D30 for a large Alpine area S. Trevisani et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-023-10882-7
- La connectivité sédimentaire dans la haute chaîne pyrénéenne par l’analyse de la crue de juin 2013 : le rôle des formations superficielles J. Blanpied et al. https://doi.org/10.4000/geomorphologie.12718
- Indices of sediment connectivity: opportunities, challenges and limitations T. Heckmann et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2018.08.004
- Terrestrial laser scanning and structure-from-motion photogrammetry concordance analysis for describing the surface layer of gravel beds A. Neverman et al. https://doi.org/10.1177/0309133318822966
- Flood probability quantification for road infrastructure: Data-driven spatial-statistical approach and case study applications Z. Kalantari et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.12.147
- Novel Approach for Ranking DEMs: Copernicus DEM Improves One Arc Second Open Global Topography C. Bielski et al. https://doi.org/10.1109/TGRS.2024.3368015
- Surface Roughness in Geomorphometry: From Basic Metrics Toward a Coherent Framework S. Trevisani & P. Guth https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17233864
- Overland flow during a storm event strongly affects stream water chemistry and bacterial community structure H. Le et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00027-021-00839-y
- Fractal analysis of the martian landscape: A study of kilometre-scale topographic roughness E. Pardo-Igúzquiza & P. Dowd https://doi.org/10.1016/j.icarus.2021.114727
- Analysis and conceptual geospatial modelling of the intermediary role of wetlands in drylands in post-fire material flux dynamics, Silvermine River catchment, Cape Town M. Grenfell et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11273-022-09859-3
- A network theory approach for a better understanding of overland flow connectivity R. Masselink et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.10993
- Numerical Study on Surface Reconstruction and Roughness of Magnetorheological Elastomers J. Valencia et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/computation11030046
- Assessing flood probability for transportation infrastructure based on catchment characteristics, sediment connectivity and remotely sensed soil moisture Z. Kalantari et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.01.009
- Determination of Primary and Secondary Lahar Flow Paths of the Fuego Volcano (Guatemala) Using Morphometric Parameters M. Cando-Jácome & A. Martínez-Graña https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11060727
- Hydrogeomorphological analysis and modelling for a comprehensive understanding of flash-flood damage processes: the 9 October 2018 event in northeastern Mallorca J. Estrany et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-20-2195-2020
- Moving-Window Detrending for Grain-Roughness Parameterization J. Groom et al. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HY.1943-7900.0001612
- Investigating sediment connectivity of a small catchment on the Loess Plateau using an appropriate index at an optimal spatial resolution J. Hu et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2025.133588
- Sediment connectivity concepts and approaches S. Najafi et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2020.104880
- Geomorphic effectiveness of check dams in a debris-flow catchment using multi-temporal topographic surveys S. Cucchiaro et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2018.11.004
- Mapping riverbed sediment size from Sentinel‐2 satellite data G. Marchetti et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.5394
- Combined use of UAV-SfM surveys, soil particle tracking with RFID tags and a sediment connectivity index to study plot-scale sediment transport M. López-Vicente et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164545
- Three-dimensional simulations of rockfalls in Ischia, Southern Italy, and preliminary susceptibility zonation M. Alvioli et al. https://doi.org/10.1080/19475705.2022.2131472
- A holistic framework for wetland placement and ecosystem service delivery by integrating landscape connectivity and participatory decision analysis in two Swedish catchments A. Rezvani et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejrh.2025.102669
- Controls on earthflow formation in the Teanaway River basin, central Washington State, USA S. Schanz & A. Colee https://doi.org/10.5194/esurf-10-761-2022
- Morphodynamics and sediment connectivity index in an unmanaged, debris-flow prone catchment: a through time perspective L. Torresani et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-022-7746-2
- Terrain mapping and analysis for land management: the case of Megech-Dirma watershed, sub-basin of the Blue Nile basin, Northwest Ethiopia W. Habtu & J. Katihally https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-022-11110-5
- Drumlins and mega-scale glacial lineations as a continuum of subglacial shear marks: A LiDAR based morphometric study of streamlined surfaces on the bed of a Canadian paleo-ice stream S. Sookhan et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2022.107679
- Effects of agricultural drainage systems on sediment connectivity in a small Mediterranean lowland catchment A. Calsamiglia et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2018.06.011
- Sediment connectivity as a key to understand geomorphic effects of the Storm Alex in two mountain catchments of the Mediterranean Alps (Italy) F. Ardizzone et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2024.109176
- A simplified geostatistical approach for characterizing key aspects of short-range roughness S. Trevisani et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2023.106927
- Adaptation and implementation of the HOTSED framework for assessing seasonal scenarios and short-term weather extremes in a high-altitude watershed of the Eastern Alps M. La Licata et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2026.181528
- Review of sediment connectivity: Conceptual connotations, characterization indicators, and their relationships with soil erosion and sediment yield C. Shi et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2025.105091
- Geomorphodiversity index: Quantifying the diversity of landforms and physical landscape L. Melelli et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.01.101
- Mapping water and sediment connectivity M. Cavalli et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.04.071
- Assessment of connectivity in a water‐stressed wetland (Kaabar Tal) of Kosi‐Gandak interfan, north Bihar Plains, India M. Singh et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.4156
- Interannual evolution of hydrosedimentary connectivity induced by forest cover change in a snow‐dominated mountainous catchment T. Jautzy et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/ldr.3902
- Quantifying sediment connectivity: Moving toward a holistic assessment through a mixed methods approach M. Turley et al. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.5191
- Madograms help to quantify mountain frontal zones—An approach towards comparative spatial analysis of complex landforms M. Szymanowski et al. https://doi.org/10.1111/tgis.12822
Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 15 Jun 2026
Short summary
The generalization of the concept of roughness implies the need to refer to a family of roughness indices capturing specific aspects of surface morphology. We test the application of a flow-oriented directional measure of roughness based on the geostatistical index MAD (median of absolute directional differences), computed considering gravity-driven flow direction. The use of flow-directional roughness improves geomorphometric modeling and the interpretation of landscape morphology.
The generalization of the concept of roughness implies the need to refer to a family of...
Special issue