Digital geomorphological information for alpine hazard studies using laser altimetry data and GIS: with an example from Vorarlberg, Austria

Detailed geomorphological information has proven beneficial for the spatial recognition and delineation of natural hazards such as rock fall, slides and debris flows in alpine ecosystems. New digital (semi-)automated mapping and availability of LiDAR altimetry data may im-prove the accessibility and accuracy of detailed geomorphological information, which serves as input in hazard studies. A first improvement is that digital geomorphological maps store both terrain units and attributes which describe color coded landforms, processes and deposits (Tab. 1). A second improvement is the (semi-) automated extraction of statistical morphomet-rical information derived from digital elevation models, which can be related to the digital landform units recognized in the digital geomorphological map. Use of high resolution Li- DAR altimetry data makes statistical separation of terrain objects derived from LidAR DEMs possible. First results show that integration of expert knowledge rules is useful to classify and group individual objects into unique geomorphological terrain units that are related to the genesis of landforms. In this study a method for the preparation of digital geomorphological maps in Vorarlberg is presented and it is shown how simple landscape metrics can be used in the semi-automated recognition and classification of geomorphological information from Li- DAR information. The methods include digital GIS assisted geomorphological map prepara-tion and object oriented classification of a LiDAR dataset combined with zonal statistical ana-ysis using the digital geomorphological terrain units. Direct advantage and improvements over existing methods are improved understanding of landscape process in inaccessible and/or forested areas, increase in mapping accuracy and improved consistency in the objectivity and reproducibility of the mapping methods.