Iyini i-geomorphometry?
I-geomorphometry, noma i-geomorphometrics, isayensi kanye nokusebenza kokulinganisa izici zendawo, ukwakheka kobuso bomhlaba, nemiphumela yalokhu kubunjwa kobuso kumuntu nakumazwe emvelo. Ihlanganisa izindlela ezihlukahlukene zezibalo, zezibalo nezokucubungula izithombe ezingasetshenziselwa ukulinganisa izici ze-morphological, hydrological, ecological nezinye izici zomhlaba. Amagama afanayo ajwayelekile e-geomorphometry ukuhlaziywa kwe-geomorphological (ngemuva kwe-geomorphology), i-morphometry yendawo, ukuhlaziywa kwendawo, nokuhlaziywa komhlaba. I-Geomorphometrics iyisiyalo esisekelwe ezilinganisweni zokubala ze-geometry, ukwakheka komhlaba kanye nokuma kwama-horizon omhlaba, kanye nokushintsha kwawo ngesikhathi. Lokhu kuyingxenye eyinhloko yezinhlelo zokwaziswa kwezwe (GIS) namanye amathuluzi esofthiwe okuhlaziya indawo.  Ngamazwi alula, i-geomorphometry ihlose ukukhipha imingcele (yomhlaba) ebusweni (i-morphometric, i-hydrological, i-climatic njll) nezinto (izindawo ezinamanzi, amanethiwekhi omfula, ukwakheka komhlaba njll) kusetshenziswa imodeli yedijithali ebusweni bomhlaba (eyaziwa nangokuthi imodeli yokuphakama kwedijithali, i-DEM) kanye nesoftware ye-parameterization. Imingcele ebusweni nezinto ezikhishwe zingasetshenziswa, ngokwesibonelo, ukuthuthukisa imephu nokumodela kwenhlabathi, izimila, ukusetshenziswa komhlaba, izici ze-geomorphological ne-geological nokunye.  Ngokwanda okusheshayo kwemithombo ye-DEM namuhla (futhi ikakhulukazi ngenxa ye-Shuttle Radar Topography Mission kanye namaphrojekthi asekelwe ku-LIDAR), ukukhishwa kwamapharamitha omhlaba kuya ngokuya kukhanga kakhulu emikhakheni eminingi esukela kwezolimo ezinembile, ukumodeliswa kwenhlabathi-indawo, ukusetshenziswa kwesimo sezulu kanye ne-hydrological ekuhlelweni kwamadolobha, ezemfundo kanye nocwaningo lwasemkhathini. I-topography cishe yonke yoMhlaba namuhla iye yasampulwa noma yahlolwa, ukuze ama-DEM atholakale ezinqumweni eziyi-100 m noma ezingcono esikalini somhlaba wonke. Amapharamitha omhlaba namuhla asetshenziswa ngempumelelo kokubili kumodeli we-stochastic kanye ne-process-based, okuwukuphela kwendaba esele izinga lemininingwane nokunemba okuqondile kwe-DEM.