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DISTINGUISHING THE RIVER CHUYA VALLEY GEOMORPHOLOGICAL TYPES (GORNY ALTAI) BASED ON MORPHOMETRIC INDICES

S. A. Kotler 1, I. D. Zolnikov 1,3

1 V.S.Sobolev Institute of Geology and Mineralogy of the SB RAS; 2 Novosibirsk National Research State University; 3 Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography of SB RAS; Novosibirsk, Russia

Morphometric indices of the river-bed sinuosity (overall length of river-bed and sum angle of the riverbed deviation in sliding window) and width of the valley along terraces for the automated zoning of the Chuya River valley have been proposed. The primary factual material is obtained by detailed digitization of topographic maps, taking into account a digital model of the SRTM relief and space images, including highresolution satellite images through the Google Earth. For the construction of indices, a Density toolset of the software package ArcGIS10.2.2 was used. Visual and statistical analyses of morphometric indices have made it possible to identify various types of valley and to carry out its geomorphologic zoning. According to morphometric indices, which determine the valley width and the river sinuosity, 13 morphotypes of the valley structure are identified. They are individual for the Chuya River valley. The proposed methodology can be used to distinguish geomorphological types of other mountain rivers valleys on the basis of their quantitative characteristics and concepts on historical and genetical settings of formation.

Keywords: morphometry, river valleys, GIS, geomorphological types.

DOI 10.20403/2078-0575-2018-4-22-29