Mapping of avalanche dangerous territories using GIS technologies

Hrytskiv, N.; Laykun, L.; Babiy, L.

Purpose. Avalanching is a natural phenomenon that can cause loss of life, destructions of residential and industrial buildings, inflict losses on forestry, agriculture and tourism development in mountainous areas. Monitoring and research of potential avalanche dangerous territories is an urgent task. Geoinformation modeling plays leading role for its solving. The purpose of this paper is to create raster thematic maps of avalanching hazards on the base of analysis of certain morphometric and environmental factors of avalanching in the territory of the mountain ridge Polonyna Borzhava. Methodology. Digital terrain models were obtained by vectorization of cartographic materials. This created vector models were interpolated into raster model, which became the basis for classification of geomorphometric factors of avalanching. The following factors of avalanche formation have been selected: fixed (hillside slopes, curvature and hills exposure) and variable (direction of winds). Resulting rasters were reclassified for further operations using the tools of map algebra, such as raster calculator. The classes of avalanche dangerous areas, depending on the combination of values of slope and exposure, were sorted in the resulting summation of rasters of slopes, curvature and orientation of slopes and generalization of the number of received classes. Results. A digital elevation model and raster thematic map of avalanche dangerous territories of mountain ridge Polonyna Borzhava were created. Originality. A comprehensive approach that includes integration of cartographic material, statistical meteorological data and some geomorphometric data about surface in a unified geographic information system allocates the territories with consistent snow avalanche phenomena of mountain ridge Polonyna Borzhava.


	Наукова періодика України		Geodesy, cartography and aerial photography