Generation of Triangulated Irregular Networks Based on Hydrological Similarity

Abstract

Distributed hydrologic models typically incorporate topographic data through the use of raster-based digital elevation models. The resampling of high-resolution grid data required to effectively use distributed models, however, can result in the distortion of terrain and hydrographic properties. In this study, we present a geographic information system approach for deriving multiple resolution meshes that conserve physiographic features while significantly reducing the number of computational nodes in a distributed hydrologic model. We utilize triangulated irregular networks (TINs) which serve to integrate information on the surface topography, hydrographic features and land surface characteristics into an adaptive representation of a basin. We discuss three approaches for constructing TIN models for hydrologic applications: (1)