High Resolution Digital Terrain Models of Shallow Lake Basins - towards Modelling Dynamics of Sedimentation for Multithematic Ecosystems Research

Research on GIS applications in the real world context has to be strengthened besides developing GIS application software itself. An ecologically important field of applications is the integration of GIS technology in wetlands research. Documentation, analysis and modelling of spatial data of wetlands and lakes supports ecological research and planning to the highest extent. High resolution terrain models of lake basins contribute to multithematic investigations especially in the fields of hydrology, limnology and vegetation sciences. Digital terrain models (DTMs) of shallow lakes provide spatial data with high vertical resolution of the slight undulations of the terrain. Spatial dynamics of extensive Research on GIS applications in the real world context has to be strengthened besides developing GIS application sedimentation have to be documented and analysed by establishing two terrain models based on the sediment surface and the surface of quaternary sediments respectively. The DTMs and their difference model are highly efficient data pools for building up time series of topo-chronological change caused by the seasonal and annual dynamics of sedimentation and/or by the water-level-dependent dynamics of the extension of flooded/non-flooded areas. A case study at Lake Fertö (Neusiedler See, Austria, Hungary) proves, that data collection, data analysis and data visualization have to be appropriate and easy to handle on the one hand, but also fully digital with highest precision and utmost multithematic value on the other hand. GIS concepts for monitoring and analysing ecosystems of shallow lakes have to be driven by AT-based research towards the integration of operational digital 4D-models of spatial and thematic topo-chronological data.