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Terrain Analysis Using Digital Elevation Models (TauDEM)

David G. Tarboton
Utah State University
4110 Old Main Hill
Logan, UT 84322-8200
USA
 http://www.engineering.usu.edu/dtarb/
email: david.tarboton<at symbol>usu.edu

TauDEM (Terrain Analysis Using Digital Elevation Models) and it’s predecessor TARDEM (TARboton Digital Elevation Models) is a set of tools for the analysis of terrain using digital elevation models. It incorporates programs and digital elevation model (DEM) analysis functions developed by David Tarboton over the years with support from a variety of sponsors, whose support is gratefully acknowledged. TauDEM currently provides the following capability:

  • Pit removal by flooding to ensure hydraulic connectivity within the watershed
  • Computation of flow directions and slopes
  • Contributing area using single and multiple flow direction methods
  • Multiple methods for the delineation of channel networks including curvature-based methods sensitive to spatially variable drainage density
  • Objective methods for determination of the channel network delineation threshold based on stream dropsStream ordering
  • Delineation of watersheds and subwatersheds draining to each stream segment and association between watershed and segment attributes for setting up hydrologic models.
  • Specialized functions for terrain analysis, including:
    • Wetness index
    • Distance to streams
    • Downslope influence function to map locations downslope that may be influenced by activities in an area
    • Upslope dependence function to map the locations upslope where activities have an effect on a downslope location
    • Decaying accumulation that evaluates upslope contribution subject to decay or attenuation
    • Concentration limited accumulation
    • Transport limited accumulation
    • Reverse accumulation

TauDEM/TARDEM Versions

  • TauDEM 4.0 — Provides support for ArcGIS Geoprocessing through the TauDEM Tools geoprocessing toolbox. Adds functionality through this toolbox. Requires ArcGIS 9.3 or later.
  • TauDEM 3.1 (First released May 2005, periodic upgrades till September 2008)
  • TARDEM 4.0 (May 2000 command line version)
  • Archive versions [No longer recommended]