Creating an Upgradient Area Map

RockWorks | ModOps | Grid | Directional | Upgradient Drainage Area

This program reads a grid model and creates a map which represents the number of grid nodes that are upgradient from each node.

Note: This program requires that a RockWorks surface model (.RwGrd file) model already exists.

Menu Options
Step-by-Step Summary

Menu Options

• Input/Output
  • Input (Surface/Terrain) Grid Model: Click to the right to browse for the name of the existing surface model for the area to be analyzed.
  • Output (Upgradient) Grid Model: Click here to enter the name to be assigned to the output grid model.
  • Fill Sinks: This option will fill any closed depressions such as sinkholes and sampling/gridding artifacts before generating the drainage net and computing the area. The following example depicts drainage nets for the same grid model with and without enabling the Fill Sinks option.

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• 2D Grid Map
  Check this box to display the output grid as a 2D map at this time.
  Click this tab to set up the 2D map layers (bitmap, symbols, labels, line contours, color-filled contours, labeled cells, map border, etc.).
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• 3D Grid Diagram
  Check this box to display the output grid as a 3D surface at this time.
  Click this tab to set up the 3D map layers (surface colors, images, reference cage, etc.).
  ! You can request both a 2D and 3D representation of the grid model.
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Step-by-Step Summary

1. Be sure you have a real number RockWorks grid model (.RwGrd file) already created, for input into this program.
2. Select the Grid | Directional Analyses | Grid -> Upgradient Area Map menu option.
3. Enter the requested menu settings, described above.
4. Click the Process button to continue.

   The program will read the input grid model, and create a polyline for each grid node that represent the downgradient path from that node to the lowest possible point. If the sinks (closed depressions) have not been filled (via the "Fill Sinks" option), these drainages may terminate within a sink hole. If the sinks have been filled, the drainages will typically end at the edges of the model.

   These polylines are then combined into a drainage network. The polylines within the drainage network include information about the number of nodes that have "drained" into each vertex within the network. By mapping this information into a grid, we are able to create a grid model whose nodes represent the number of grid nodes that are upgradient from each node. The output grid will be represented as a map and/or statistics report, as requested.

   ! The time required to fill the sinks with a grid model may range from seconds (for a 20x20 grid model) to hours (for a 250x250 grid model).

   The requested diagram(s) will be displayed in a RockPlot2D tab in the Options window.

5. You can adjust any of the settings in the Options window and then click the Process button again to regenerate the model and diagram.
6. View / save / manipulate / export / print the diagram in the RockPlot2D and/or RockPlot3D window.
   

See also

• Adding this program to your Playlist
• Adding this program to your Favorites
• Save/load/view menu settings
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