Abstract
Hachuring is a classic method of cartographic relief presentation that origins from perspective sketching of the surface. Hachuring was developed into strict and mathematically grounded planimetric method during the eighteenth century. Established by Lehmann in 1799, topographic hachures flourished during the first half of the nineteenth century and then were gradually replaced by contours. Today, hachures are still popular in presentation of anthropogenic relief on archaeological and topographic maps. Some elements of hachuring can be found in geomorphometric and hydrometeorological mapping, where flowlines and arrows are used to show the intensity and direction of the flow on the surface, or its aspect and slope. The study aims to reveal the potential of hachuring in further development as surface presentation method. Automated implementation of all original requirements for hachure construction is provided for the first time by new algorithm using vector flowlines. Then an advanced hachuring technique called ‘slope and aspect hachuring’ is presented which depicts slope, aspect and flow direction of the surface simultaneously. Slope and aspect hachuring is compared to traditional area colours to reveal its advantages and shortcomings in sight of morphometric mapping. Some applications of the method and directions of future research are suggested in concluding part.
Acknowledgements
This work is supported by the Russian Government project 11.G34·31·0053 and President of Russia grant for young PhD scientists MK-793-2013·5. The author would like to thank Sergey Koshel, principal researcher at Moscow State University, for his valuable notes on this work. Special thanks go to anonymous reviewers whose insightful comments helped to improve the paper.