FORTRAN IV Programs to Determine Surface Roughness in Topography for the CDC 3400 Computer

Abstract

Current uses of remote sensing apparatus for geologic investigation place new demands upon types of information gathered by the field geologist. One new area of field investigation is surface roughness.

This paper presents several quantitative parameters for describing three aspects of surface roughness: (1) comparison of surface areas, (2) frequency distribution of surface irregularities, and (3) orientation of normals to surfaces. Mathematical methodologies for computing parameters are described. Three CDC 3400 FORTRAN IV programs for computing parameters are listed along with detailed operating instructions.

Data obtained from the NASA Pisgah Crater Test Site in California are used to illustrate typical uses of surface roughness parameters.