geomorphometry.org

An automated routine can extract dune crest locations, heights, and wavelength from digital elevation models. The algorithm extracts the fabric from the DEM, draws profiles perpendicular to the crests, and computes statistics from the profiles. Results from the SRTM and ASTER GDEM produce similar results for dunes with heights from 20-100 m and wavelengths of 900-2200 m, and multibeam bathymetry can extract 0.5 m high megaripples with a wavelength of 25 m. In desert regions the ASTER GDEM appears to have few of the anomalies that detract from its performance elsewhere, and provides an improvement over the results with SRTM.