LiDAR-Based Morphometry of Dolines in Aggtelek Karst (Hungary) and Slovak Karst (Slovakia)

LiDAR-based morphometry reveals that doline density in the Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst UNESCO World Heritage Sites is 25% higher when derived from high-resolution digital terrain models (DTMs) compared to traditional topographic maps. This study introduces a new parameter, k, which characterizes the 3D shape of dolines, indicating whether they resemble cylinders, bowls (calottes), cones, or funnels. Most dolines in the region exhibit transitional shapes between bowl and cone forms. The research also highlights that doline density is negligible on slopes steeper than 12° and that 75% of dolines are associated with Wetterstein Limestone. Additionally, the lognormal distribution effectively models the size distribution of doline areas.

Telbisz, T., Mari, L., & Székely, B. (2024). LiDAR-Based Morphometry of Dolines in Aggtelek Karst (Hungary) and Slovak Karst (Slovakia). Remote Sensing, 16(5), 737. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs16050737