IMAGENS DE SATÉLITE E FOTOGRAFIAS AÉREAS PARA ESTUDOS HIDROMORFOLÓGICOS: HIERARQUIZAÇÃO, MORFOMETRIA E CLASSIFICAÇÃO DE BACIAS DE DRENAGEM POR ANÁLISE DE CLUSTER HIERÁRQUICA.

The main purpose of this work is to show how some tools for orbital image processing can play simple roles, although fundamentals to hydromorphic studies in respect to the knowledge of measured variables used in morphometric studies and in classification studies of hydrographic sub-basins. The variables used for the proposal of basins classification are the basins area, perimeter, radius and river extension. This variables were extracted from satellite images and several morphometric parameters. The results obtained after the evaluation of the morphometric parameters were correlated and submitted to the hierarchical cluster analysis. This analysis had subsidized the formation of four sub-basins groups with similar features and a basin unit with individualized features. The data from the analysis were mapped in a 1:10.000 chart, generating a classification product for the sub-basins in the ribeirão do Peixe/SP basin, Brazil. The qualitative descriptions of some classified products following the applied statistical methodology were complemented with the observations accomplished by aerial photographs in 1:25.000 scale. It was concluded that classifying hydrographic basins sub-unities using such statistical methodology, and associating it to photo interpretation possibilities, is an analysis strategy relevant to studies focused on hydrographic unities planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]