Hypsometry

In very general terms, hypsometry is the measurement of land elevation. In geomorphology, hypsometry refers to the analysis of the cumulative distribution of the elevation, absolute or relative, in a given region. The distribution of elevation is a basic topographic feature of a territory, and its representation is useful for interpreting and characterizing geomorphic processes. Hypsometry can be computed in spatial domains of any shape and extent, including the whole earth surface; however, often the studies of hypsometry focus on drainage basins. Hypsometric curves, which represent the fraction of area above a given elevation, are a widely adopted tool for the graphical representation of hypsometry. Given the relationships between hypsometric characteristics and geomorphic processes and factors, it is not surprising the ample literature related to the exploitation of hypsometric-based indices in multiple research contexts, not limited to the analysis of drainage basins (e.g., morphology of glaciers, planetary morphology, etc.).