Inundationshapes

Inundationshapes is a term used to describe the geometric and topological properties of flooded areas during an inundation event. The concept focuses on the spatial footprint of floodwaters as they spread across landscapes, capturing how water covers terrain, objects, and infrastructure. Inundationshapes emphasizes the shape, size, connectivity, and evolution of flooded regions rather than solely the water depth or discharge.

Key components of inundationshapes include area, perimeter, compactness, elongation, and shape indices that quantify how regular or irregular a flood extent is. Researchers also examine fragmentation and connectivity, such as how flooded zones link to channels, wetlands, and urban features. Because inundation footprints change over time, the temporal evolution of inundationshapes is often analyzed to understand flood dynamics, such as rapid spreading or slow recession.

Methods for analyzing inundationshapes combine remote sensing, GIS, and hydrological modelling. Data sources commonly include satellite imagery, synthetic aperture radar, LiDAR, and drone surveys to delineate flooded versus non-flooded areas. Spatial metrics, fractal dimensions, and graph-based measures are used to quantify shapes, while time series of footprints reveal morphological changes through a flood event. Integrating hydraulic or urban drainage models can help interpret observed shapes in terms of underlying processes.

Applications span flood risk assessment, urban and land-use planning, and climate adaptation. Inundationshapes analyses support better understanding of how floods interact with landscapes, inform emergency planning, and improve the interpretation of floodplain vulnerability. Limitations arise from data resolution, water detection accuracy, and uncertainties in depth and timing, which can influence shape estimates.