Relieftiefe

Relieftiefe is a geoscience term used to describe the vertical scale or amplitude of terrain relief within a defined area. It expresses how pronounced the landscape is by quantifying the vertical difference between the highest and lowest parts of the landscape. In practice, Relieftiefe is often defined as the range of elevation values in a specified spatial unit and can be considered in absolute terms (elevation above sea level) or as a relative relief within the terrain.

Measurement and calculation commonly rely on digital elevation data. From a digital elevation model (DEM) or topographic map, the Relieftiefe for a study area can be computed as the maximum elevation minus the minimum elevation within that area. The value depends on the chosen spatial scale and data resolution: finer-resolution data capture more terrain detail and can result in larger measured relief for the same region.

Applications of Relieftiefe include characterizing landscape ruggedness, comparing regions, and supporting hydrological modeling, erosion studies, land-use planning, and hazard assessment. High Relieftiefe indicates rugged, mountainous terrain, while low values indicate relatively flat plains or plateaus. It also informs infrastructure design, ecological research, and climate- or habitat-related studies where topography influences processes and distributions.

Related concepts include terrain ruggedness index, elevation range, and hypsometric measures. Relieftiefe can be analyzed alongside other topographic statistics to provide a comprehensive view of landscape morphology.