Spurentiefe

Spurentiefe is a geomorphological term used to describe the depth or vertical relief of a mountain spur within a landscape. It refers to the difference in elevation between the crest of the spur and the corresponding base level at the adjacent valley or saddle, typically measured along a cross-section that runs perpendicular to the spur’s axis.

The measurement of spurentiefe is usually based on digital elevation data or topographic maps. In practice, a transect is established across the spur, and the highest point on the spur crest and the lowest adjacent point on the valley side are identified. The spurentiefe is then calculated as the elevation difference between these two points. Units are meters, and the value can depend on the chosen transect, datum, and scale of analysis. High-resolution data such as LiDAR yield more precise results, while broader-scale maps provide a general estimate.

Applications of spurentiefe include landscape classification, geomorphological mapping, and hydrological planning. It helps quantify relief characteristics of ridge-and-valley systems, compare different spurs within a region, and assess potential influences on runoff, erosion, or microclimates. The concept is most commonly discussed in German-language literature on physical geography and regional geomorphology, and it may be defined or applied slightly differently across studies.

Limitations should be noted: spurentiefe is not a universally standardized metric, and results depend on the datum, data quality, and the exact method used to define the base level. Related concepts include ridge relief, peak-to-valley relief, and other measures of topographic amplitude.