DEM-based reconstruction of historical earth’s surface of areas before antropogenic transformation: selected examples from Central Poland

Abstract

The article is a presentation of the process leading to the creation of a terrain model of selected areas in Central Poland before anthropogenic transformations which took place half a century ago. The aim of this study was to reconstruction Digital Elevation Models (called DEM) of the area, which is not currently available for research using modern methods of gathering altitude information due to anthropogenic transformation. The work shows the exact criteria for the selection of source materials along with an indication of the frame of reference date of the map and contour line distance. The main part of the article presents two examples – the largest complex of open mining and energy sector in Europe – KWB Bełchatów and Sulejów Reservoir as a water reservoir for the biggest city of Central Poland – Łódź – a detailed description of the methodology for dealing with historical maps, and the course of work from the selection of appropriate maps, through their scanning, calibration and vectorization to the final result, which is to obtain a terrain model, treated as a historical one. This study highlights the advisability of such activities and the use of DEM models in practice and in the analysis of directions and scale of anthropogenic transformations of historic and contemporary relief.