Open Access Morphometric Analyses of Danxia Landforms in Relation to Bedrock Geology: A Case of Mt. Danxia, Guangdong Province, China

Abstract: The “Danxia landform ” is an erosional landform type originally defined in China. It is characterized by red-colored sandstones and steep cliffs, and developed via long-term erosion. Detailed quantitative geomorphometric studies of the characteristics of Danxia landforms in China have not yet been conducted. Using GIS, we conducted DEM-based geomorphometric analyses of 42 watersheds on Mt. Danxia, China. This area has many typical Danxia landforms. Analysis of stream networks indicates that fault systems are responsible for the NE-trending stream direction. Hypsometric curves and hypsometric integrals (HI) of the watersheds show that HI is significantly affected by lithology; the lithological difference between the eastern and western parts of the study area are reflected in the general form of watersheds. Longitudinal profiles of the watersheds were used to analyze the stream length gradient (SL) index and Hack profiles, which were also found to reflect lithology and fault control