Object-oriented classification of alpine landforms from an ASTER scene and digital elevation data (Reintal, Bavarian Alps)

High mountain regions represent diffi cult terrain for detecting rock and sediment storage areas. By means of a satellite scene by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Refl ection Radiometer (ASTER) and a digital elevation model, the geomorphological setting of the Reintal subcatchment (17 km 2 ) east of the Zugspitze is analysed. Characteristic landforms are classifi ed in an object-oriented approach comprising four spatial levels of differentiation. The complex, object-based decision tree hierarchy largely founds on fuzzy membership functions and to a lesser extent on a minimum distance classifi er. The fi nal landform classifi cation scores high in the accuracy assessments. The results show that an identifi cation of the present-day pattern of geomorphological process units is possible by remote sensing. Besides, the approach provides a fi rst insight into the otherwise inaccessible upper regions of the study area which could not be included in any previous survey.