Detection of spatial conflicts between rivers and contours in digital map updating.

In the process of topographic map updating, spatial conflicts (inconsistency) between rivers and contours may be created. This project studies the particularity and complexity of the relationships between rivers and contours, and develops a method for automatic detection of the spatial conflicts between them. This method consists of a refined descriptive spatial model (called a topological chain), an algorithm for the computation of spatial relations, and a set of rules for the determination of spatial conflicts. In the spatial relation model, the topological relationships, order relationships, and metric relationships are integrated to describe the line-line spatial relationships. The rules are derived from the natural relations between rivers and contours in the real world. The effectiveness of this method has been verified by using the national 1:50 000 topographic map databases. An accuracy of 91% has been achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]