Double vagueness : uncertainty in multi-scale fuzzy assignment of duneness

Abstract

In the automation of identification of landscape fe atures the vagueness arises from the fact that the attributes and parameters tha t make up a landscape vary over space and scale. In most of existing studies, t hese two kinds of vagueness are studied separately. This paper investigates thei r combination in identification of coast landscape units. Fuzzy set theory is us ed to describe the vagueness of geomorphic features due to the continuity in spa ce. The vagueness resulted from the scale of measurement is evaluated by statist ic indicators. The differences of fuzzy objects derived from data at differing r esolutions (in size from 3×3 cells to 25×25 cells) are studied in order to exa mine these higher-order uncertainties.