Introduction Sediment-related processes and associated hazards in mountain basins encompass a wide range of processes, from erosion and shallow landsliding on basin slopes to sediment transport and deposition in the channel net- work. The management of mountain basins and the definition of headwater control and reconstruction measures require reliable methods for the analysis of sediment dynamics. Recent improvements of geographical information systems (GIS) technology have allowed the development of new methods to be spatially distributed, digitally or- ganised data to quantify topographic characteristics re- lated to shallow landsliding, erosion and sediment transport. Physically based models for the assessment of shallow landsliding (Montgomery and Dietrich 1994a; Iida 1999; Montgomery et al. 2000; Borga et al. 2002; Casadei et al. 2003) and the quantification of erosion, sediment transport and sediment yield (Burton and Bathurst 1998; De Roo 1998; De Jong et al. 1999; Ra- faelli et al. 2001) have a high capacity of resolution, but they require detailed data about the hydraulic and mechanical characteristics of soils. Other tools for sediment-related hazard assessment in a GIS are the erosion and sediment transport indexes. Erosion indexes are generally less complex than physi- cally based models: normally, their main aim is to prioritise erosion-prone areas and classify slopes and basins according to erosion and sediment transport po- tential. Mitasova et al. (1996) developed a GIS-based approach aimed at estimating the spatial distribution of areas characterised by erosion and deposition potential in a complex terrain. Wilson and Gallant (1996) Lorenzo Marchi Giancarlo Dalla Fontana GIS morphometric indicators for the analysis of sediment dynamics in mountain basins Received: 28 October 2004 Accepted: 10 March 2005 Published online: 17 June 2005 Ó Springer-Verlag 2005 Abstract Watershed management and headwater reconstruction pro- grams require a reliable knowledge of sediment dynamics. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) provide the framework for the implementa- tion of different complex techniques for the assessment of shallow land- sliding and erosion processes in mountain basins. This paper pre- sents some morphometric indicators aimed at erosion and sediment delivery analysis. The proposed indicators can be easily derived from medium to fine resolution Digital Elevation Models (DEM). Applica- tions conducted in Eastern Italian Alps have shown the adequateness of the proposed approach to address erosion and sediment-related prob- lems. The analysis considered the classification of sediment source areas with regard to their activity, the comparison between drainage basins having different morphologi- cal characteristics and the topo- graphic control on sediment transport capacity, with a particular attention to the identification of channel reaches characterised by a low sediment transport capacity. Keywords Digital elevation model Æ Sediment dynamics Æ Sediment source Æ Morphometric indicator Æ Basin ruggedness Environ Geol (2005) 48: 218–228 DOI 10.1007/s00254-005-1292-4 ORIGINAL ARTICLE L. Marchi (&) CNR IRPI, Corso Stati Uniti 4, Padova, 35127, Italy E-mail: lorenzo.marchi@irpi.cnr.it Tel.: +39-049-8295825 Fax: +39-049-8295827 G. Dalla Fontana Department of Land and AgroForest Environments, University of Padova, Via dell’Universita` 16, Legnaro, 35020, Italy