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Contents

Introduction

A Digital Elevation Model (DEM) represents the elevation of the surface.

DEM vs DSM vs DTM

It is useful to distinguish between DSM and DTM.

  • Digital Surface Model (DSM): Includes objects on the surface, such as trees and buildings.
  • Digital Terrain Model (DTM): Represents the bare surface.

In this repo, DEM is a generic term referring to either a DSM or a DTM. Note however that DEM is often also equated with DTM.

This graphic from Neon summarizes the differences well:

For a more detailed discussion, see Digital Elevation Models: Terminology and Definitions.

Links

Papers

Portals

Discussion

Data

Global, open

Summary

Dataset Type Horizontal resolution (m) Vertical accuracy (m) Data collection period Method Notes
ASTER GDEM V3 DSM 30 17 2000-2011 Photogrammetry
SRTM DEM V3 DSM 30 USA, 90 outside 9 2000 InSAR Coverage between 60° north and 56° south latitude
NASADEM DSM 30 2000 InSAR Reprocessing of SRTM
AW3D30 DSM 30 5 2006-2011 Photogrammetry
COPERNICUS GLO-30 DSM 30 4 2011-2015 InSAR Based on WorldDEM
MERIT DSM 90 12 2000, 2006-2011 InSAR + Photogrammetry Created from SRTM + AW3D30
FABDEM DTM 30 1.12-2.88 (mean error) 2011-2015 InSAR Used ML to remove buildings+trees from GLO-30
TanDEM-X 90m DSM 90 10 2010-2015 InSAR

Which DEM is derived from which base dataset?

ASTER GDEM

Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection satellite

  • Optical sensor, stereopair images

Products

  • ASTER GDEM2: Released 2011, acquired more scenes 2008-2011
  • ASTER GDEM3

Links

SRTM DEM

Shuttle Radar Topography Mission

  • NASA + NGA
  • Space shuttle Endeavour

Coverage is only between 60° north and 56° south latitude

Products

  • SRTM Non-Void Filled
  • SRTM Void Filled: More processing to fill missing data (not actually missing, but low quality)
  • SRTM 1 Arc-Second Global

Links

NASADEM

Reprocessing of SRTM

  • Using the latest unwrapping techniques
  • More voids filled with auxiliary data
    • ASTER GDEM, Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) Panchromatic Remote sensing Instrument for Stereo Mapping (PRISM), USGS National Elevation Dataset (NED), and Canada and Alaska DEMs Global DEM Specifications

Comparison with CopernicusDEM in the Indus delta region

Links

ALOS World 3D-30m

  • ALOS PRISM
  • From JAXA

Products

  • AW3D30

Links

Copernicus DEM

Based on WorldDEM/TanDEM-X

Product comparison

Products

  • GLO-90 worldwide 90m
  • GLO-30 worldwide 30m
  • EEA-10 Europe only, not publicly avaialable (access rights)

Links

MERIT

Created by combining SRTM and ALOS Word 3D

  • Removal of errors and noise

Links

FABDEM

DTM, processed GLO-30

  • Used ML to remove buildings and trees

License

  • Available for research
  • Commercial use requires purchase

Links

TanDEM-X

See section below for more details.

The 90m version should be open for research use.

  • It also might be possible to obtain a limited access to the 12m and/or 30m versions (source)

Links

Global, proprietary

WorldDEM and TanDEM-X

Collection of open and proprietary DEMs from Airbus (WorldDEM) and DLR (TanDEM-X)

Products

Vricon

5m

Global bathymetric, open

ETOPO1

ETOPO1 is a 1 arc-minute global relief model of Earth's surface that integrates land topography and ocean bathymetry. Built from global and regional data sets, it is available in "Ice Surface" (top of Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets) and "Bedrock" (base of the ice sheets).

  • ~2km resolution

Links

GMRT

Global Multi-Resolution Topography Data Synthesis

  • synthesis of multi-resolution multibeam sonar data
  • 100m resolution
  • latest version: GMRT 4.0., released in 2022

Links

GEBCO

GEBCO’s current gridded bathymetric data set, the GEBCO_2022 Grid, is a global terrain model for ocean and land, providing elevation data, in meters, on a 15 arc-second interval grid. It is accompanied by a Type Identifier (TID) Grid that gives information on the types of source data that the GEBCO_2022 Grid is based on.

  • ~250m resolution

Links

SRTM15+

Global Bathymetry and Topography

  • SRTM plus shipboard sounding and satellite-derived predicted depths
  • 15 arcsec resolution (approximately 500x500m pixel size at equator)
  • latest version: SRTM+ V2.1., released in 2019

Links

Local, open

EU-DEM

DSM, fusion of SRTM and ASTER GDEM

  • 30m horizontal resolution
  • 7m vertical RMSE

Links

EU-DTM

Used Ensemble Machine Learning with GEDI and ICESat-2 data to process available DSMs into a DTM

  • DSMs used: MERITDEM, AW3D30, GLO-30, EU DEM, GLAD canopy height

Links

US: 3DEP

USGS 3D Elevation Program (3DEP)

  • Lidar-derived data
  • Very high resolution (2m)
  • Multiple DSM/DTM products

Links

ArcticDEM

DSM of the Arctic

  • Photogrammetry from stereo imagery
  • 2m horizontal resolution

Links

Arctic: REMA

Timestamped elevation model of the Arctic

  • Can measure elevation change
  • 8m horizontal resolution

Links

Australia: Elvis - Elevation and Depth

DEMs, DSMs and point clouds for Australia

  • A repository of state and national datasets
  • Generally lidar-derived data
  • Resolutions include
    • 1m
    • 2m
    • 5m
    • 1 second
  • Complete coverage for NSW, Victoria and Tasminia with partial coverage in other state/territories
  • Bathymetry also provided for surrounding waters

Links

France: Litto3D

Coastal areas in mainland France, topographic and bathymetric information

  • 1km resolution

Links

France: RGE ALTI

DTM of France (including ultramarine territories). This DEM is updated each year with new acquisitions (usually lidar)

  • ~1m resolution. Varies by altitude (mountain areas have around 7m resolution).
  • Created from airborne LIDAR, correlation of aerial images and radar (Mountains and French Guyana)
  • RGE: Hight-Scale Referential in French

Links

France: HD-LIDAR

Ongoing LIDAR acquisition campaign

  • Point-cloud data processed into DTMs, DSMs and digital height models

Links

Italy: Tinitaly DEM

DTM of Italy on a 10m grid. Collected from multiple sources of various resolutions.

Links

Switzerland: SwissALTI3D

SwissALTI3D is an extremely precise digital elevation model which describes the surface of Switzerland without vegetation and development

  • Updated every six years by the Federal Office of Topography (Swisstopo)

Links

High Mountain Asia DEM

High mountain asia glaciers

  • 8m resolution
  • From DigitalGlobe imagery, collected 2002-2016
  • Spatial region: from Tien Shan and Hindu Kush to Eastern Himalaya

Links

New Zealand: LINZ DEMs & Related

LINZ provides a collection of DEMs for different regions of New Zealand. The resolution is 1m.

There also exist lower resolution processings of the LINZ datasets.

Links

Non-terrestrial, open

Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA)

Lunar DEM created by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission. The data is available in several versions. A DEM covering the entire lunar surface at a resolution of 118m and a DEM of resolution 59m covering latitudes within ±60.

Links

Pluto New Horizon

A partial DEM of Pluto with a resolution of 300m

Links

Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA)

A DEM of Mars with a resolution of 463m

Links

Charon New Horizon

A partial DEM of Pluto with a resolution of 300m

Links

Mercury Messenger

A DEM of Mercury with a resolution of 665m

Links

Venus Magellan

A Dem of Venus with a resolution of 4641m

Links