Accuracy assessment of interferometric digital elevation models derived from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission X- and C-band data in a test area with rolling topography and moderate forest cover

Abstract This paper presents a comparative study between the absolute and relative methods for altimetric positional accuracy of Digital Elevation Models (DEM). For the theoretical basis of this research, the definitions of accuracy (exactness) and precision, as well the concepts related to absolute and relative positional accuracy were explored. In the case study, the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) and the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) DEM were used. In the analysis of the absolute accuracy, 6,568 ground control points from GNSS orbital survey were used, collected through relative-static method. In the relative accuracy, it was used as reference DEM with spatial resolution of 5 meters generated by stereophotogrammetrical process for the Mapping Project of Bahia (Brazil). It was concluded that, once the accuracy of the reference DEM is better than the other two evaluated DEM, the results of the classification for the PEC-PCD for the relative evaluation are equal to or better than the absolute evaluation results, with the advantage to being able to verify the pixel population of the evaluated models, which makes it possible to identify outliers, distortions and displacements, including delimiting regions, which is much less likely with a limited set of control points.

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DETERMINING THE SUITABILITY OF DIFFERENT DIGITAL ELEVATION MODELS AND SATELLITE IMAGES FOR FANCY MAPS. AN EXAMPLE OF CYPRUS

ISPRS - International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences ◽

10.5194/isprsarchives-xli-b4-591-2016 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol XLI-B4 ◽

pp. 591-597

Author(s):

J. Drachal ◽

A. K. Kawel

Keyword(s):

Small Area ◽

Satellite Images ◽

Digital Elevation Models ◽

Test Area ◽

Landsat 8 ◽

Digital Terrain Models ◽

Digital Terrain ◽

Terrain Models ◽

Digital Elevation ◽

Shaded Relief

The article describes the possibility of developing an overall map of the selected area on the basis of publicly available data. Such a map would take the form designed by the author with the colors that meets his expectations and a content, which he considers to be appropriate. Among the data available it was considered the use of satellite images of the terrain in real colors and, in the form of shaded relief, digital terrain models with different resolutions of the terrain mesh. Specifically the considered data were: MODIS, Landsat 8, GTOPO-30, SRTM-30, SRTM-1, SRTM-3, ASTER. For the test area the island of Cyprus was chosen because of the importance in tourism, a relatively small area and a clearly defined boundary. In the paper there are shown and discussed various options of the Cyprus terrain image obtained synthetically from variants of Modis, Landsat and digital elevation models of different resolutions.

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Accuracy assessment of lidar-derived digital elevation models

The Photogrammetric Record ◽

10.1111/j.1477-9730.2008.00476.x ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 23 (122) ◽

pp. 148-169 ◽

Cited By ~ 58

Author(s):

Fernando J. Aguilar ◽

Jon. P. Mills

Keyword(s):

Accuracy Assessment ◽

Digital Elevation Models ◽

Digital Elevation

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Accuracy assessment of digital elevation models by means of robust statistical methods

ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing ◽

10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2009.02.003 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 64 (4) ◽

pp. 398-406 ◽

Cited By ~ 291

Author(s):

Joachim Höhle ◽

Michael Höhle

Keyword(s):

Statistical Methods ◽

Accuracy Assessment ◽

Digital Elevation Models ◽

Digital Elevation ◽

Robust Statistical Methods

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Investigating the Impact of Digital Elevation Models on Sentinel-1 Backscatter and Coherence Observations

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs12183016 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (18) ◽

pp. 3016

Author(s):

Ignacio Borlaf-Mena ◽

Maurizio Santoro ◽

Ludovic Villard ◽

Ovidiu Badea ◽

Mihai Andrei Tanase

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Laser Scanning ◽

Digital Elevation Models ◽

Shuttle Radar Topography Mission ◽

Synthetic Aperture ◽

Mountainous Regions ◽

Aerial Laser Scanning ◽

Digital Elevation ◽

The Difference ◽

The Impact

Spaceborne remote sensing can track ecosystems changes thanks to continuous and systematic coverage at short revisit intervals. Active remote sensing from synthetic aperture radar (SAR) sensors allows day and night imaging as they are not affected by cloud cover and solar illumination and can capture unique information about its targets. However, SAR observations are affected by the coupled effect of viewing geometry and terrain topography. The study aims to assess the impact of global digital elevation models (DEMs) on the normalization of Sentinel-1 backscattered intensity and interferometric coherence. For each DEM, we analyzed the difference between orbit tracks, the difference with results obtained with a high-resolution local DEM, and the impact on land cover classification. Tests were carried out at two sites located in mountainous regions in Romania and Spain using the SRTM (Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, 30 m), AW3D (ALOS (Advanced Land Observation Satellite) World 3D, 30 m), TanDEM-X (12.5, 30, 90 m), and Spain national ALS (aerial laser scanning) based DEM (5 m resolution). The TanDEM-X DEM was the global DEM most suitable for topographic normalization, since it provided the smallest differences between orbital tracks, up to 3.5 dB smaller than with other DEMs for peak landform, and 1.4–1.9 dB for pit and valley landforms.

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