Evaluating the performance of multisource digital elevation models using morphometric parameters and field survey data over the mountainous landscapes of northwest Himalaya, India

Abstract

In this study, seven morphometric characteristics were assessed from three freely available multisource DEMs and correlated with extensive field observations to assess the best-fit DEM over the mountainous landscapes of Kashmir Valley, northwest Himalaya, India. The morphometric parameters were assessed using 30 m ASTER GDEM v2 (ASTERDEM), SRTMDEM, and CartoDEM v3 R1 (CARTODEM) in the Ferozpora watershed of the Jhelum Basin, Kashmir Himalaya. Our findings indicated the closeness of mean bifurcation ratio (Rbm) values between manual digitization (Rbm = 4.12) and CARTODEM (Rbm = 4.07). The GPS-based values of drainage basin asymmetry, stream gradient index, basin relief, and longitudinal river profile also indicated a strong resemblance with CARTODEM-derived values. It is hence concluded that CARTODEM is the best-fit DEM representing the topographic and morphometric characteristics over the Kashmir region, however, the results from this analysis need to be tested and validated over larger geographic domains with contrasting lithological and topographic characteristics.