Integrating Topographic Skeleton into Deep Learning for Terrain Reconstruction from GDEM and Google Earth Image

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The topographic skeleton is the primary expression and intuitive understanding of topographic relief. This study integrated a topographic skeleton into deep learning for terrain reconstruction. Firstly, a topographic skeleton, such as valley, ridge, and gully lines, was extracted from a global digital elevation model (GDEM) and Google Earth Image (GEI). Then, the Conditional Generative Adversarial Network (CGAN) was used to learn the elevation sequence information between the topographic skeleton and high-precision 5 m DEMs. Thirdly, different combinations of topographic skeletons extracted from 5 m, 12.5 m, and 30 m DEMs and a 1 m GEI were compared for reconstructing 5 m DEMs. The results show the following: (1) from the perspective of the visual effect, the 5 m DEMs generated with the three combinations (5 m DEM + 1 m GEI, 12.5 m DEM + 1 m GEI, and 30 m DEM + 1 m GEI) were all similar to the original 5 m DEM (reference data), which provides a markedly increased level of terrain detail information when compared to the traditional interpolation methods; (2) from the perspective of elevation accuracy, the 5 m DEMs reconstructed by the three combinations have a high correlation (>0.9) with the reference data, while the vertical accuracy of the 12.5 m DEM + 1 m GEI combination is obviously higher than that of the 30 m DEM + 1 m GEI combination; and (3) from the perspective of topographic factors, the distribution trends of the reconstructed 5 m DEMs are all close to the reference data in terms of the extracted slope and aspect. This study enhances the quality of open-source DEMs and introduces innovative ideas for producing high-precision DEMs. Among the three combinations, we recommend the 12.5 m DEM + 1 m GEI combination for DEM reconstruction due to its relative high accuracy and open access. In regions where a field survey of high-precision DEMs is difficult, open-source DEMs combined with GEI can be used in high-precision DEM reconstruction.