Relative Spatial Accuracy Evaluation of the Shuttle Radar Topography Mapping (SRTM15 V2.0) Dataset on the Cameroon Continental Shelf

Abstract

This study presents a comparison between two bathymetric datasets covering the continental shelf of Cameroon. One of these datasets, Campus Cameroun, is based on a specific single-beam echosounder survey used in an authoritative study. The other is an excerpt of the SRTM15 V2.0,—free and open Global Bathymetry and Elevation Data model which provides background information for Google Earth, Google Maps, etc.—whose ocean bathymetry is based on a combination of satellite altimetry and echosounder data compiled from various sources. In the absence of multibeam bathymetric data for this area, this article assesses the local performance of the SRTM15 V2.0 by evaluating its relative positional accuracy with the Campus Cameroun bathymetric dataset, its completeness and, therefore, determines its suitability for geomorphological studies.