Abstract
Abstract. This paper presents an initiative recently launched under the auspices of the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) aiming at providing harmonised terminology and methods, as well as practical guidelines and results allowing the intercomparison of continental or global Digital Elevation Models (DEM). As the work is still ongoing the main purpose of this article is not the dissemination of the outcome but rather to inform the wider community about the initiative, communicate the chosen approach to raise awareness, and attract possible further participants. Nevertheless, some preliminary results are included and an outlook on planned next steps is provided.
Highlights
A little more than a decade after the emergence of the firstglobal Digital Elevation Model (DEM) based on the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) (Farr et al, 2007, Gesch et al, 2006), several similar products have entered the scene and through artefact removal, merging and re-processing, this multitude of DEMs has been even further increased
While it is obvious that a systematic benchmarking of several global DEMs against each other will be of great use, the parameters, methods and algorithms to be applied in such an exercise remain unclear
In January 2019, a workshop on Global Digital Elevation Model (DEM) Benchmarking was co-organised by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission and geomorphometry.org which took place in Ispra, Italy
Summary
A little more than a decade after the emergence of the first (quasi-)global Digital Elevation Model (DEM) based on the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) (Farr et al, 2007, Gesch et al, 2006), several similar products have entered the scene and through artefact removal, merging and re-processing, this multitude of DEMs has been even further increased. One of the latest additions came with the release of the Copernicus DEM which is based on the TanDEM-X mission (Rizzoli et al 2017), making for the first time this innovative data set globally accessible on a free and open basis at resolutions down to 30m (ibid.). Today we find ourselves in a situation, in which it is often difficult, even for experts, to assess what the major strengths, weaknesses and differences are between the available data sets and to decide which DEM might be the most accurate or appropriate for a certain application or region. At the same time the dependency on global, accurate, and high-resolution DEM information is larger than ever, given their fundamental role in many domains dealing with high quality geoinformation products including the geometric correction of EO satellite data
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
