Abstract
The U.S. National Landcover Dataset (NLCD) and the U.S National Elevation Dataset (NED) (bare earth elevations) were used in an attempt to assess to what extent the directional and slope dependency of the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) finished digital elevation model is affected by landcover. Four landcover classes: forest, shrubs, grass and snow cover, were included in the study area (Humboldt Range in NW portion of Nevada, USA). Statistics, rose diagrams, and frequency distributions of the elevation differences (NED-SRTM) per landcover class per geographic direction were used. The decomposition of elevation differences on the basis of aspect and slope terrain classes identifies a) over-estimation of elevation by the SRTM instrument along E, NE and N directions (negative elevation difference that decreases linearly with slope) while b) underestimation is evident towards W, SW and S directions (positive elevation difference increasing with slope). The aspect/slope/landcover elevation differences modelling overcome the systematic errors evident in the SRTM dataset and revealed vegetation height information and the snow penetration capability of the SRTM instrument. The linear regression lines per landcover class might provide means of correcting the systematic error (aspect/slope dependency) evident in SRTM dataset.
Highlights
The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) had successfully collected InterferometricSynthetic Aperture Radar (IFSAR) data covering over 80 percent of the landmass of the Earth by February 2000 [1]
Directions while b) underestimation is evident towards W, SW and S directions
Several additional editing steps were applied to the SRTM digital elevation model (DEM) [2]
Summary
Synthetic Aperture Radar (IFSAR) data covering over 80 percent of the landmass of the Earth by February 2000 [1]. The outcome of this effort was a digital elevation model (DEM). The editing, referred to as finishing, consisted of delineating and flattening water bodies, better defining coastlines, removing "spikes" and "wells", and filling small voids. This "finished" set is publicly available at two postings: 1 arc-second for the United States and 3 arc-seconds for regions between 60 degrees N and 56 degrees S latitude. Research-grade SRTM data is still available from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory [4]
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