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Introduction

A Digital Elevation Model (DEM) represents the elevation of the surface.

DEM vs DSM vs DTM

It is useful to distinguish between DSM and DTM.

In this repo, DEM is a generic term referring to either a DSM or a DTM. Note however that DEM is often also equated with DTM.

This graphic from Neon summarizes the differences well:

For a more detailed discussion, see Digital Elevation Models: Terminology and Definitions.

Links

Papers

Portals

Discussion

Data

Global, open

Summary

DatasetTypeHorizontal resolution (m)Vertical accuracy (m)Data collection periodMethodNotes
ASTER GDEM V3DSM30172000-2011Photogrammetry
SRTM DEM V3DSM30 USA, 90 outside92000InSARCoverage between 60° north and 56° south latitude
NASADEMDSM302000InSARReprocessing of SRTM
AW3D30DSM3052006-2011Photogrammetry
COPERNICUS GLO-30DSM3042011-2015InSARBased on WorldDEM
MERITDSM90122000, 2006-2011InSAR + PhotogrammetryCreated from SRTM + AW3D30
FABDEMDTM301.12-2.88 (mean error)2011-2015InSARUsed ML to remove buildings+trees from GLO-30
TanDEM-X 90mDSM90102010-2015InSAR

Which DEM is derived from which base dataset?

ASTER GDEM

Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection satellite

Products

Links

SRTM DEM

Shuttle Radar Topography Mission

Coverage is only between 60° north and 56° south latitude

Products

Links

NASADEM

Reprocessing of SRTM

Comparison with CopernicusDEM in the Indus delta region

Links

ALOS World 3D-30m

Products

Links

Copernicus DEM

Based on WorldDEM/TanDEM-X

Product comparison

Products

Links

MERIT

Created by combining SRTM and ALOS Word 3D

Links

FABDEM

DTM, processed GLO-30

License

Links

TanDEM-X

See section below for more details.

The 90m version should be open for research use.

Links

Global, proprietary

WorldDEM and TanDEM-X

Collection of open and proprietary DEMs from Airbus (WorldDEM) and DLR (TanDEM-X)

Products

Vricon

5m

Global bathymetric, open

ETOPO1

ETOPO1 is a 1 arc-minute global relief model of Earth's surface that integrates land topography and ocean bathymetry. Built from global and regional data sets, it is available in "Ice Surface" (top of Antarctic and Greenland ice sheets) and "Bedrock" (base of the ice sheets).

Links

GMRT

Global Multi-Resolution Topography Data Synthesis

Links

GEBCO

GEBCO’s current gridded bathymetric data set, the GEBCO_2022 Grid, is a global terrain model for ocean and land, providing elevation data, in meters, on a 15 arc-second interval grid. It is accompanied by a Type Identifier (TID) Grid that gives information on the types of source data that the GEBCO_2022 Grid is based on.

Links

SRTM15+

Global Bathymetry and Topography

Links

Local, open

EU-DEM

DSM, fusion of SRTM and ASTER GDEM

Links

EU-DTM

Used Ensemble Machine Learning with GEDI and ICESat-2 data to process available DSMs into a DTM

Links

US: 3DEP

USGS 3D Elevation Program (3DEP)

Links

ArcticDEM

DSM of the Arctic

Links

Arctic: REMA

Timestamped elevation model of the Arctic

Links

Australia: Elvis - Elevation and Depth

DEMs, DSMs and point clouds for Australia

Links

France: Litto3D

Coastal areas in mainland France, topographic and bathymetric information

Links

France: RGE ALTI

DTM of France (including ultramarine territories). This DEM is updated each year with new acquisitions (usually lidar)

Links

France: HD-LIDAR

Ongoing LIDAR acquisition campaign

Links

Italy: Tinitaly DEM

DTM of Italy on a 10m grid. Collected from multiple sources of various resolutions.

<img src="https://i.imgur.com/AIcX8L8.png" width="500px">

Links

Switzerland: SwissALTI3D

SwissALTI3D is an extremely precise digital elevation model which describes the surface of Switzerland without vegetation and development

Links

High Mountain Asia DEM

High mountain asia glaciers

Links

New Zealand: LINZ DEMs & Related

LINZ provides a collection of DEMs for different regions of New Zealand. The resolution is 1m.

There also exist lower resolution processings of the LINZ datasets.

Links

Non-terrestrial, open

Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA)

Lunar DEM created by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) mission. The data is available in several versions. A DEM covering the entire lunar surface at a resolution of 118m and a DEM of resolution 59m covering latitudes within ±60.

Links

Pluto New Horizon

A partial DEM of Pluto with a resolution of 300m

Links

Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA)

A DEM of Mars with a resolution of 463m

Links

Charon New Horizon

A partial DEM of Pluto with a resolution of 300m

Links

Mercury Messenger

A DEM of Mercury with a resolution of 665m

Links

Venus Magellan

A Dem of Venus with a resolution of 4641m

Links