A Global Assessment of the SRTM Performance
Open accessAbstract
The NASA/NGA Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) collected interferometric radar data which has been used by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory to generate a near-global topography data product for latitudes smaller than 60°. One of the primary goals of the mission was to produce a data set that was globally consistent and with quantified errors. To achieve this goal, an extensive global ground campaign was conducted by NGA and NASA to collect ground truth that would allow for the global validation of this unique data set. This paper documents the results of this SRTM validation effort using this global data set. The table shown below summarizes our results (all quantities represent 90 percent errors in meters).
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Critical limitations of the DEM performances may be attributed to a large extent to heterogeneous characteristics of the study area (mountainous areas with steep relief, wet forests areas, land uses) and noise or speckle.
“These critical limitations of the performances may be attributed to a large extent on heterogeneous characteristics of the study area (mountainous areas with steep relief, wet forests areas, land uses, etc …) and noise or 'speckle' (Rodriguez, Morris, and Belz 2006).”
From Vertical accuracy evaluation of freely available latest high-resolution (30 m) global digital elevation models over Cameroon (Central Africa) with GPS/leveling ground control points. (2019) · cites this paper as Rodriguez, Morris, and Belz 2006
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Validation of surface height from shuttle radar topography mission using shuttle laser altimeter
Sun, G., Ranson, K. J., Kharuk, V. I., & Kovacs, K. (2003) · Remote Sensing of Environment · doi:10.1016/j.rse.2003.09.001 · Cited by 233 · see citing works
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Ice loss from the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, South America, between 2000 and 2012
Willis, M. J., Melkonian, A. K., Pritchard, M. E., & Rivera, A. (2012) · Geophysical Research Letters · doi:10.1029/2012gl053136 · Cited by 141 · see citing works
Yap, L., Kandé, L. H., Nouayou, R., Kamguia, J., Ngouh, N. A., & Makuate, M. B. (2019) · International Journal of Digital Earth · doi:10.1080/17538947.2018.1458163 · Cited by 70 · see citing works
Morlighem, C., Chaiban, C., Georganos, S., Brousse, O., van Lipzig, N. P. M., Wolff, E., Dujardin, S., & Linard, C. (2023) · GeoHealth · doi:10.1029/2023gh000787 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
“Finally, following Brousse et al. (2020b), we included additional variables for which the relationship with malaria prevalence has often been highlighted (Kabaria et al., 2016; Sewe et al., 2016) (Rodríguez et al., 2006).”
- Authors
- Rodríguez, E., Morris, C. S., & Belz, J. E.
- ORCID
- Rodríguez, Ernesto
- Venue
- Photogrammetric Engineering & Remote Sensing
- Published
- 2006-03-01
- Volume
- 72
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 249-260
- ISSN
- 0099-1112 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2171466305
- Cited by
- 1,106
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 52 · 2025: 54 · 2024: 74 · 2023: 66 · 2022: 81 · 2021: 71 · 2020: 69 · 2019: 74 · 2018: 88 · 2017: 68 · 2016: 65 · 2015: 57 · 2014: 58 · 2013: 43 · 2012: 49
- FWCI
- 55.79
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- cc-by-nc-nd
- Locations
- Photogrammetric Engineering & Remote Sensing (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Aerospace Engineering › Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Applications and Techniques
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Ocean Engineering › Satellite Image Processing and Photogrammetry
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Aerospace Engineering › GNSS positioning and interference
- Keywords
- SRTM, digital elevation model, ground truth validation, radar interferometry
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Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
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