Wessel, Birgit and Huber, Martin and Wohlfart, Christian and Marschalk, Ursula and Kosmann, Detlev and Roth, Achim (2018) Accuracy Assessment of the Global TanDEM-X Digital Elevation Model with GPS Data. ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, 139, pp. 171-182. Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2018.02.017. ISSN 0924-2716.
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Official URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924271618300522
Abstract
The primary goal of the German TanDEM-X mission is the generation of a highly accurate and global Digital Elevation Model (DEM) with global accuracies of at least 10 m absolute height error (linear 90% error). The global TanDEM-X DEM acquired with single-pass SAR interferometry was finished in September 2016. This paper provides a unique accuracy assessment of the final TanDEM-X global DEM using two different GPS point reference data sets, which are distributed across all continents, to fully characterize the absolute height error. Firstly, the absolute vertical accuracy is examined by about three million globally distributed kinematic GPS (KGPS) points derived from 19 KGPS tracks covering a total length of about 66,000 km. Secondly, a comparison is performed with more than 23,000 “GPS on Bench Marks” (GPS-on-BM) points provided by the US National Geodetic Survey (NGS) scattered across 14 different land cover types of the US National Land Cover Data base (NLCD). Both GPS comparisons prove an absolute vertical mean error of TanDEM-X DEM smaller than ±0.20 m, a Root Means Square Error (RMSE) smaller than 1.4 m and an excellent absolute 90% linear height error below 2 m. The RMSE values are sensitive to land cover types. For low vegetation the RMSE is ±1.1 m, whereas it is slightly higher for developed areas (±1.4 m) and for forests (±1.8 m). This validation confirms an outstanding absolute height error at 90% confidence level of the global TanDEM-X DEM outperforming the requirement by a factor of five. Due to its extensive and globally distributed reference data sets, this study is of considerable interests for scientific and commercial applications.
Item URL in elib: | https://elib.dlr.de/120420/ | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Document Type: | Article | |||||||||||||||||||||
Title: | Accuracy Assessment of the Global TanDEM-X Digital Elevation Model with GPS Data | |||||||||||||||||||||
Authors: |
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Date: | May 2018 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Journal or Publication Title: | ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing | |||||||||||||||||||||
Refereed publication: | Yes | |||||||||||||||||||||
Open Access: | Yes | |||||||||||||||||||||
Gold Open Access: | No | |||||||||||||||||||||
In SCOPUS: | Yes | |||||||||||||||||||||
In ISI Web of Science: | Yes | |||||||||||||||||||||
Volume: | 139 | |||||||||||||||||||||
DOI: | 10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2018.02.017 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Page Range: | pp. 171-182 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Editors: |
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Publisher: | Elsevier | |||||||||||||||||||||
ISSN: | 0924-2716 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Status: | Published | |||||||||||||||||||||
Keywords: | TanDEM-X, Digital Elevation Model, kinematic GPS, vertical accuracy, validation | |||||||||||||||||||||
HGF - Research field: | Aeronautics, Space and Transport | |||||||||||||||||||||
HGF - Program: | Space | |||||||||||||||||||||
HGF - Program Themes: | Earth Observation | |||||||||||||||||||||
DLR - Research area: | Raumfahrt | |||||||||||||||||||||
DLR - Program: | R EO - Earth Observation | |||||||||||||||||||||
DLR - Research theme (Project): | R - Remote Sensing and Geo Research, R - Support TerraSAR-X/TanDEM-X operations | |||||||||||||||||||||
Location: | Oberpfaffenhofen | |||||||||||||||||||||
Institutes and Institutions: | German Remote Sensing Data Center > Land Surface Dynamics | |||||||||||||||||||||
Deposited By: | Wessel, Dr.-Ing. Birgit | |||||||||||||||||||||
Deposited On: | 11 Jul 2018 09:32 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Last Modified: | 11 Jan 2023 13:33 |
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