Digital elevation model and orthophotographs of Greenland based on aerial photographs from 1978–1987

TY - JOUR

T1 - Digital elevation model and orthophotographs of Greenland based on aerial photographs from 1978–1987

AU - Korsgaard, Niels Jákup

AU - Nuth, Christopher

AU - Khan, Shfaqat Abbas

AU - Kjeldsen, Kristian Kjellerup

AU - Bjørk, Anders Anker

AU - Schomacker, Anders

AU - Kjær, Kurt H.

PY - 2016/5/10

Y1 - 2016/5/10

N2 - Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) play a prominent role in glaciological studies for the mass balance of glaciers and ice sheets. By providing a time snapshot of glacier geometry, DEMs are crucial for most glacier evolution modelling studies, but are also important for cryospheric modelling in general. We present a historical medium-resolution DEM and orthophotographs that consistently cover the entire surroundings and margins of the Greenland Ice Sheet 1978-1987. About 3,500 aerial photographs of Greenland are combined with field surveyed geodetic ground control to produce a 25 m gridded DEM and a 2 m black-and-white digital orthophotograph. Supporting data consist of a reliability mask and a photo footprint coverage with recording dates. Through one internal and two external validation tests, this DEM shows an accuracy better than 10 m horizontally and 6 m vertically while the precision is better than 4 m. This dataset proved successful for topographical mapping and geodetic mass balance. Other uses include control and calibration of remotely sensed data such as imagery or InSAR velocity maps.

AB - Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) play a prominent role in glaciological studies for the mass balance of glaciers and ice sheets. By providing a time snapshot of glacier geometry, DEMs are crucial for most glacier evolution modelling studies, but are also important for cryospheric modelling in general. We present a historical medium-resolution DEM and orthophotographs that consistently cover the entire surroundings and margins of the Greenland Ice Sheet 1978-1987. About 3,500 aerial photographs of Greenland are combined with field surveyed geodetic ground control to produce a 25 m gridded DEM and a 2 m black-and-white digital orthophotograph. Supporting data consist of a reliability mask and a photo footprint coverage with recording dates. Through one internal and two external validation tests, this DEM shows an accuracy better than 10 m horizontally and 6 m vertically while the precision is better than 4 m. This dataset proved successful for topographical mapping and geodetic mass balance. Other uses include control and calibration of remotely sensed data such as imagery or InSAR velocity maps.

U2 - 10.1038/sdata.2016.32

DO - 10.1038/sdata.2016.32

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 27164457

SN - 2052-4463

VL - 3

JO - Scientific data

JF - Scientific data

M1 - 160032

ER -