Development of an Antarctic digital elevation model by integrating cartographic and remotely sensed data: A geographic information system based approach

We present a high-resolution digital elevation model (DEM) of the Antarctic . It was created in a geographic information system (GIS) environment by in tegrating the best available topographic data from a variety of sources. Ex tensive GIS-based error detection and correction operations ensured that ou r DEM is free of gross errors. The carefully designed interpolation algorit hms for different types of source data and incorporation of surface morphol ogic information preserved and enhanced the fine surface structures present in the source data. The effective control of adverse edge effects and the use of the Hermite blending weight function in data merging minimized the d iscontinuities between different types of data, leading to a seamless and t opographically consistent DEM throughout the Antarctic, This new DEM provid es exceptional topographical details and represents a substantial improveme nt in horizontal resolution and vertical accuracy over the earlier, contine ntal-scale renditions, particularly in mountainous and coastal regions. It has a horizontal resolution of 200 m over the rugged mountains, 400 m in th e coastal regions, and approximately 5 km in the interior. The vertical acc uracy of the DEM is estimated at about 100-130 m over the rugged mountainou s area, better than 2 m for the ice shelves, better than 15 m for the inter ior ice sheet, and about 35 m for the steeper ice sheet perimeter. The Anta rctic DEM can be obtained from the authors.