Antarctic 5-km Digital Elevation Model from ERS-1 Radar Altimetry

A Digital Elevation Model (DEM) for Antarctica provides surface topography data extending to 81.5 degrees south latitude at a 5-kilometer resolution. Approximately twenty million data points derived from ERS-1 radar altimetry during its geodetic phase from March 1994 to May 1995 were used to generate this dataset. It offers a foundational, large-scale view of Antarctic ice sheet elevation and surface roughness.

Use Cases

• Modeling ice sheet flow and mass balance based on surface elevation gradients.
• Analyzing surface roughness and terrain characteristics for climate and geological studies.
• Creating base maps and topographic relief maps for Antarctic research and exploration.
• Calibrating and validating newer, higher-resolution satellite elevation measurements.

Strengths

• Covers a vast spatial extent of Antarctica up to 81.5°S latitude.
• Derived from approximately twenty million individual radar altimetry data points.
• Provides a consistent, continent-wide baseline from a defined time period (March 1994 to May 1995).

Limitations

• The 5 km resolution is coarse for studying fine-scale glacial features.
• Metadata conflicts exist: one platform lists a last update in 2026, while another indicates the data collection ended in 1995.
• Specific column names and data file structure are not described in the provided metadata.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Data points derived from ERS-1 radar altimetry.

Time Range

March 1994 to May 1995

Freshness

1995-05-31 23:59:59.999000

Geography

Antarctica to 81.5 degrees south latitude