SRTM Global 3 Arc Second Digital Elevation Model with Void-Filled Data

NASA's Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) provides a near-global digital elevation model (DEM) of Earth's landmass between 60° N and 56° S latitude, covering approximately 80% of the total land area. The data was collected during an 11-day Space Shuttle mission in February 2000 using radar interferometry and has been processed to a 3 arc second (~90 meter) resolution. Version 3 of this dataset, produced by NASA and partner agencies, specifically aims to eliminate data voids by supplementing SRTM data with other topographic sources like ASTER GDEM and GMTED2010.

Use Cases

• Terrain analysis and slope calculation based on global elevation data.
• Hydrological modeling for watershed delineation using the void-filled digital elevation model.
• Creating base maps and 3D visualizations for geographic information systems.
• Assessing radar interferometry performance for topographic mapping as referenced in the user guide.

Strengths

• Covers 80% of Earth's total landmass between 60° N and 56° S latitude.
• Voids present in earlier versions were filled using supplemental datasets like ASTER GDEM and GMTED2010.
• Data is derived from a collaborative effort by NASA, NGA, and international space agencies.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Known issues with SRTM performance are documented in an external publication, requiring separate review.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (LP DAAC)

Collection Method

Collected via radar interferometry from the Space Shuttle Endeavour during the STS-99 mission.

Time Range

Primary data collection occurred during the 11-day mission starting February 11, 2000.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-12 23:28:32.950849; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Global coverage for land between 60° N and 56° S latitude.