NASA SRTM Global 3 Arc Second: Near-Global Digital Elevation Model

NASA Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) Global 3 arc second V003 is a near-global digital elevation model (DEM) derived from radar interferometry. The data was collected during the STS-99 Space Shuttle mission in February 2000 and covers land between 60° N and 56° S latitude, accounting for approximately 80% of Earth's landmass. Version 3 data was produced by NASA and partner agencies, with voids filled using supplementary topographic datasets like ASTER GDEM.

Use Cases

• Generate topographic maps and visualizations based on the 90-meter resolution elevation data.
• Model water flow and watershed delineation based on the continuous terrain elevation surface.
• Analyze terrain roughness and slope for infrastructure planning based on the digital elevation model.
• Fill and correct elevation data gaps in other models using the void-filled Version 3 product.

Strengths

• Data covers approximately 80% of Earth's total landmass between 60° N and 56° S latitude.
• Version 3 specifically addresses data gaps by filling voids with supplemental datasets like ASTER GDEM and GMTED2010.
• Product results from a collaborative effort by NASA, NGA, and German and Italian space agencies.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The dataset's known issues are documented in an external publication, requiring separate review for quality assessment.

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 launched February 11, 2000.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-12 23:29:00.770637; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Near-global coverage of land between 60° N and 56° S latitude.