Abstract

SALA, Hernán; MATKO, Claudio; FALK, Ulrike  and  GRINGS, Francisco. Analysis and comparison of two digital elevation models in the 25 de mayo island (King George island), Shetland del sur islands, Antarctica. Geoacta [online]. 2014, vol.39, n.2, pp.14-29. ISSN 1852-7744.

In this paper we have analyzed and compared two Digital Elevation Models (DEM) for the area of the 25 de Mayo/King George Island (I25M), South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. At the moment of writing this paper, these were the only independent DEM available freely to the public. One DEM is the Radarsat Antarctic Mapping Project Digital Elevation Model Version 2 (RAMPv2), which covers Antarctica exclusively, while the other DEM, the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) Global Digital Elevation Model Version 2 (GDEMv2) has a quasi-global coverage. In order to compare both models we have considered, among other variables, the spatial resolution, the scale and the elevation differences. The main objective of this work was to determine which of these two DEMs represents more accurately the topography of the I25M. The results of the analyses indicate that RAMPv2 is the most appropriate, even when it has a lower spatial resolution (200 m). This conclusion was based on RAMPv2's higher coherence regarding the topography and the morphology of the island, it showed no outliers and it had a maximum elevation difference of ~40 m with respect to the highest reported altitude of the area according to independent sources. Finally, some suggestions were proposed on the development and future availability of digital elevation models for I25M.

Keywords : Digital Terrain Models; Digital Topography; ASTER GDEM; RAMP; Antarctica.

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