Accuracy Assessment of the U.S. Geological Survey National Elevation Dataset, and Comparison with Other Large-Area Elevation Datasets-SRTM and ASTER

摘要

The National Elevation Dataset (NED) is the primary elevation data product produced and distributed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The NED provides seamless raster elevation data of the conterminous United States (CONUS), Alaska, Hawaii, U.S. island territories, Mexico, and Canada. The NED is derived from diverse source datasets that are processed to a specification with consistent resolutions, coordinate system, elevation units, and horizontal and vertical datums (Gesch and others, 2002). The NED serves as the elevation layer (Gesch and others, 2009) of The National Map (Kelmelis and others, 2003), and it provides basic elevation information for earth science studies and mapping applications in the United States and most of North America. Details on the background, history, specifications, production, and applications of the NED are available in Gesch and others (2002), Gesch (2007), and Gesch and others (in press). The focus of this report is on the vertical accuracy of the NED and on comparison of the NED with other similar large-area elevation datasets, namely data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) and the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER).