USGS EROS Archive - Landsat Archives - Landsat Collection 2 Digital Elevation Model
Several digital elevation model sources are used in the processing of Landsat Collection 2 Level-1, Level-2, and Level-3 products. These sources, based on specific geographic regions, contribute to improved vertical accuracy in Collection 2 when compared to data processed in the past. Together, these sources are all known as the Landsat Collection 2 Digital Elevation Model (DEM).
This page describes the elevation sources that are used in Landsat Collection 2 data processing. Please note: These DEM sources have been modified for use in Collection 2 products. Void filling techniques were used where persistent gaps were found in the elevation data, and improvements to the vertical accuracy were realized by differencing accuracies of other elevation datasets to the newer Collection 2 DEM.
- Global Land Survey (GLS)
- Radarsat Antarctic Mapping Project (RAMP)
- GEOID Model
Global Land Survey (GLS)
The DEM sources described below are used in Landsat Collection 2 data processing for all areas of the world except for Antarctica (which incorporates RAMP).
Each appropriate source that is applicable per spatial region of the world is contained in a collective "GLS-2000" elevation dataset.
These elevation sources have been formatted to 3-arcsecond resolution to provide consistent elevation information for Landsat data processing. Note: please refer to the “The new Landsat Collection-2 Digital Elevation Model“ publication for more details on how these sources were incorporated into the Collection 2 DEM.
- ArcticDEM
- Produced by the Polar Geospatial Center using stereo high-resolution commercial imagery for polar regions above 60 degrees north
- Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) Elevation Data
- The official topographical basemap datasets for Norwegian polar land areas
- Canadian DEM (CDEM)
- Produced by Natural Resources Canada (NRC) using an array of ground and reflective surface elevations
- National Elevation Dataset for Alaska (AK_NED)
- The Alaska Mapping Initiative (AMI) is a collaborative effort of the USGS, other federal agencies, and the State of Alaska to create updated topographic data and maps for all of Alaska
- Greenland Ice Mapping Project (GIMP) DEM
- Constructed from a combination of ASTER and SPOT-5 DEMs for the ice sheet periphery and margin.
- Scandinavian DEM (Sweden, Norway, and Finland (SNF)
- National datasets produced by the Norwegian Mapping Authority, the Swedish Mapping Authority, and the National Land Survey of Finland
- Global Multi-resolution Terrain Elevation Data (GMTED)
- Replaces GTOPO30 as the elevation dataset of choice for global and continental scale applications
- NASA Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (NASADEM)
- Derived from original telemetry data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), a collaboration between NASA and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), as well as participation from the German and Italian space agencies
GLS DEM data are delivered as 1x1-degree tiles, each containing a header file and a binary flat file containing the elevation values. Note: The GLS-2000 header file displays the ULXMAP, ULYMAP, XDIM, and YDIM units in arc-seconds. This means that the GLS2000 file naming scheme specifies the lower left corner of the tile, and the southern hemisphere changes the ‘n’ to ‘s’ and the eastern hemisphere changes the ‘w’ to ‘e’. (For comparison, the GEOID header displays the units in degrees.)
Radarsat Antarctic Mapping Project (RAMP)
The Radarsat Antarctic Mapping Project (RAMP) is a high-resolution DEM that combines topographic data from a variety of sources to provide consistent coverage of all of Antarctica. RAMP DEM data are provided by the NASA National Snow and Ice Data Center Distributed Active Archive Center (NSIDC DAAC). The geographic coverage of RAMP is displayed on the map above on this page.
The RAMP DEM incorporates topographic data from satellite radar altimetry, airborne radar surveys, the recently updated Antarctic Digital Database (Version 2), and large-scale topographic maps from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Australian Antarctic Division. Data were collected between the 1940s and present, with most collected during the 1980s and 1990s.
The USGS distributes the RAMP DEM in both .hdf4 and .hdf5 formats, each in .zip files. (Approximate file size 250 MB each)
More Information about RAMP can be found at https://nsidc.org/data/nsidc-0082/versions/2.
GEOID Model
While not an actual elevation dataset, the geoid model provides necessary offsets to adjust the elevations of the GLS DEM from its original Earth Gravitational Model 96 (EGM96) to the World Geodetic System 84 (WGS84) ellipsoid. This is necessary so the GLS DEM can be correctly used by the Landsat processing systems software and algorithms.
The GEOID dataset is a low-resolution dataset that covers the entire earth in a 361 pixel tall by 721 pixel wide image in the geographic projection. Each pixel covers half a degree in the latitude and longitude directions. Note: The GEOID header file displays the ULXMAP, ULYMAP, XDIM, and YDIM units in degrees. (For comparison, the GLS-2000 header displays the units in arc-seconds.)
The GEOID.zip file consists of two files – a header file and a binary flat file containing the EGM96 to WGS84 adjustment offsets. (Approximate file size: 520 KB)
NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey provides more information on geoid models: https://geodesy.noaa.gov/GEOID/.
Landsat Level-1 Metadata Files
Within the Collection 2 Level-1 metadata files, the “DATA_SOURCE_ELEVATION” field displays either "GLS-2000", or "RAMP", to indicate which DEM package was used in Level-1 data processing.
Additional Information
The new Landsat Collection-2 Digital Elevation Model
Landsat Collection 2
Access Data
The three datasets described above can be downloaded from EarthExplorer. On the Data Set tab, they are listed under the Landsat Category - Landsat Collection 2 DEM header.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
USGS EROS Archive - Landsat Archives - Landsat 8-9 Operational Land Imager and Thermal Infrared Sensor Collection 2 Level-1 Data
USGS EROS Archive - Landsat Archives - Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus Collection 2 Level-1 Data
USGS EROS Archive - Landsat Archives - Landsat 4-5 Thematic Mapper Collection 2 Level-1 Data
USGS EROS Archive - Landsat Archives - Landsat 1-5 Multispectral Scanner Collection 2 Level-1 Data
Several digital elevation model sources are used in the processing of Landsat Collection 2 Level-1, Level-2, and Level-3 products. These sources, based on specific geographic regions, contribute to improved vertical accuracy in Collection 2 when compared to data processed in the past. Together, these sources are all known as the Landsat Collection 2 Digital Elevation Model (DEM).
This page describes the elevation sources that are used in Landsat Collection 2 data processing. Please note: These DEM sources have been modified for use in Collection 2 products. Void filling techniques were used where persistent gaps were found in the elevation data, and improvements to the vertical accuracy were realized by differencing accuracies of other elevation datasets to the newer Collection 2 DEM.
- Global Land Survey (GLS)
- Radarsat Antarctic Mapping Project (RAMP)
- GEOID Model
Global Land Survey (GLS)
The DEM sources described below are used in Landsat Collection 2 data processing for all areas of the world except for Antarctica (which incorporates RAMP).
Each appropriate source that is applicable per spatial region of the world is contained in a collective "GLS-2000" elevation dataset.
These elevation sources have been formatted to 3-arcsecond resolution to provide consistent elevation information for Landsat data processing. Note: please refer to the “The new Landsat Collection-2 Digital Elevation Model“ publication for more details on how these sources were incorporated into the Collection 2 DEM.
- ArcticDEM
- Produced by the Polar Geospatial Center using stereo high-resolution commercial imagery for polar regions above 60 degrees north
- Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI) Elevation Data
- The official topographical basemap datasets for Norwegian polar land areas
- Canadian DEM (CDEM)
- Produced by Natural Resources Canada (NRC) using an array of ground and reflective surface elevations
- National Elevation Dataset for Alaska (AK_NED)
- The Alaska Mapping Initiative (AMI) is a collaborative effort of the USGS, other federal agencies, and the State of Alaska to create updated topographic data and maps for all of Alaska
- Greenland Ice Mapping Project (GIMP) DEM
- Constructed from a combination of ASTER and SPOT-5 DEMs for the ice sheet periphery and margin.
- Scandinavian DEM (Sweden, Norway, and Finland (SNF)
- National datasets produced by the Norwegian Mapping Authority, the Swedish Mapping Authority, and the National Land Survey of Finland
- Global Multi-resolution Terrain Elevation Data (GMTED)
- Replaces GTOPO30 as the elevation dataset of choice for global and continental scale applications
- NASA Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (NASADEM)
- Derived from original telemetry data from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), a collaboration between NASA and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), as well as participation from the German and Italian space agencies
GLS DEM data are delivered as 1x1-degree tiles, each containing a header file and a binary flat file containing the elevation values. Note: The GLS-2000 header file displays the ULXMAP, ULYMAP, XDIM, and YDIM units in arc-seconds. This means that the GLS2000 file naming scheme specifies the lower left corner of the tile, and the southern hemisphere changes the ‘n’ to ‘s’ and the eastern hemisphere changes the ‘w’ to ‘e’. (For comparison, the GEOID header displays the units in degrees.)
Radarsat Antarctic Mapping Project (RAMP)
The Radarsat Antarctic Mapping Project (RAMP) is a high-resolution DEM that combines topographic data from a variety of sources to provide consistent coverage of all of Antarctica. RAMP DEM data are provided by the NASA National Snow and Ice Data Center Distributed Active Archive Center (NSIDC DAAC). The geographic coverage of RAMP is displayed on the map above on this page.
The RAMP DEM incorporates topographic data from satellite radar altimetry, airborne radar surveys, the recently updated Antarctic Digital Database (Version 2), and large-scale topographic maps from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Australian Antarctic Division. Data were collected between the 1940s and present, with most collected during the 1980s and 1990s.
The USGS distributes the RAMP DEM in both .hdf4 and .hdf5 formats, each in .zip files. (Approximate file size 250 MB each)
More Information about RAMP can be found at https://nsidc.org/data/nsidc-0082/versions/2.
GEOID Model
While not an actual elevation dataset, the geoid model provides necessary offsets to adjust the elevations of the GLS DEM from its original Earth Gravitational Model 96 (EGM96) to the World Geodetic System 84 (WGS84) ellipsoid. This is necessary so the GLS DEM can be correctly used by the Landsat processing systems software and algorithms.
The GEOID dataset is a low-resolution dataset that covers the entire earth in a 361 pixel tall by 721 pixel wide image in the geographic projection. Each pixel covers half a degree in the latitude and longitude directions. Note: The GEOID header file displays the ULXMAP, ULYMAP, XDIM, and YDIM units in degrees. (For comparison, the GLS-2000 header displays the units in arc-seconds.)
The GEOID.zip file consists of two files – a header file and a binary flat file containing the EGM96 to WGS84 adjustment offsets. (Approximate file size: 520 KB)
NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey provides more information on geoid models: https://geodesy.noaa.gov/GEOID/.
Landsat Level-1 Metadata Files
Within the Collection 2 Level-1 metadata files, the “DATA_SOURCE_ELEVATION” field displays either "GLS-2000", or "RAMP", to indicate which DEM package was used in Level-1 data processing.
Additional Information
The new Landsat Collection-2 Digital Elevation Model
Landsat Collection 2
Access Data
The three datasets described above can be downloaded from EarthExplorer. On the Data Set tab, they are listed under the Landsat Category - Landsat Collection 2 DEM header.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)