The Reference Elevation Model of Antarctica

• Published in: The Cryosphere
• Main Authors: Howat, Ian M., Porter, Claire, Smith, Benjamin E., Noh, Myoung-Jong, Morin, Paul
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2019
• Subjects: Antarctic; Antarc*; Antarctica; Ice Sheet
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-13-665-2019; https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/13/665/2019/

The Reference Elevation Model of Antarctica (REMA) is the first continental-scale digital elevation model (DEM) at a resolution of less than 10 m. REMA is created from stereophotogrammetry with submeter resolution optical, commercial satellite imagery. The higher spatial and radiometric resolutions of this imagery enable high-quality surface extraction over the low-contrast ice sheet surface. The DEMs are registered to satellite radar and laser altimetry and are mosaicked to provide a continuous surface covering nearly 95 % the entire continent. The mosaic includes an error estimate and a time stamp, enabling change measurement. Typical elevation errors are less than 1 m, as validated by the comparison to airborne laser altimetry. REMA provides a powerful new resource for Antarctic science and provides a proof of concept for generating accurate high-resolution repeat topography at continental scales.