# Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) Elevation Dataset

Metadata also available as

## Metadata:

- Identification_Information
- Data_Quality_Information
- Spatial_Data_Organization_Information
- Spatial_Reference_Information
- Distribution_Information
- Metadata_Reference_Information

Identification_Information:
  Citation:
    Citation_Information:
      Originator: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
      Originator: National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA)
      Originator: German Aerospace Center (DLR)
      Originator: Italian Space Agency (ASI)
      Publication_Date: 2002
      Title: Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) Elevation Dataset
      Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: raster digital data
      Publication_Information:
        Publication_Place: Sioux Falls, SD
        Publisher: U.S. Geological Survey
      Online_Linkage: <http://seamless.usgs.gov>
  Description:
    Abstract:
      The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour, launched on Feb. 11, 2000. SRTM used the same radar instrument that comprised the Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR) that flew twice on the Space Shuttle Endeavour in 1994. SRTM was assigned to collect 3-D measurements of the Earth's surface. To collect the 3-D data, engineers added a 60-meter (approximately 200-foot) mast, installed additional C-band and X-band antennas, and improved tracking and navigation devices. The mission is a cooperative project between NASA, the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) of the U.S. Department of Defense and the German and Italian space agencies. It is managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Pasadena, CA, for NASA's Earth Science Enterprise, Washington, D.C.
    Purpose:
      The objective of the SRTM mission is to obtain elevation radar data on a near-global scale and generate the most complete high-resolution digital topographic database of the Earth. The information collected by SRTM will be used to provide a tool to enhance the activities of scientists, the military, commercial, and civilian users.
    Supplemental_Information:
      Additional Reference: <http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/srtm/index.html> /edcsns18/ned3/srtm/united_states/metadata/citation_abbrev.tif

      Processing Information: Program Name: SRTM2DSM_3.AML Purpose: Process srtm data to a digital surface model in grid format. Procedure: Unzip files Rename .HGT to .BIL Create .HDR files Create GRID Convert 16-bit signed integer height data Set (-32768) values to nodata Define projection as geographic with WGS84 datum Convert to real data type

      Environment: Microsoft Windows 2000 Version 5.0 (Build 2195) Service Pack 2; ESRI ArcInfo Workstation 8.2

      COVERAGE | XMIN | YMIN | XMAX | YMAX | ZMIN | ZMAX | ZMEAN | ZSIGMA | ZUNITS | RESOLUTION | HDATUM | VDATUM | TIMESTAMP
      --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
      | S37W073 | -73.000416667 | -37.000416691 | -71.999583309 | -35.999583333 | -39 | 907 | 174.989439655 | 115.170283217 | METERS | 0.000833333 | WGS84 | WGS84_GEOID | 11 Apr 03 13:37:09 Friday
      S37W072 | -72.000416667 | -37.000416691 | -70.999583309 | -35.999583333 | 128 | 3188 | 983.757684988 | 711.07940629 | METERS | 0.000833333 | WGS84 | WGS84_GEOID | 11 Apr 03 13:31:44 Friday
      S37W071 | -71.000416667 | -37.000416691 | -69.999583309 | -35.999583333 | 856 | 4693 | 2209.969004909 | 506.304994161 | METERS | 0.000833333 | WGS84 | WGS84_GEOID | 11 Apr 03 13:26:21 Friday
      S37W070 | -70.000416667 | -37.000416691 | -68.999583309 | -35.999583333 | 834 | 3809 | 1698.881175234 | 457.074996306 | METERS | 0.000833333 | WGS84 | WGS84_GEOID | 11 Apr 03 13:21:02 Friday
      S36W073 | -73.000416667 | -36.000416691 | -71.999583309 | -34.999583333 | -33 | 810 | 125.240229933 | 160.052992961 | METERS | 0.000833333 | WGS84 | WGS84_GEOID | 11 Apr 03 11:58:03 Friday
      S36W072 | -72.000416667 | -36.000416691 | -70.999583309 | -34.999583333 | 9 | 3093 | 405.553262199 | 416.678311218 | METERS | 0.000833333 | WGS84 | WGS84_GEOID | 11 Apr 03 11:49:21 Friday
      S36W071 | -71.000416667 | -36.000416691 | -69.999583309 | -34.999583333 | 410 | 4424 | 2299.491295852 | 630.673094628 | METERS | 0.000833333 | WGS84 | WGS84_GEOID | 11 Apr 03 11:43:54 Friday
      S36W070 | -70.000416667 | -36.000416691 | -68.999583309 | -34.999583333 | 1308 | 4600 | 1745.942662845 | 508.183183808 | METERS | 0.000833333 | WGS84 | WGS84_GEOID | 11 Apr 03 11:38:40 Friday
      S35W073 | -73.000416667 | -35.000416691 | -71.999583309 | -33.999583333 | -33 | 469 | 11.729504321 | 41.485955533 | METERS | 0.000833333 | WGS84 | WGS84_GEOID | 11 Apr 03 10:22:01 Friday
      S35W072 | -72.000416667 | -35.000416691 | -70.999583309 | -33.999583333 | -36 | 1973 | 276.587348534 | 184.933366885 | METERS | 0.000833333 | WGS84 | WGS84_GEOID | 11 Apr 03 10:16:49 Friday
      S35W071 | -71.000416667 | -35.000416691 | -69.999583309 | -33.999583333 | 237 | 5165 | 2000.121229702 | 1166.268455579 | METERS | 0.000833333 | WGS84 | WGS84_GEOID | 11 Apr 03 10:11:30 Friday
      S35W070 | -70.000416667 | -35.000416691 | -68.999583309 | -33.999583333 | 1158 | 5259 | 2529.249028443 | 885.310031327 | METERS | 0.000833333 | WGS84 | WGS84_GEOID | 11 Apr 03 10:06:10 Friday
      S34W072 | -72.000416667 | -34.000416691 | -70.999583309 | -32.999583333 | -85 | 2169 | 255.202246094 | 303.240805627 | METERS | 0.000833333 | WGS84 | WGS84_GEOID | 11 Apr 03 08:18:37 Friday
      S34W071 | -71.000416667 | -34.000416691 | -69.999583309 | -32.999583333 | 194 | 5928 | 1752.45257016 | 1223.290389148 | METERS | 0.000833333 | WGS84 | WGS84_GEOID | 11 Apr 03 08:13:23 Friday
      S34W070 | -70.000416667 | -34.000416691 | -68.999583309 | -32.999583333 | 856 | 6563 | 2863.679911816 | 1334.118262001 | METERS | 0.000833333 | WGS84 | WGS84_GEOID | 11 Apr 03 08:07:36 Friday

  Time_Period_of_Content:
    Time_Period_Information:
      Range_of_Dates/Times:
        Beginning_Date: 20000211
        Ending_Date: 20000222
    Currentness_Reference: publication date
  Status:
    Progress: In work
    Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: As needed
  Spatial_Domain:
    Bounding_Coordinates:
      West_Bounding_Coordinate:-72.0
      East_Bounding_Coordinate:-70.0
      North_Bounding_Coordinate:-34.0
      South_Bounding_Coordinate:-36.0
Keywords:
  Theme:
    Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: GCMD Parameter Keywords
    Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE
    Theme_Keyword: LAND SURFACE
    Theme_Keyword: TOPOGRAPHY
    Theme_Keyword: LANDFORMS
    Theme_Keyword: TERRAIN ELEVATION
    Theme_Keyword: 3-DEGREE DEM
    Theme_Keyword: 3-ARC-SECOND DEM
    Theme_Keyword: CARTOGRAPHY
    Theme_Keyword: DEM
    Theme_Keyword: DIGITAL ELEVATION MODEL
    Theme_Keyword: DIGITAL SURFACE MODEL
    Theme_Keyword: DIGITAL MAPPING
    Theme_Keyword: EDC
    Theme_Keyword: EROS
    Theme_Keyword: GEODATA
    Theme_Keyword: GIS
    Theme_Keyword: MAPPING
    Theme_Keyword: RASTER
    Theme_Keyword: USGS
  Place:
    Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: GCMD Location Keywords
    Place_Keyword: SOUTH AMERICA
Access_Constraints: None
Use_Constraints:
  None. Acknowledgement of the originating agencies would be appreciated in products derived from these data.
Point_of_Contact:
  Contact_Information:
    Contact_Person_Primary:
      Contact_Person: Customer Services Representative
      Contact_Organization: EROS Data Center
    Contact_Address:
      Address_Type: mailing and physical address
      Address: U.S. Geological Survey EROS Data Center
      City: Sioux Falls
      State_or_Province: SD
      Postal_Code: 57198
      Country: USA
    Contact_Voice_Telephone: 605-594-6151
    Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 605-594-6589
    Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: custserv@usgs.gov
Native_Data_Set_Environment:
  Microsoft Windows 2000 Version 5.1 (Build 2600) Service Pack 1; ESRI ArcCatalog 8.2.0.700

Data_Quality_Information:
  Positional_Accuracy:
    Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy:
      Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Report:
        The mission objective is to produce digital topographic map products with <=20 m absolute horizontal circular accuracy. All accuracies are quoted at the 90% level, consistent with National Map Accuracy Standards.
    Vertical_Positional_Accuracy:
      Vertical_Positional_Accuracy_Report:
        The mission objective is to produce digital topographic map products with <=16 m absolute vertical height accuracy and <= 10 m relative vertical height accuracy. All accuracies are quoted at the 90% level, consistent with National Map Accuracy Standards.
  Lineage:
    Source_Information:
      Source_Citation:
        Citation_Information:
          Originator: NASA, NIMA, DLR, and ASI
          Title: SRTM Data Collection
      Source_Citation_Abbreviation: SRTM 2000
    Source_Information:
      Source_Citation:
        Citation_Information:
          Originator: Jet Propulsion Laboratory
          Title: JPL Processing
          Online_Linkage: <ftp://edcsgs9.cr.usgs.gov/pub/srtm>
      Source_Citation_Abbreviation: JPL 2002
    Source_Information:
      Source_Citation:
        Citation_Information:
          Originator: U.S. Geological Survey EROS Data Center
          Title: EDC Processing
          Online_Linkage: <http://seamless.usgs.gov>
      Source_Citation_Abbreviation: EDC 2002
    Process_Step:
      Process_Description:
        SRTM data is being processed in a systematic fashion using the SRTM Ground Data Processing System (GDPS) supercomputer system at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Data are being mosaicked into approximately 14,000 one degree by one degree cells and formatted according to the Digital Terrain Elevation Data (DTED) specification for delivery to NIMA, who will use it to update and extend their DTED products. Data are being processed on a continent-by-continent basis beginning with North America. NIMA will apply several post-processing steps to these data including editing, spike and well removal, water body leveling and coastline definition. Following these "finishing" steps data will be returned to NASA for distribution to the scientific and civil user communities, as well as the public.

        However, in advance of that, some portion of the data processed by the GDPS is being released to Principal Investigators selected by NASA under the Solid Earth and Natural Hazards program, in response to requests for specific research programs.

        Each SRTM data tile contains a mosaic of elevations generated by averaging all data takes that fall within that tile. Since the primary error source in synthetic aperture radar data is speckle, which has the characteristics of random noise, combining data through averaging reduces the error by the square root of the number of data takes used. In the case of SRTM the number of data takes could range from a minimum of one (in a very few cases) up to as many as ten.

        As with all digital geospatial data sets, users of SRTM must be aware of certain characteristics of the data set (resolution, accuracy, method of production and any resulting artifacts, etc.) in order to better judge its suitability for a specific application. A characteristic of SRTM that renders it unsuitable for one application may have no relevance as a limiting factor for its use in a different application.

        No editing has been performed on the data, and the elevation data in particular contain numerous voids and other spurious points such as anomalously high (spike) or low (well) values. Water bodies will generally not be well-defined - in fact since water surfaces generally produce very low radar backscatter they will appear quite "noisy" or rough, in the elevations data. Similarly, coastlines will not be well-defined.

      Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: SRTM 2000
      Source_Produced_Citation_Abbreviation: JPL 2002
    Process_Step:
      Process_Description:
        Process SRTM data to a digital surface model in grid format. To complete this step run SRTM2DSM.AML which unzips the data files, renames the file extensions from .HGT to .BIL, creates a .HDR file, creates a GRID, converts 16-bit signed integer height data, sets (-32768) values to NODATA, define projection as geographic with WGS84 datum, and converts to real data type.
      Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: JPL 2002
      Source_Produced_Citation_Abbreviation: EDC 2002
    Process_Step:
      Process_Description: Metadata imported.
      Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: D:\meta\SA_3_ELEVATION.txt

Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:
  Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method: Raster
  Raster_Object_Information:
    Raster_Object_Type: Grid Cell
    Row_Count: 85295
    Column_Count: 73311
    Vertical_Count: 1

Spatial_Reference_Information:
  Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:
    Planar:
      Planar_Coordinate_Information:
        Planar_Coordinate_Encoding_Method: row and column
        Coordinate_Representation:
          Abscissa_Resolution: 0.000833
          Ordinate_Resolution: 0.000833
    Geodetic_Model:
      Horizontal_Datum_Name: D_WGS_1984
      Ellipsoid_Name: WGS_1984
      Semi-major_Axis: 6378137.000000
      Denominator_of_Flattening_Ratio: 298.257224

Distribution_Information:
  Distributor:
    Contact_Information:
      Contact_Person_Primary:
        Contact_Person: Customer Services Representative
        Contact_Organization: EROS Data Center
      Contact_Address:
        Address_Type: mailing and physical address
        Address: U.S. Geological Survey EROS Data Center
        City: Sioux Falls
        State_or_Province: SD
        Postal_Code: 57198
        Country: USA
      Contact_Voice_Telephone: 605-594-6151
      Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 605-594-6589
      Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: custserv@usgs.gov
  Resource_Description: Downloadable Data
  Distribution_Liability:
    Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system at the U.S. Geological Survey, EROS Data Center, no warranty expressed or implied is made by either regarding the utility of the data on any system, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty. The USGS will warrant the delivery of this product in computer-readable format and will offer appropriate adjustment of credit when the product is determined unreadable by correctly adjusted computer peripherals, or when the physical medium is delivered in damaged condition. Requests for adjustments of credit must be made within 90 days from the date of this shipment from the ordering site.
  Standard_Order_Process:
    Digital_Form:
      Digital_Transfer_Information:
        Transfer_Size: 0.000

Metadata_Reference_Information:
  Metadata_Date: 20030423
  Metadata_Contact:
    Contact_Information:
      Contact_Person_Primary:
        Contact_Person: Customer Services Representative
        Contact_Organization: EROS Data Center
      Contact_Address:
        Address_Type: mailing and physical address
        Address: U.S. Geological Survey EROS Data Center
        City: Sioux Falls
        State_or_Province: SD
        Postal_Code: 57198
        Country: USA
      Contact_Voice_Telephone: 605-594-6151
      Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 605-594-6589
      Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: custserv@usgs.gov
  Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata
  Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998
  Metadata_Time_Convention: local time
  Metadata_Extensions:
    Online_Linkage: <http://www.esri.com/metadata/esriprof80.html>
    Profile_Name: ESRI Metadata Profile

Generated by `mp` version 2.7.3 on Fri Apr 25 09:31:03 2003