Accuracy Comparison of Digital Elevation Models Produced from Ascending and Descending Orbits TerraSAR-X Data

Abstract

Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data have become indispensable for many engineering disciplines because it contains terrain elevation information. Stereoscopic and interferometric methods are used inthe production of DEMs with the help of microwave images in remote sensing. The most important factor in the use of microwave images in this area is that they can acquire by day or night or not affected by weather conditions such as snow and rain. Microwave satellite systems can sense by moving on descending or ascending directions around the orbit. In this study, DEM production was carried out in a selected pilot region in Erciyes Mountain with TerraSAR-X data. Also, the data of the two orbits were
 fused using the coherence data of the SAR images. DEMs produced separately for descending, ascending orbit and fusion images were compared with the elevation information obtained from in-situ measurements. As a result of statistical analysis, the correlation coefficients of ascending orbit, descending orbit and fusion were found 0.892, 0.894 and 0.934, respectively. When the results obtained were carried out, it was seen that the fusion method improved the results statistically.