Evaluating the Quality and Accuracy of TanDEM-X Digital Elevation Models at Archaeological Sites in the Cilician Plain, Turkey

Remote Sensing

Stefan Erasmi³  Ralph Rosenbauer¹  Ralf Buchbach³  Thomas Busche² 

[1] Institute for Archaeological Sciences, Universität Bern, Länggass-Strasse 10, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland; E-Mails:;Microwaves and Radar Institute, German Aerospace Center (DLR), D-82234 Wessling, Germany; E-Mail:;Institute of Geography, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Goldschmidtstr. 5, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany; E-Mail:

关键词: TanDEM-X;    alternating bistatic;    synthetic aperture radar;    SAR;    Cilicia;    digital elevation model;    DEM;   

DOI  :  10.3390/rs6109475

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Satellite remote sensing provides a powerful instrument for mapping and monitoring traces of historical settlements and infrastructure, not only in distant areas and crisis regions. It helps archaeologists to embed their findings from field surveys into the broader context of the landscape. With the start of the TanDEM-X mission, spatially explicit 3D-information is available to researchers at an unprecedented resolution worldwide. We examined different experimental TanDEM-X digital elevation models (DEM) that were processed from two different imaging modes (Stripmap/High Resolution Spotlight) using the operational alternating bistatic acquisition mode. The quality and accuracy of the experimental DEM products was compared to other available DEM products and a high precision archaeological field survey. The results indicate the potential of TanDEM-X Stripmap (SM) data for mapping surface elements at regional scale. For the alluvial plain of Cilicia, a suspected palaeochannel could be reconstructed. At the local scale, DEM products from TanDEM-X High Resolution Spotlight (HS) mode were processed at 2 m spatial resolution using a merge of two monostatic/bistatic interferograms. The absolute and relative vertical accuracy of the outcome meet the specification of high resolution elevation data (HRE) standards from the National System for Geospatial Intelligence (NSG) at the HRE20 level.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland