Introduction The first release of Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data was provided in 1-degree digital elevation

model (DEM) tiles from the USGS ftp server (ftp://e0srp01u.ecs.nasa.gov/srtm/) in 2003. The data was released continent by continent, as and when the data was processed by NASA and the USGS. For the United States, data was made available at 1-arc second resolution (approximately 30m at the equator), but for the rest of the world the 1-arc second product is degraded to 3-arc seconds (approximately 90m at the equator). SRTM elevation data has now been released for the entire terrestrial surface, and a Finished product has now been released (ftp://e0srp01u.ecs.nasa.gov/srtm/version2/SRTM3/). In this web site, the Consortium for Spatial Information (CGIAR-CSI) of the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) is offering post-processed 3-arc second DEM data for the globe. The original SRTM data has been subjected to a number of processing steps to provide seamless and complete elevational surfaces for the globe. In its original release, SRTM data contained regions of no-data, specifically over water bodies (lakes and rivers), and in areas where insufficient textural detail was available in the original radar images to produce three-dimensional elevational data. There are a total of 3,436,585 voids accounting for 796,217 km2, and in extreme cases, such as Nepal they constitute 9.6% of the country area with some 32,688 voids totalling an area of 13,740 km2. No-data regions due to insufficient textural detail were especially found in mountainous regions (Himalayas and Andes, for example), or desertic regions (e.g. Sahara). The existence of no-data regions in a DEM cause significant problems in using SRTM DEMs, especially in the application of hydrological models which require continuous flow surfaces. For the CGIAR-CSI SRTM data product we apply a hole-filling algorithm to provide continuous elevational surfaces. The data is projected in a Geographic (Lat/Long) projection, with the WGS84 horizontal datum and the EGM96 vertical datum. Methodology The first processing stage involves importing and merging the 1-degree tiles into continuous elevational surfaces in ArcGRID format. The second process fills the no-data holes through an interpolative technique within an Arc/Info AML model:

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The original SRTM DEM (finished grade data downloaded from ftp://e0srp01u.ecs.nasa.gov/srtm/version2/SRTM3/ is used to produce contours at an interval of 10 vertical metres (which was lowered in cases where the region around the void had less than 10m elevation difference). Processing was made on a void by void basis. In cases when a higher resolution auxiliary DEM was available, a point coverage is produced of the elevation values at the centre of each cell of the auxiliary DEM within void areas. The contours and points if available are interpolated to produce a hydrologically sound DEM using the TOPOGRID algorithm in Arc/Info. TOPOGRID is based upon the established algorithms of Hutchinson (1988; 1989), designed to use contour data (and stream and point data if available) to produce hydrologically sound DEMs. This process interpolates through the no-data holes, producing a smooth elevational surface where no data was originally found. Drainage enforcement is activated, and the tolerances set at 5 for tolerance 1, representing the density and accuracy of input topographic data, and a horizontal standard error of 1m and vertical standard error of 0m. The interpolated DEM for the no-data regions is then merged with the original DEM to provide continuous elevational surfaces without no-data regions. This entire process is performed for tiles with large overlap with neighbouring tiles, thus ensuring seamless and smooth transitions in topography in large void areas. The resultant seamless dataset is then clipped along coastlines using the Shorelines and Water Bodies Database (SWBD). This dataset is very detailed along shorelines, and contains all small islands. More information about this dataset is available in USGS (2006c).

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Auxiliary DEMs were available from the following sources:

USA NED 3-arc second digital elevation model for mainland USA, Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Available from http://seamless.usgs.gov/ Mexico 90m DEM available from http://www.inegi.gob.mx/geo/default.asp Canada Canadian Digital Elevation Data Level 1derived from 1:50,000 and 1:250,000 topographic maps, available from http://www.geobase.ca/geobase/en/data/cded1.html

New Zealand 100m DEM made kindly available by Geographx (http://www.geographx.co.nz/downloads.html) Australia GEODATA TOPO 100k contour data, interpolated to produce a 90m DEM available form http://www.ga.gov.au/products Mountainous areas in Central Asia, China, Europe, Caucasus, Northern Andes and Southern Andes based on data from Jonathan de Ferrantis webpage: http://www.viewfinderpanoramas.org/dem3.html Costa Rica 50m DEM derived from digitized topographic maps made available to CIAT by Antonio Trabucco. Ecuador a 90m DEM derived from digitized topographic maps available from http://rslultra.star.ait.ac.th/~souris/ecuador.htm#DEM30 Global Where other auxiliary DEMs were not available, the SRTM30 1km product was used as an auxiliary DEM (USGS, 2006d).

This method produces a smooth elevational surface of no-data regions. Whilst micro-scale topographic variation is not captured using this method, most macro-scale features are captured in small-intermediate sized holes. Jarvis et al. (2004) (available here) make a detailed analysis of the accuracy of the interpolated elevational data in a region in Colombia with 43% of the region containing no-data in the original SRTM release. They find an average vertical error of just 5m in interpolated regions when compared with a DEM derived from cartographic maps, though the maximum error stretches to 257m in a region with approximately 1500m elevation. When hydrological models are applied to the interpolated DEM and the cartographic DEM, little difference is found in hydrological response in terms of overland flow and discharge. The method presented here for filling in the no-data holes in the original SRTM release is by no means the only method available. For a complete review of methods for hole-filling in SRTM data, readers are referred to an article produced by the Alpine Mapping Guild, Gamache (2004). Martin Gamache has since produced some detailed analysis of the data offered here by the CSI, concluding that the hole-filling algorithm is quite successful in representing broad scale patterns in topography in data holes. A detailed evaluation of the hole-filling methodology is available at: http://www.terrainmap.com/downloads/Gamache_final_web.pdf Changes from Version 1 to Version 2

Version 2 includes DEM data for Australasia and small islands in the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. Version 2 has the shorelines clipped. Version 2 have no cliffs on tile joins, brought about by insufficient overlap in interpolation in Version 1.

Change from Version 2 to Version 3

Version 3 includes Finished grade SRTM data Version 3 uses the SWBD database to clip the coastlines Version 3 uses auxiliary DEMs to fill the voids Version 3 differs from Version 2 with a grid pixel shift

Known issues and future improvements There is an ongoing investigation into the spatial origin of the SRTM data. The USGS on their seamless server have a pixel shift in their data, but it is unclear in which direction. Furthermore, NASA documentation as to the spatial origin of SRTM data is also ambiguous. Some users have reported that the origin of this data might be wrong. We are investigating and will provide an update should we find this to be true. We are keen to hear from users should they be able to provide guidance. We may provide updates to Version 3 data through use of newly available auxiliary DEMs as and when they become available. We plan one more version of the data which will employ a method whereby depending on void size we use a different interpolative technique. The methodology has been developed and has been tested and is being prepared for a scientific

journal article. We hope to run the model in late 2006 and hope to make the data available sometime in 2007 as Version 4. Corrections and Recent Updates:

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We had some problems in Australia with a few tiles. These tiles are now updated (6th October 2006). Jonathan de Farrantis mountainous data incorporated into the algorithms and updated for selected tiles in mountainous regions (10th November) Improved auxiliary data used for Costa Rica and Ecuador (10th November)

Data Use and Distribution This data has been generated by not-for-profit institutions with the objective of supplying accessible and useful information to developing country organizations. We actively encourage use of these products for scientific purposes. This is not however the case for commercial purposes. The entire dataset is available for commercial use at a modest cost, but permission must be sought. Commercial sectors interested in using this data should contact Dr. Andy Jarvis (a.jarvis@cgiar.org). This dataset should be cited as follows: Jarvis, A., H.I. Reuter, A. Nelson, E. Guevara, 2006, Hole-filled SRTM for the globe Version 3, , available from the CGIARCSI SRTM 90m Database: http://srtm.csi.cgiar.org/. References Gamache, M. (2004). Free and Low Cost Datasets for International Mountain Cartography, http://www.icc.es/workshop/abstracts/ica_paper_web3.pdf. Hutchinson, M. (1988). Calculation of hydrologically sound digital elevation models. Third International Symposium on Spatial Data Handling, Columbus, Ohio, International Geographical Union. Hutchinson, M. (1989). "A new procedure for gridding elevation and stream line data with automatic removal of spurious pits." Journal of Hydrology 106: 211-232. Jarvis, A., J. Rubiano, A. Nelson, A. Farrow and M. Mulligan (2004). Practical use of SRTM data in the tropics: Comparisons with digital elevation models generated from cartographic data. Working Document no. 198. Cali, International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT): 32. USGS, 2006a, Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) "Finished" 3-arc second SRTM Format Documentation, Available online at: http://edc.usgs.gov/products/elevation/srtmbil.html (accessed 01/08/2006). USGS, 2006b, Shuttle Radar Topography Mission DTED Level 1 (3-arc second) documentation, Available online at: http://edc.usgs.gov/products/elevation/srtmdted.html (accessed 01/08/2006). USGS, 2006c, Shuttle Radar Topography Mission Water Body Dataset, Available online at: http://edc.usgs.gov/products/elevation/swbd.html (accessed 01/08/2006). USGS, 2006d, SRTM30 Documentation, Available online at: ftp://e0srp01u.ecs.nasa.gov/srtm/version2/SRTM30 (accessed 01/08/2006). Wessel, P., and W. H. F. Smith, A Global Self-consistent, Hierarchical, High-resolution Shoreline Database, J. Geophys. Res., 101, #B4, pp. 8741-8743, 1996.