The One-second SRTM Digital Elevation Model project is part of the Water Information Research and Development Alliance between CSIRO's Water for a Healthy Country Flagship and the Bureau of Meteorology.
Project summary
Water scarcity is a major challenge facing Australia. The need to accurately monitor, assess and forecast the availability, condition and use of water resources is now more vital than ever.
A key component of the Water Information Research and Development Alliance is developing the One-second Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of Australia based on Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (SRTM) data.
Elevation datasets of the highest resolution and consistency across the continent are integral to meet the Bureau of Meteorology objectives for water management. In the past this was only possible at nine second (250 m) resolution in Australia until the SRTM data became available.
As a result of the new data source, consisting of very dense but noisy data, new techniques are being developed for deriving the best possible hydrologically-sound DEM.
Objective
The Australian Hydrological Geospatial Fabric will provide a set of consistent framework data sets upon which water balances, water accounts and water resource assessments can be delivered and compared.
The One-second SRTM DEM project will deliver a new and improved terrain data set to the Australian Hydrological Geospatial Fabric that is fundamental in assisting the Bureau of Meteorology to:
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define catchment boundaries
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determine contributing areas
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support modelling in floodplains, including inundation volume and surface water/ground water interactions.
Key research deliverables
From late 2008 to 2010, the One-second SRTM DEM project will deliver a series of related elevation models, derived from the SRTM data that include:
New techniques are being developed for deriving the best possible hydrologically-sound DEM.
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a cleaned digital surface model that includes the effects of vegetation and constructed features
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a bare-earth digital elevation model
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a hydrologically enforced digital elevation model.
Each model covers the Australian continent and near-shore islands at a resolution of one second (about 30 m).
Partners
The research alliance brings together Water for a Healthy Country’s leading expertise in water and information sciences with the Bureau of Meteorology’s operational role in hydrologic analysis and prediction.
Other partners to the One-second SRTM Digital Elevation Model project include:
Find out more about Water Information Research and Development Alliance.
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