Digital elevation data can now be obtained for any place on the Earth, at several resolutions. This document will discuss the major sources for reliable and freely available DEM data. In order to choose the right source for DEM data, there are two main criteria to consider: geographical region of interest and spatial resolution. Below is a table that summarizes the DEM data sources that should be of interest to you.
|
Source Type |
Geographical Region |
Spatial Resolution |
Notes |
Source Link |
|
U.S., Puerto Rico, Territorial Islands of the U.S., and Mexico |
1 arc-second (30 m) 1/3 arc-second (10 m) 1/9 arc-second (3 m) 2-arc-second (60 m) – only Alaska |
Most preferred for continental U.S. |
||
|
Global Global U.S. |
3 arc-second (90 m) 1 arc-second global 1 arc-second for U.S. |
Version 2: finished Version 3: Void fill Version 3 |
USGS Earth Explorer
Reverb | Echo |
|
|
Global |
1 arc-second (30 m) |
Only between 83ºN and 83 ºS |
USGS Earth Explorer |
|
|
Global Multi-resolution Terrain Elevation Data 2010 (GMTED2010) |
Global |
30 arc-second (1 km) 15 arc-second (450 m) 7.5 arc-second (225 m) |
Replaced GTOPO30, preferred for working with very large regions |
USGS Earth Explorer |