Analyzing the Accuracy of Satellite Derived DEMs Using High-Resolution Terrestrial LIDAR

Accurate estimation of Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) derived from satellite data is critical for numerous environmental applications. This study evaluates the accuracy and reliability of two satellite-derived elevation models, ALOS World 3D and SRTM DEMs, specifically for their application in hydrological modeling. A comparative analysis with Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) measurements assessed the agreement between these datasets. Results indicate significant correlations between satellite DEMs and TLS measurements, with adjusted R-square values of 0.8478 for ALOS and 0.955 for SRTM. To quantify the average difference, root mean square er-ror (RMSE) values were calculated as 10.43 m for ALOS and 5.65 m for SRTM. Additionally, slope and analyses highlighted terrain characteristics across DEMs. Slope analysis revealed a strong negative correlation between SRTM and TLS slopes (p < 4.47e-10), while no significant correlation was found between ALOS and TLS slopes. Aspect analysis showed significant posi-tive correlations for both ALOS and SRTM with TLS aspect, capturing 30.21% of the variance. These findings demonstrate the accuracy of satellite-derived elevation models in representing terrain features relative to high-resolution terrestrial data.