MERIT DEM (Multi-Error-Removed Improved-Terrain Digital Elevation Model)
type: Dataset
comment: This dataset metadata was generated with the use of AI and reviewed by an expert. If you see any mistakes please file an issue on GitHub at https://github.com/earthcube/communityCollections/issues.
description: MERIT DEM is a high-accuracy global digital elevation model (DEM) at 3 arc-second resolution (~90 m at the equator), developed by removing multiple error components from existing spaceborne DEMs. The developers separated and eliminated absolute bias, stripe noise, speckle noise, and tree height bias using multiple satellite datasets and filtering techniques. MERIT DEM was created by processing baseline DEMs including NASA SRTM3 DEM v2.1, JAXA AW3D-30m DEM v1, and Viewfinder Panoramas' DEM. After error removal, land areas mapped with 2 m or better vertical accuracy increased from 39% to 58%. The dataset represents terrain elevations in meters referenced to WGS84 horizontal datum and the EGM96 geoid, covering global land areas between 90°N and 60°S. Data are organized as 5°×5° tiles (6000×6000 pixels) and distributed in 30°×30° packages; filenames encode the center of the lower-left pixel (e.g., "n30w120_dem.tif" covers N30–N35 and W120–W115) and package names encode the lower-left corner of the 30°×30° domain (e.g., "dem_tif_n30w120.tar" contains tiles for N30–N60 and W120–W090).
keywords: topography
keywords: Digital Elevation Model
keywords: DEM
keywords: terrain elevation
keywords: geoscience
keywords: hydrology
keywords: SRTM
keywords: AW3D
keywords: global elevation
keywords: EGM96
keywords: WGS84
keywords: MERIT
creator: Dai Yamazaki
  type: Person
  affiliation: Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo
creator: Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo
publisher: The University of Tokyo
date published: 2018-10-15
version: v1.0.3
license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)
license: Open Data Commons Open Database License 1.0 (ODbL 1.0)
variable measured: Elevation
  type: PropertyValue
  unit text: meter
  description: Terrain elevation in meters referenced to WGS84 and the EGM96 geoid.
  temporal coverage: Static
  spatial coverage: Global land areas between 90°N and 60°S
    type: Place
    geo: GeoShape
      box: -180,-60 180,90
  temporal resolution: Static
  spatial resolution: not detected
measurement technique: Error removal from baseline spaceborne DEMs (absolute bias, stripe noise, speckle noise, tree height bias)
measurement technique: Filtering and correction using multiple satellite and ancillary datasets
encoding format: application/octet-stream (ESRI EHdr/FLT raster with HDR
encoding format: 4-byte float
encoding format: little endian)
encoding format: image/tiff
encoding format: application=geotiff
encoding format: application/octet-stream (MRR
encoding format: MapInfo Pro raster)
distribution: MERIT DEM official product page
  type: DataDownload
  description: Current official product page describing MERIT DEM, registration, download access, version, data format, coverage, license terms, and citation guidance.
  encoding format: text/html
distribution: MERIT DEM download access
  type: DataDownload
  description: Provider download access page reached after completing the MERIT DEM registration and license agreement process; current provider documentation states data are distributed in GeoTIFF format.
  encoding format: text/html
citation: A high accuracy map of global terrain elevations
  type: ScholarlyArticle
  author: D. Yamazaki
  author: D. Ikeshima
  author: R. Tawatari
  author: T. Yamaguchi
  author: F. O'Loughlin
  author: J. C. Neal
  author: C. C. Sampson
  author: S. Kanae
  author: P. D. Bates
  is part of: Geophysical Research Letters
  date published: 2017
  pagination: 5844-5853
  volume number: 44
about: Terrain elevation
about: Topography
about: Hydrology
about: Geoscience applications

PropertyValue
property ID: doi
value: 10.1002/2017GL072874