TanDEM-X IDEM precision and accuracy assessment based on a large assembly of differential GNSS measurements in Kruger National Park, South Africa

High resolution Digital Elevation Models (DEM) represent fundamental data for a wide range of Earth surface process studies. Over the past years, the German TanDEM-X mission acquired data for a new, truly global Digital Elevation Model with unprecedented geometric resolution, precision and accuracy. First TanDEM Intermediate Digital Elevation Models (i.e. IDEM) with a geometric resolution from 0.4 to 3 arc sec have been made available for scientific purposes in November 2014. This includes four 1 degrees x 1 degrees tiles covering the Kruger National Park in South Africa. Here, we document the results of a local scale IDEM height accuracy validation exercise utilizing over 10,000 RTK-GNSS-based ground survey points from fourteen sites characterized by mainly pristine Savanna vegetation. The vertical precision of the ground checkpoints is 0.02 m (1 sigma). Selected precursor data sets (SRTMGLI, SRTM41, ASTER-GDEM2) are included in the analysis to facilitate the comparison. Although IDEM represents an intermediate product on the way to the new global TanDEM-X DEM, expected to be released in late 2016, it allows first insight into the properties of the forthcoming product. Remarkably, the TanDEM-X tiles include a number of auxiliary files providing detailed information pertinent to a user-based quality assessment. We present examples for the utilization of this information in the framework of a local scale study including the identification of height readings contaminated by water. Furthermore, this study provides evidence for the high precision and accuracy of IDEM height readings and the sensitivity to canopy cover. For open terrain, the 0.4 arcsec resolution edition (IDEM04) yields an average bias of 0.20 +/- 0.05 m (95% confidence interval, Cl95), a RMSE = 1.03 m and an absolute vertical height error (LE90) of 1.5 [1.4, 1.7] m (Cl95). The corresponding values for the lower resolution IDEM editions are about the same and provide evidence for the high quality of the IDEM products across the different resolution classes. Compared to the selected precursor DSMs, TanDEM-X will provide elevation data not only with up to 2.5 times higher geometric resolution and a 5-10 times higher vertical accuracy clearly outperforming the LE90 <= 10 m benchmark. (C) 2016 International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, Inc. (ISPRS). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.