Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) Data for Africa

Datos Bibliográficos

ID20148449
AutoresAkira HIRANO (0000-0001-6681-7409, University of Tsukuba), Xiaogang SUN (0009-0001-4533-2872, Kyoto University), Shunichi Sato (0000-0002-0039-7162, University of Tsukuba), Shun SATO
Año2004
Volumen2004
Número65
Páginas37-44
Fecha de publicación2004-01-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaJournal of African Studies (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0065-4140 • E-ISSN: 1884-5533
EditorialJapan Association for African Studies (PUBLISHER • JP)
DOI10.11619/africa1964.2004.65_37
OpenAlexW2324734680
IdiomaEN
Referencias citadas1

A new breed of digital topographic data for the entire world is now becoming available to the public from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM). The purpose of this study is to provide a brief introduction of the SRTM, and to advocate its potential use in the semi-arid regions of northern Kenya. The SRTM is a cooperative project between the U. S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) of the U. S. Department of Defense. The mission was designed to produce a seamless, high-resolution digital elevation model (DEM) of the Earth's land surface between approximately 60 degrees north and 56 degrees south latitude. DEMs with 3-arc second (90 meters) spacing for the entire world, outside the U. S., are to be provided. The planned horizontal and vertical accuracy of the data are approximately 20 meters and 15 meters, respectively. As of October 2004, preliminary data for the whole African continent are readily available and the final products are on their way. Accurate, reliable and up-to-date topographic data are essential for sound spatial decision support. Until now, such data with an adequate scale and currency have not been available for much of the semi-arid regions of northern Kenya. Results from the assessment of the preliminary data indicate that these new topographic data would have potential applications in topographic mapping, geospatial data visualization, environmental modeling, and the study of the nomads in North Kenya

Cartography · Digital elevation model · Geography · Geospatial analysis · Radar · Remote sensing · Scale (ratio) · Shuttle Radar Topography Mission · Space Shuttle · Computer Science · Engineering · Geology · Geophysics and Gravity Measurements · Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies · Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Applications and Techniques