Chinese Journal of Polar Research ›› 2025, Vol. 37 ›› Issue (4): 702-712.DOI: 10.13679/j.jdyj.20240066

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Generation and accuracy of a digital elevation model for Grove Mountains, East Antarctica based on ZY-3 satellite images

YANG Yichen1,2,3, ZHANG Shuo1,2, HU Bo1,2,3, WANG Zemin4, LIU Shaochuang1,2   

  1. 1 Key Laboratory of Digital Earth Science, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100094, China;
    2 International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals, Beijing 100094, China;
    3 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China;
    4 Chinese Antarctic Center of Surveying and Mapping, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430079, China
  • Received:2024-07-11 Revised:2024-09-23 Online:2025-12-30 Published:2026-01-12

Abstract:

The Grove Mountains region in East Antarctica is one of the core areas for Chinese National Antarctic Research Expeditions. A high-precision Digital Elevation Model (DEM) for the region is important for supporting Antarctic expedition and glacier research. The ZY-3 satellite is a high-resolution optical stereo mapping satellite. Its images fully covers the core area of the Grove Mountains. This paper uses the triple linear-array stereo images to generate a high-resolution DEM for the Grove Mountains region (ZYDEM). Taking the elevation control points in the region as the reference, the elevation accuracy of ZYDEM is (2.57± 8.15) m. Taking filtered ICESat-2 footprint data in the region as the reference, the elevation accuracy of ZYDEM is (0.47±2.03) m. The accuracy of ZYDEM is higher than that of common Antarctic DEMs, including BamberDEM, ICESatDEM, and TanDEM-XDEM, and is close to that of the Reference Elevation Model of Antarctica (REMA). The establishment and accuracy analysis of ZYDEM demonstrates the feasibility of using the ZY-3 satellite for the Antarctic region.


Key words: digital elevation model (DEM), ICESat-2,  ZY-3 satellite,  Grove Mountains of East Antarctica