Uncertainty of soil erosion modelling using open source high resolution and aggregated DEMs

Digital Elevation Model (DEM) is one of the important parameters for soil erosion assessment. Notable uncertainties are observed in this study while using three high resolution open source DEMs. The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model has been applied to analysis the assessment of soil erosion uncertainty using open source DEMs (SRTM, ASTER and CARTOSAT) and their increasing grid space (pixel size) from the actual. The study area is a part of the Narmada river basin in Madhya Pradesh state, which is located in the central part of India and the area covered 20,558 km². The actual resolution of DEMs is 30 m and their increasing grid spaces are taken as 90, 150, 210, 270 and 330 m for this study. Vertical accuracy of DEMs has been assessed using actual heights of the sample points that have been taken considering planimetric survey based map (toposheet). Elevations of DEMs are converted to the same vertical datum from WGS 84 to MSL (Mean Sea Level), before the accuracy assessment and modelling. Results indicate that the accuracy of the SRTM DEM with the RMSE of 13.31, 14.51, and 18.19 m in 30, 150 and 330 m resolution respectively, is better than the ASTER and the CARTOSAT DEMs. When the grid space of the DEMs increases, the accuracy of the elevation and calculated soil erosion decreases. This study presents a potential uncertainty introduced by open source high resolution DEMs in the accuracy of the soil erosion assessment models. The research provides an analysis of errors in selecting DEMs using the original and increased grid space for soil erosion modelling.     

不同地形高程数据对青海夏季气温和降水模拟准确度的影响

基于SRTM 90 m、USGS 30 s地形高程数据及青海气象台站实际海拔高度数据,分析了采用不同高度数据对青海地区2014年夏季气温和降水模拟准确度的影响。采用国家基本观测站的气象观测资料对模拟结果进行检验,结果表明:相对于台站实际海拔高度,模式地形总体偏高,青海南部和祁连山区海拔较高地区及青海东部地形梯度较大地区尤甚。相对于模式自带的原始地形数据,除青海东部外,其余大部分地区SRTM高程数据给出的模式地形高度增加。采用SRTM高程数据对气温影响较小;模式中引入青海气象台站海拔高程数据对于最高气温的模拟准确率提高显著,青海南部及祁连山区海拔较高地区以及黄南、海南中部地形梯度较大地区模拟和实测数据偏差减少显著,模拟的最低气温改善不如最高气温明显。同时采用SRTM高程数据及引入气象台站实际海拔高度数据对青海海西中部及东部地区降水改进较为明显。