US: The US Geological Survey (USGS) has released improved global topographic (elevation) data are now publicly available for North and South America, Pacific Islands, and northern Europe. The broad availability of more detailed elevation data across the globe through the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) is expected to improve baseline information that is vital for investigating the impacts of climate change on specific regions and communities. The SRTM30 datasets are said to resolve to 30-meters and can be used worldwide to improve environmental monitoring, advance climate change research, and promote local decision support.
According to the company’s press release, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) worked collaboratively to produce the data, which have been extensively reviewed by relevant government agencies and deemed suitable for public release. The previous global accuracy standard for this data was 90-meters.
Source: USGS
