Shuttle Radar Topography Mission in the context of "Land surface"

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⭐ Core Definition: Shuttle Radar Topography Mission

The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) is an international research effort that obtained digital elevation models on a near-global scale from 56°S to 60°N, to generate the most complete high-resolution digital topographic database of Earth prior to the release of the ASTER GDEM in 2009. SRTM consisted of a specially modified radar system that flew on board the Space Shuttle Endeavour during the 11-day STS-99 mission in February 2000. The radar system was based on the older Spaceborne Imaging Radar-C/X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SIR-C/X-SAR), previously used on the Shuttle in 1994. To acquire topographic data, the SRTM payload was outfitted with two radar antennas. One antenna was located in the Shuttle's payload bay, the other – a critical change from the SIR-C/X-SAR, allowing single-pass interferometry – on the end of a 60-meter (200-foot) mast that extended from the payload bay once the Shuttle was in space. The technique employed is known as interferometric synthetic aperture radar. Intermap Technologies was the prime contractor for processing the interferometric synthetic aperture radar data.

The elevation models are arranged into tiles, each covering one degree of latitude and one degree of longitude, named according to their south western corners. For example, "n45e006" stretches from 45°N 6°E to 46°N 7°E and "s45w006" from 45°S 6°W to 44°S 5°W. The resolution of the raw data is one arcsecond (30 m along the equator) and coverage includes Africa, Europe, North America, South America, Asia, and Australia. A derived one arcsecond dataset with trees and other non-terrain features removed covering Australia was made available in November 2011; the raw data are restricted for government use. For the rest of the world, only three arcsecond (90 m along the equator) data are available. Each one arcsecond tile has 3,601 rows, each consisting of 3,601 16 bit bigendian cells. The dimensions of the three arcsecond tiles are 1201 x 1201. The original SRTM elevations were calculated relative to the WGS84 ellipsoid and then the EGM96 geoid separation values were added to convert to heights relative to the geoid for all the released products.

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In this Dossier

Shuttle Radar Topography Mission in the context of Terrain

Terrain (from Latin terra 'earth'), alternatively relief or topographical relief, is the dimension and shape of a given surface of a land. In physical geography, terrain is the lay of the land. This is usually expressed in terms of the elevation, slope, and orientation of terrain features. Terrain affects surface water flow and distribution. Over a large area, it can affect weather and climate patterns. Bathymetry is the study of underwater relief, while hypsometry studies terrain relative to sea level.

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Shuttle Radar Topography Mission in the context of Teide

Teide (Spanish: El Teide) or Mount Teide (Pico del Teide, pronounced [ˈpiko ðel ˈtejðe]; 'Peak of Teide') is a volcano on Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Its summit (at 3,715 m (12,188 ft)) is the highest point in the Canary Islands and the highest point above sea level in the islands of the Atlantic. If measured from the ocean floor, its height of 7,500 m (24,600 ft) makes Teide the third-highest volcano in the world; UNESCO and NASA rank it as Earth's third-tallest volcanic structure. Teide's elevation above sea level makes Tenerife the tenth highest island in the world.

Teide started forming 170,000 years ago due to volcanic activity following a catastrophic landslide. Teide's base is situated in Las Cañadas crater (the remains of an older, eroded, extinct volcano) at a height of around 2,190 m (7,190 ft) above sea level. Teide is an active volcano: its most recent eruption occurred in late 1909 from the El Chinyero vent on the northwestern Santiago rift. The United Nations Committee for Disaster Mitigation designated Teide a Decade Volcano because of its history of destructive eruptions and its proximity to several large towns, of which the closest are Garachico, Icod de los Vinos and Puerto de la Cruz. Teide, Pico Viejo and Montaña Blanca form the Central Volcanic Complex of Tenerife.

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Shuttle Radar Topography Mission in the context of STS-99

STS-99 was a Space Shuttle mission using Endeavour, that launched on 11 February 2000 from Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The primary objective of the mission was the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) project. This was also the last solo flight of Endeavour; all future flights for Endeavour became devoted to the International Space Station. STS-99 was also the first Shuttle mission of the 2000s.

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LINKED FROM (PARENTS)
← Terrain ← Teide ← Land surface ← Topographic relief ← STS-99
LINKS TO (CHILDREN)
Zagros Mountains → Space Shuttle Endeavour → Landsat → Texture mapping → Elevation → Cape Peninsula → Cape of Good Hope → South Africa → Digital elevation model → 56th parallel south → 60th parallel north → ASTER GDEM → Radar → STS-99 → Spaceborne Imaging Radar → Topography → Interferometric synthetic aperture radar → Intermap Technologies → Degree (angle) → 45th parallel north → 6th meridian east → 46th parallel north → 7th meridian east → 45th parallel south → 6th meridian west → 44th parallel south → 5th meridian west → Arcsecond → 16 bit → Bigendian → WGS84 → EGM96 →