Terrain data Downloads

How to download SRTM files

For example you can use USGS Earth explorer website https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov

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How to find and download files in EarthExplorer
- In EarthExplorer Zoom map on the area of interest for DEM files download
- Under first tab – Search Criteria – select Polygon and Use Map

Under DataSets Tab select Digital Elevation – SRTM – SRTM 1 Arc-Second Global
Click Results to get resulting list

In the Results tab select file you want to download

For download select bil type of file

There is option for bulk download of many files, but it downloads not just bil but other formats

USGS EROS Archive - Digital Elevation - Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) 1 Arc-Second Global | U.S. Geological Survey

Definition of files naming and format:

https://lta.cr.usgs.gov/DD/srtm.html#entity_id

Entity ID

Field Definition: This field describes the naming convention of each tile.

Format:

SRTM3N35E089V1

SRTM = Dataset designator

1 or 3 (1 = 1 arc-second coverage, 3 = 3 arc-second global coverage)

N or S (N = North, S = South hemisphere)

Next two characters indicate lower left corner Latitude

E or W (E = East, W = West hemisphere)

Next three characters indicate lower left corner Longitude

V1, 2, or 3 (1 = SRTM Non-Void Filled, 2 = SRTM Void Filled, 3 = 1 Arc-Second Global)

Where to find and how to download ASTER GeoTIFF files

ASTER files are provided in GeoTiff format and only available for 1 Arc-Sec resolution (30 m). ASTER stands for Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer done by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) of Japan and the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Aster data tiles can be found here:

NASA provides a tool EarthData Search, with the help of which maps in ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model V003 (1 Arc-Sec, 30 m resolution) can be downloaded. A registration is necessary to open an EarthData account, but the “EOSDIS data are openly available to all and free of charge except where governed by international agreements.”

Link to EarthData Web site

Another tool that provides ASTER GDEM freely and without a need for registration is from the Japan Space Systems web page (also only Model V003).

Note: When downloading files from Japan Space Systems ASTER GDEM there will be 2 subfolders with different files – GeoTIFF DEM fiels are the files ending with dem.tif

Link to ASTER GDEM Web Site

Format of file name:

ASTGTMV003_XXXXXXX_dem.tif

Field Definition: This field describes the naming convention of each tile.

Format:

ASTGTMV003_N45E015_dem.tif

ASTGTM = Dataset designator

V003 = version of source data

N or S (N = North, S = South hemisphere)

Next two characters indicate lower left corner Latitude

E or W (E = East, W = West hemisphere)

Next three characters indicate lower left corner Longitude