DEM of Iceland from Topographic Maps

East View Cartographic (EVC) (MN, USA) has completed a project to create a 30 metre Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of the Akureyri Airport in Iceland. The ability to supply DEMs derived from authoritative topographic maps fills a significant gap in worldwide DEM coverage since the widely available SRTM90 DEM data covers only about 80% of the globe.

The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) did not collect data above 60 degrees north or below 56 degrees south latitudes and does not provide DEM data for areas such as Iceland. Topographic maps are an excellent source material for DEMs over Russia, Scandinavia, Canada, Alaska, and Greenland in the north and also for Antarctica and surrounding islands in the south.

According to Kent Lee, President and CEO of East View Cartographic, “We receive regular interest from customers with project requirements for terrain models of northern and southern regions.” The 30m DEM of Iceland covers 3,600 square kilometres and is derived from 1:50,000 scale maps. It was produced for the avionics division of Honeywell, who needed a detailed 3D model of the Akureyri Airport and environs for their terrain avoidance systems.