APPLICATION OF HIGH-RESOLUTION (10M) DEM ON GEOGRAPHIC 
INFORMATION SYSTEMS 
Masatoshi MORI 
Department of Management Engineering, Kinki University 
mori@fuk.kindai.ac.jp 
Commission VI, WG 11/6 
KEY WORDS: Remote Sensing, GIS, DEM/DTM, High resolution, Graphics 
ABSTRACT: 
A high-resolution Digital Elevation Model (DEM) (10m meshed grid) has been integrated with Geographic Information Systems 
(GIS). So far, SOm-meshed DEM by the Geological Survey of Japan (GSJ) is widely used for various GIS applications such as 
constructing 3D systems in Japan. 50m DEM covers all over the area of Japan, which has 0.1-meter resolution in a vertical direction. 
The spatial resolution of 50m DEM is, however, not enough for precise requirements from cartographic designers, developers, and 
civil engineers. Recently, 10m-meshed DEM has been developed by a commercial cartographic company, which also covers all over 
the area of Japan, and has 0.1-meter resolution in a vertical direction. The minimum unit of 10m DEM file corresponds to the second 
level mesh code, that is, a 1/25000 topographic map defined by GSJ, which is composed of 1000 lines by 1000 pixels. This format is 
quite convenient in integration with GIS. The GIS data constructed by Kitakyushu City in Kyushu area in Japan is used for the 
present analysis. This GIS data has many quite precise features such as not only roads, public area, etc. but also individual housing 
area, water supply lines. Kitakyushu City Office surveys the city area by aerial survey once for one year or two years, which takes 
much cost at each time. And also, an IKONOS one-meter high-resolution pan-sharpen image has been integrated with GIS at the 
same time. An affine transformation has been carried out to integrate an IKONOS image with GIS, in which the RMS error of 30 
GCP is finally reduced to 0.4 pixels, which are quite good. Then, the IKONOS image is pasted on a surface of 3D structure 
constructed by 10m DEM. As a result, the detailed 3D view on a surface with an IKONOS image overlaid with roads, and another 
features is obtained. It is found that the integration of high-resolution DEM and high-resolution satellite images with GIS could be 
substituted for conventional aerial survey. In the present research, ArcGIS 8.2 (ESRI) is mainly used as a GIS analysis system for 
PC Windows. 
1. INTRODUCTION area in Japan, so far. 50m DEM covers all over the area of 
Japan, which pixel has 16 bit levels corresponding to 0.1-meter 
1.1 Digital Elevation Model in GIS resolution in a vertical direction. And 50m DEM data are 
available in quite low cost. The spatial resolution of 50m DEM 
Recently, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is commonly is, however, not enough for precise requirements from 
used in various fields beyond traditional digital mapping cartographic designers, developers, and civil engineers. 
systems such as classifying 2D maps, network analysis of roads, 
evaluation of power lines candidates, etc. Especially, 3D 2.2 10m DEM 
visualization by GIS is widely used in these few years. 
However, 3D GIS needs high accurate elevation data of ground. Recently, a commercial company (Hokkaido Tizu) has 
The previous elevation data are rather rough in spatial developed high-resolution DEM up to 10m horizontal meshed 
resolution, so it was difficult to use them in urban arca. We use model with 0.1-meter resolution in a vertical direction, which 
elevation data as digital elevation model (DEM) in GIS system. also covers all over the area in Japan. 10m DEM is quite 
DEM is a digital file consisting of terrain elevations for ground effective for various applications of GIS. A unit file of 10m 
positions at regularly spaced horizontal intervals. DEM in 1000 pixels by 1000 lines is exactly corresponding to 
In the United State, the National Elevation Dataset (NED) one of 50m DEM, which is the second meshed code by the GSJ 
is available through the U.S. Geological Survey. NED has a standard. 
resolution of one arc-second (approximately 30 meters) for the The comparison of difference between 50m DEM and 
conterminous United States. Although these data are very useful 10m DEM is shown in Figure |. Figure l(a) shows a 3D 
for 3D GIS analysis, 30-meter resolution is not enough in visualization of 50m DEM with colour coded, and Figure 2(b) 
precise analysis. shows one of 10m DEM. The difference of spatial resolutions is 
very clear. The spatial resolution of 10m DEM is comparable to 
2. DIGITAL ELEVATION MODEL IN JAPAN one of 4m multispectral IKONOS imagery. 
2.1 50m DEM 
50m-meshed DEM by the Geological Survey of Japan (GSJ) is 
widely used for various GIS applications such as constructing 
3D systems to create three-dimensional representations of the 
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