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Evaluating the Performance of SRTM, NASADEM, and Copernicus DEM: A Case Study of the Perlis State Region

Authors

  • Hairie Ilkham Sibaruddin Department of Civil Engineering, Politeknik Ungku Omar, Jalan Raja Musa Mahadi, 31400 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia
  • Muhammad Faiz Pa'suya Ocean Mapping and Marine Geospatial (OMMAR), Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Arau Campus, Perlis Branch, 02600 Arau, Perlis, Malaysia
  • Noorfatekah Talib Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Arau Campus, Perlis Branch, 02600 Arau, Perlis, Malaysia
  • Ami Hassan Md Din Faculty of Built Environment and Surveying, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
  • Chien Zheng Yong National School of Surveying, University of Otago, 310 Castle Street, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand
  • Afreena Nisha Mohd Zamri Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Arau Campus, Perlis Branch, 02600 Arau, Perlis, Malaysia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24191/bej.v23i1.8308

Keywords:

Global Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), NASA DEM, SRTM DEM, Copernicus DEM, Accuracy

Abstract

Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) are fundamental tools for various applications including flood risk mapping, geoid modelling, and terrain analysis. The increasing availability of global DEMs (GDEMs) such as the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM), NASADEM, and Copernicus DEM (CopDEM) has enhanced the accessibility of elevation data worldwide. However, their accuracy varies depending on topographic characteristics and data acquisition methods. This study aims to evaluate the performance of SRTM, NASADEM, and CopDEM over the Perlis State region in Malaysia. Ground truth data were obtained from 38 GNSS benchmarks and 1,177 ICESat ATLAS08 altimetry points. Prior to analysis, ellipsoidal heights were converted to orthometric heights using the EGM96 geoid model. DEM elevation values were interpolated at each validation point, and accuracy was assessed using Mean Error (ME), Standard Deviation (STD), and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE). The results reveal that NASADEM exhibits the highest accuracy, with RMSE values of 1.855 m (GNSS) and 5.814 m (ICESat), followed by CopDEM and SRTM DEM. All three GDEMs show strong positive correlations with ground truth data, with correlation coefficients exceeding 0.98. These findings indicate that NASADEM provides more reliable elevation data in the Perlis region, especially in relatively flat areas. The study contributes to informed decision-making in selecting appropriate DEMs for environmental and geospatial applications in similar terrains.

Author Biographies

  • Hairie Ilkham Sibaruddin, Department of Civil Engineering, Politeknik Ungku Omar, Jalan Raja Musa Mahadi, 31400 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia

    Hairie Ilkham Sibaruddin, is a Senior Lecturer at Politeknik Ungku Omar. His primary research focuses on the environment, engineering surveying, and photogrammetry. He has published extensively on these topics in journals such as the Journal of Geosciences and Geomatics. He can be reached via email at hairie@puo.edu.my

  • Muhammad Faiz Pa'suya, Ocean Mapping and Marine Geospatial (OMMAR), Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Arau Campus, Perlis Branch, 02600 Arau, Perlis, Malaysia

    Muhammad Faiz Pa’suya, PhD, is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Built Environment at Universiti Teknologi MARA, Perlis Branch. His primary research focuses on the environment, climate change, physical geodesy, and GNSS. He has published on these topics in journals such as the International Journal of HRM, Industrial Marketing Management, Journal of Business Research, International Journal of Information Management, and Management Decision. He can be reached via email at faiz524@uitm.edu.my

  • Noorfatekah Talib, Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Arau Campus, Perlis Branch, 02600 Arau, Perlis, Malaysia

    Noorfatekah Talib is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Built Environment at Universiti Teknologi MARA, Perlis Branch. Her primary research focuses on environmental studies, climate change, GIS, photogrammetry, and GNSS surveying. She has published extensively on these topics in journals such as Earth Systems and Environment, International Journal of Geoinformatics, Air, Soil and Water Research, and Geography, Environment, Sustainability. She can be reached via email at noorf492@uitm.edu.my

  • Ami Hassan Md Din, Faculty of Built Environment and Surveying, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia

    Ami Hassan Md Din is a senior lecturer and associate professor at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), specializing in geodesy, marine geodesy, and satellite positioning. His research focuses on areas such as radar remote sensing, hydrography, and tidal modeling, and he is a contributor to several research groups, including the Geospatial Imaging and Information Research Group (GI2RG) at UTM. He can be reached via email at amihassan@utm.my

  • Chien Zheng Yong, National School of Surveying, University of Otago, 310 Castle Street, Dunedin 9016, New Zealand

    Chien Zheng Yong, PhD, is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Otago. His primary research interests include plate tectonics, Earth deformation, and vertical land motion projects. His current research focuses on an alternative positioning approach using smartphones and low-cost receivers, which are capable of providing high-positioning performance for tectonic geodesy studies. He has published extensively on these topics in journals such as the Journal of Remote Sensing, Sensors, the Journal of Spatial Science, the Journal of Information Systems & Technology Management, the Geoscience Society of New Zealand Miscellaneous Publication, and the Journal of Advanced Geospatial Science & Technology. He can be reached via email at yong.chienzheng@otago.ac.nz

  • Afreena Nisha Mohd Zamri, Faculty of Built Environment, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Arau Campus, Perlis Branch, 02600 Arau, Perlis, Malaysia

    Afreena Nisha Mohd Zamri is a master's student in the Faculty of Built Environment at Universiti Teknologi MARA, Perlis Branch. Her primary research focuses on vertical datum, marine datum, and geoid modeling. Her current master's project investigates the vertical datum offset between land and marine regions. She has published several conference papers and journal articles. She can be contacted via email at afreenanisha99@gmail.com.

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01-01-2026

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Vol. 23 No. 1 (2026): Built Environment Journal

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Copyright (c) 2026 Hairie Ilkham Sibaruddin, Muhammad Faiz Pa'suya, Noorfatekah Talib, Ami Hassan Md Din, Chien Zheng Yong, Afreena Nisha Mohd Zamri

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Evaluating the Performance of SRTM, NASADEM, and Copernicus DEM: A Case Study of the Perlis State Region. (2026). Built Environment Journal, 23(1). https://doi.org/10.24191/bej.v23i1.8308

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