The Global Land One-kilometer Base Elevation (GLOBE) dataset is a global digital elevation model (DEM) with 30 arc-second (30") grid resolution. It was the first publicly available, high resolution DEM to cover more than two-thirds of the earth’s surface, though copyrighted or limited distribution products like NIMA predated it. GLOBE data comes from 11 sources, via 18 combinations of source/lineage processing. Scientists compiled DEMs available at griddings of 1-km or smaller, adding or making the best available grids for other areas to complete global coverage of land areas. Organizations in all settled continents contributed in some way to source data or post-source processing and quality control that ultimately found their way into GLOBE.
Data by Tile
For help and information on the data format and how to import, see Ch. 11 in the project report. (Begins on Page 88)
Formats
Zip
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P All Tiles
GZ
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P All Tiles
Source Maps
*NOTE: Source Tiles E, F, G, and J have errors along the coastline.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P
Misc.
Citation
National Geophysical Data Center, 1999. Global Land One-kilometer Base Elevation (GLOBE) v.1. Hastings, D. and P.K. Dunbar. National Geophysical Data Center, NOAA. doi:10.7289/V52R3PMS [access date].
Sources
Source data— including satellite imagery, aerial photography, satellite altimetry, cadastral survey data, and digitized topographic maps— were converted to 16-bit binary raster grids through stereo profiling, image pattern recognition, contour-to-grid, point-to-grid surface generation, and a variety of other techniques.
GLOBE Data Selection Process
Many areas contain multiple candidate datasets, which were compared before final selection and assimilated into the full global DEM. The Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) GLOBE Task Team and International Geosphere-Biosphere Program-Data Information Services (IGBP-DIS). The final product received peer review on four continents.
Versions
- Unrestricted
- Full global coverage, no copyright or security distribution restrictions
- Restricted
- Contains higher quality copyrighted data in areas where it was licensed, available, and necessary