Accuracy Assessment of High-Resolution Globally Available Open-Source DEMs Using ICESat/GLAS over Mountainous Areas, A Case Study in Yunnan Province, China

The Open-Source Digital Elevation Model (DEM) is fundamental data of the geoscientific community. However, variation its accuracy with land cover type and topography has not been thoroughly studied. This study evaluates five globally covered open-accessed DEM products (TanDEM-X90 m, SRTEM, NASADEM, ASTER GDEM, AW3D30) in mountain area using ICESat/GLAS as GCPs. robust evaluation indicators were utilized to compare DEMs’ explore relationship between these errors slope, aspect, landcover types, vegetation coverage, thereby revealing consistency differences quality under different geographical feature conditions. Taguchi method introduced quantify impact surface characteristics on errors. results show that slope main factor affecting products, accounting for about 90%, 81%, 85%, 83%, 65% TanDEM-X90, SRTM, AW3D30, respectively. TanDEM-X90 highest very flat areas (slope < 2°), NASADEM SRTM have greatest (2 ≤ 5°), while AW3D30 best other cases shows slopes. makes a new attempt factors DEM, can guide selection open-source DEMs related geoscience research.