Geomorphometry and DEM Error

Studies of DEM error have consistently found a link between terrain characteristics such as slope shape or steepness and error. This link is explored by looking at error in relation to various geomorphometric measures for a study area in Scotland. The magnitude of error is found to vary systematically between convex, planar and convex areas and measures of terrain roughness show some degree of correlation with error. These results suggest that it may be possible to produce better models of DEM error which are based on the nature of the terrain instead of the usual assumption that DEM error has the same characteristics across the DEM.