DSM Quality of Korean Satellite KOMPSAT-3 in Comparison to AW3D30 and Sentinel-1A in Respect of Airborne Laser Scanning

Korean satellite KOMPSAT-3 demonstrates superior digital surface model (DSM) quality compared to AW3D30 and Sentinel-1A, as shown by a comprehensive analysis of accuracy and morphological detail in Istanbul's historic peninsula. Using airborne laser scanning (ALS) DSM as a reference, the study evaluated absolute and relative accuracies, revealing that KOMPSAT-3's 5 m spacing DSM outperformed the other datasets in both precision metrics—standard deviation (SZ) and normalized median absolute deviation (NMAD)—and detailed terrain representation. Launched in 2012 with a ground sampling distance of 0.7 m, KOMPSAT-3's stereo imaging capability enables high-resolution 3D earth data, offering significant advantages for large-scale modeling and heritage site analysis.

Sefercik, U. G., Buyuksalih, G., Jacobsen, K., & Bayburt, S. (2019). DSM Quality of Korean Satellite KOMPSAT-3 in Comparison to AW3D30 and Sentinel-1A in Respect of Airborne Laser Scanning. KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering, 23(7), 3162–3173. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12205-019-2462-3