Download for free Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of 12 metres resolution

A fairly common problem is usually the access to spatial information, in this case Digital Elevation Models (DEM) are not always available to everyone, either by cost, availability, or lack of knowledge to obtain them.

In this post we are going to see how to download a 12.5 meter resolution DEM from ALOS PALSAR, which from 2006 to 2011, PALSAR’s L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) allowed detailed, all-weather, day and night observation and repeat-pass interferometry (more information can be found here).

To download a free DEM you first need to register at https://search.asf.alaska.edu/#/ (if you already have an EarthData account, you can log in directly).

The next step is to draw a polygon of the area of interest.

Then in the Dataset field select ALOS PALSAR – 2006 to 2011.

Then go to the Filters menu (three dots together), in the Additional Filters > Filter type section select Hi-Res Terrain Corrected, then click on the Search button.

Finally select the DEM that corresponds to your study area within the results panel, on the right hand side (or bottom) the DEM preview is shown, and you can also see the file size and download button.