A regional digital bathymetric model fusion method based on topographic slope: A case study of the south China sea and surrounding waters

Xiaoguang Ruan; Meijing Guo; Zhaojie Zhan

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e26644

A regional digital bathymetric model fusion method based on topographic slope: A case study of the south China sea and surrounding waters

Heliyon. 2024 Feb 17;10(4):e26644. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e26644. eCollection 2024 Feb 29.

Authors

Xiaoguang Ruan^{1

2

3

4}, Meijing Guo^{1

5}, Zhaojie Zhan^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ College of Geomatics and Municipal Engineering, Zhejiang University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Hangzhou 310018, China.
² Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Land and Sea Security Decision Technology, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China.
³ Nanxun Innovation Institute, Zhejiang University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Hangzhou 310018, China.
⁴ Digital Twin Watershed Technology and Equipment Zhejiang Engineering Research Center, Zhejiang University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Hangzhou 310018, China.
⁵ The Academy of Digital China, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China.

Abstract

High-resolution seafloor topography is important in scientific research and marine engineering in regard to marine resource development and environmental protection monitoring. In this study, multi-dimensional comparisons were made between GEBCO_2022, SRTM15_V2.5.5, SRTM30_PLUS, SYNBATH_V1.0, ETOPO_2022, and topo_25.1 in the South China Sea and surrounding waters (SCS). This study has found that ETOPO_2022 had the best overall accuracy and reliability. Based on the results of the model accuracy analysis and by considering the topographic slope, ETOPO_2022, GEBCO_2022, and SRTM15_V2.5.5 were weighted and fused to form a fusion model. The error of the fusion model was 94.80% concentrated in (-100-100 m). When compared with GEBCO_2022, SRTM15_V2.5.5, SRTM30_PLUS, SYNBATH_V1.0, ETOPO_2022, and topo_25.1, the RMSE was reduced by 2%, 9%, 62%, 15%, 1%, and 73%, respectively. The slope-based weighted fusion method has been shown that it can overcome the limitations of a single data source and provide a reference for timely reconstruction and updating of large-scale seafloor topography.

Keywords: Digital bathymetric model; Multi-dimensional analysis; Seafloor topography; Topographic slope; Weighted fusion.