Abstract
The existence of elevation errors in the Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) usually is ignored, during spatial analysis of risk assessment and disaster management problems. As a result, conclusions are extracted, decisions are taken and actions are designed and executed, while the problem is examined on a wrong point of view. This paper describes the attempt to introduce a new model, the DEEM (Digital Elevation Error Model), which incorporates elevation uncertainty and accompanies a DEM uniquely. The use of an uncertain DEM, combined with a probabilistic “soft” decision approach, eliminates the risk of taking decisions that do not imply to the real problem’s basis. Research has shown deviations existing in results, up to 20–50% for volume measurements, area measurements, definition of boundaries, visibility calculation, etc., from those of a “hard” decision approach. The absence of an integrated GIS, able to manage data uncertainty, forces for by-pass approaches of the problem but not the appropriate ones.
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© 2005 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Achilleos, G.A. (2005). Considering Elevation Uncertainty for Managing Probable Disasters. In: van Oosterom, P., Zlatanova, S., Fendel, E.M. (eds) Geo-information for Disaster Management. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-27468-5_17
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-27468-5_17
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
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