Relative Terrain Height DEM transform for the mid-Juruá region, Brazilian Amazon

The Relative Terrain Height (RTH) is a novel DEM transform that facilitates 1) minimizing regional terrain height differences when comparing elevations of distal floodplain features; 2) optimizing terrain data for input to image segmentation algorithms; and 3) delineating boundaries of terrain features such as floodplains, fluvial terraces, interfluvial flats, and hillslopes. An example of RTH is given for a 2° x 2° area including the mid-Juruá region of the Brazilian Amazon, derived from the Copernicus GLO-30 Digital Elevation Model (DEM), at a resolution of 30m. The transform is based on differencing versions of the input DEM at 30 m (the original resolution) and 3000 m (resampled again to 30 m). The resulting RTH layer reflects the height of a feature relative to its surroundings, while retaining the detail of the original DEM, and the transform can easily be produced using any image processing software. The RTH is provided in GeoTIFF format. The input data set used to produce the RTH data product was the Copernicus WorldDEM-30.