Hi Researchers,

My name is Ivannalis Saputra, a Master's student in Soil Science.

I am currently working with the DeltaDTM dataset, a recently released global coastal digital terrain model published by Pronk, M., Hooijer, A., Eilander, D. et al. (2024):

DeltaDTM: A global coastal digital terrain model. Scientific Data, 11, 273.

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-024-03091-9

As I understand it, DeltaDTM corrects the Copernicus DEM (originally collected between 2012 and 2015) using various datasets (attached).

I'm wondering: what is the effective reference year that the DeltaDTM elevation represents? From what I observe, it may reflect terrain conditions around 2023, especially due to the inclusion of ICESat-2 ATL08 and GEDI L2A data (from 2018 to 2023). I would appreciate if anyone could confirm this.

This information is critical for my study on peatland areas that are highly susceptible to subsidence. If the data indeed represents, let's say 2023, I plan to update the terrain elevation by subtracting the estimated cumulative subsidence for 2024–2025 from the DeltaDTM values, in order to reflect current ground levels.

I also intend to validate the dataset using field GPS measurements. However, I understand that GPS-derived elevations cannot be directly compared without additional processing—particularly conversion to MSL or EGM2008.

Does anyone have suggestions on the appropriate software or methodology to perform this conversion?

Thank you in advance!