A MODERATE-RESOLUTION DIGITAL ELEVATION MODEL FOR OKLAHOMA

We present the 2018, moderate-resolution (1/3 arc-second; ~10 m), digital elevation model (DEM) for the entire state of Oklahoma and surrounding regions, along with preliminary observations on features of interest. The DEM was created by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) The National Map Three-Dimensional Elevation Program (3DEP) from publicly available photogrammetry, Light Detection and Range (LiDAR), and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (IfSAR) elevation data, downloaded as individual 1° x 1° scenes in ArcGrid format from The National Map website. The resulting mosaic consists of 66 scenes spanning from 38°N 104°W (southeastern Colorado) to 33°N 94°W (northeastern Louisiana), and includes portions of New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Colorado, as well as all of Oklahoma. Regional mosaics, consisting of nine or twelve quadrangles each, include Northeast Oklahoma, Northcentral Oklahoma, Oklahoma Panhandle, New Mexico/Texas, Southcentral Oklahoma, and Southeast Oklahoma, and provide manageable (~5-6 Gb) datasets for manipulation and analysis. A mosaic of all 66 quadrangles comprises a dataset of ~30.5 Gb, and allows integration with other statewide and national digital datasets, such as the geologic map of Oklahoma (Heran, 2003), aeromagnetic map, gravity anomaly map, historic seismicity, oil and gas fields, surface hydrology, transportation networks, etc. Major physiographic provinces (Ozark Plateau, Ouachita Mountains, High Plains) are well defined, as are detailed images of the Wichita and Arbuckle Mountains. In addition, the DEM provides high-resolution, bare-earth imagery on a number of other features. Highlights include: (1) definition of volcanic flows from the Raton-Clayton volcanic field in southeastern Colorado which form Black Mesa, (2) topographic expression of the Nemaha arch, (3) extensive maars(?) on the High Plains of New Mexico and Texas, (4) graphic definition of the Red River and Arkansas River drainage basin divide, and (5) a ~100-km long topographic escarpment on the western margin of the Ozark Plateau which may represent a previously unrecognized fault.