Lossless compression method for digital terrain model of seabed shape

Abstract

Dealing with Digital Terrain Models requires storing and processing of huge amounts of data, obtained from hydrographic measurements. Currently no dedicated methods for DTM data compression exist. In the paper a lossless compression method is proposed, tailored specifically for DTM data. The method involves discarding redundant data, performing differential coding, Variable Length Value coding, and finally compression using LZ77 or PPM algorithm.We present the results of experiments performed on real-world hydrographic data, which prove the validity of the proposed approach.