Topographic mapping of the volcano Nevado Ojos del Salado using optical and microwave image data

The area of interest is located at the border between Chile and Argentina at 27°10’ S. latitude and 68°30’ W. longitude in the High Cordillera of the Andes and includes the second‐highest mountain of America, the Nevado Ojos del Salado. Although the official Chilean altitude is given as 6,880 m, other figures can be found in the literature and various other maps. Situated in a picturesque volcanic terrain rising above the Puna de Atacama, Nevado Ojos del Salado is not only interesting from a geomorphological point of view, it is, e.g., the world's highest volcano, but also has recently become a much‐favored destination of the mountaineering world. Unfortunately, this area is not covered by reliable and publicly available maps at scales larger than 1:250,000. Therefore, this paper describes the methods employed in and results obtained from topographic mapping of this remote area using spaceborne as well as airborne remotely sensed data. Exploiting Space Shuttle Earth‐viewing photographs, ERS‐1 Syn...