Elevation data, describing surface topography, are essential for topographic mapping as well as a key component of glaciological research, particularly measurements of mass-balance response to climate change. However, these data are still difficult to acquire in remote, inhospitable polar areas and this has often hindered topographic mapping programmes, with consequent restrictions on downstream scientific research. This is especially true for Antarctica, where accurate, large-scale contour maps are restricted to a handful of locations around research stations and sites of specific scientific significance.