Accurate land cover, such as meso-scale to high-resolution digital elevation models (DEM), is needed to obtain reliable inputs for modeling the hydrology and the exchange between the surface and atmosphere. Small format aerial
photography can be used to acquire high-resolution aerial images using balloons and helicopters. This method presents a low-cost, efficient method to construct a DEM of the polygonal patterned ground on Samoylov Island in the Lena Delta, Northern Siberia (72.2°N, 126.3°E). The DEM should be the foundation for modeling meso-scale hydrological processes on the island and identifying locations of discharge. The whole island could be covered with images taken from heights between 600 m and 800 m. All points of the DEM, with a resolution on the ground of 10 m, have a horizontal and vertical accuracy better than 1.0 m. This accuracy and the resolution depend on the survey height, the resolution of the camera system, the number and the quality of the images, and the algorithms used in the analysis. All listed parameters are explained and discussed in the paper.