There is no universal usage of the terms digital elevation model (DEM), digital terrain model (DTM) and digital surface model (DSM) in scientific literature. In most cases the term digital surface model represents the … See more

Mappers may prepare digital elevation models in a number of ways, but they frequently use remote sensing rather than direct survey data.
Older methods of generating DEMs often involve interpolating digital contour maps that may have been … See more

Global
Released at the beginning of 2022, FABDEM offers a bare earth simulation of the earth's surface at 30 arc-second resolution. Adapted from GLO-30, the data removes all forests and buildings. The data is free to … See more

• Wilson, J.P.; Gallant, J.C. (2000). "Chapter 1" (PDF). In Wilson, J.P.; Gallant, J.C. (eds.). Terrain Analysis: Principles and Applications. … See more

A DEM can be represented as a raster (a grid of squares, also known as a heightmap when representing elevation) or as a vector-based See more

Common uses of DEMs include:
• Extracting terrain parameters for geomorphology
• Modeling water flow for hydrology or … See more

• Ground slope and aspect (ground spatial gradient)
• Digital outcrop model
• Global Relief Model
• Physical terrain model
• Terrain cartography See more