A digital elevation model (DEM) is a digital representation of ground surface topography or terrain. It is also widely known as a digital terrain model (DTM). A DEM can be represented as a raster (a grid of squares) or as a vector based triangular irregular network (TIN). DEMs are commonly built using remote sensing techniques, but they may also be built from land surveying. DEMs are used often in geographic information systems, and are the most common basis for digitally-produced relief maps. The terrain surface can be described as compromising of two different elements; random and systematic. The random (stochastic) elements are the continuous surfaces with continuously varying relief. It would take an endless number of points to describe exactly the random terrain shapes, but these can be described in practice with a network of point. It is usual to use a network that creates sloping triangles or regular quadrants. This book examines how the methods and data sources used to generate DEMs and calculate land surface parameters have changed over the past 25 years. The primary goal is to describe the state-of-the-art for a typical digital terrain modeling workflow that starts with data capture, continues with data preprocessing and DEM generation, and concludes with the calculation of one or more primary and secondary land surface parameters. Taken as a whole, this book covers the basic theory behind the methods, the instrumentation, analysis and interpretation that are embedded in the modern digital terrain modeling workflow, the strengths and weaknesses of the various methods that the terrain analyst must choose among, typical applications of the results emanating from these terrain modeling workflows, and future directions. This book is intended for researchers and practitioners who wish to use DEMs, land surface parameters, land surface objects and landforms in environmental projects. The book will also be valuable as a reference text for environmental scientists who are specialists in related fields and wish to integrate these kinds of digital terrain workflows and outputs into their own specialized work environments.

Written by experts, Digital Terrain Modeling: Principles and Methodology provides comprehensive coverage of recent developments in the field. The topics include terrain analysis, sampling strategy, acquisition methodology, surface modeling principles, triangulation algorithms, interpolation techniques, on-line and off-line quality control in data a

This publication is the first book on the development and application of digital terrain modeling for regional planning and policy support. It is a compilation of research results by international research groups at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, providing scientific support to the development and implementation of EU environmental policy. This practice-oriented book is recommended reading for practising environmental modelers and GIS experts working on regional planning and policy support applications.

A digital elevation model (DEM) is a digital representation of ground surface topography or terrain. It is also widely known as a digital terrain model (DTM). A DEM can be represented as a raster (a grid of squares) or as a vector based triangular irregular network (TIN). DEMs are commonly built using remote sensing techniques, but they may also be built from land surveying. DEMs are used often in geographic information systems, and are the most common basis for digitally-produced relief maps. The terrain surface can be described as compromising of two different elements; random and systematic. The random (stochastic) elements are the continuous surfaces with continuously varying relief. It would take an endless number of points to describe exactly the random terrain shapes, but these can be described in practice with a network of point. It is usual to use a network that creates sloping triangles or regular quadrants. This book examines how the methods and data sources used to generate DEMs and calculate land surface parameters have changed over the past 25 years. The primary goal is to describe the state-of-the-art for a typical digital terrain modeling workflow that starts with data capture, continues with data preprocessing and DEM generation, and concludes with the calculation of one or more primary and secondary land surface parameters. Taken as a whole, this book covers the basic theory behind the methods, the instrumentation, analysis and interpretation that are embedded in the modern digital terrain modeling workflow, the strengths and weaknesses of the various methods that the terrain analyst must choose among, typical applications of the results emanating from these terrain modeling workflows, and future directions. This book is intended for researchers and practitioners who wish to use DEMs, land surface parameters, land surface objects and landforms in environmental projects. The book will also be valuable as a reference text for environmental scientists who are specialists in related fields and wish to integrate these kinds of digital terrain workflows and outputs into their own specialized work environments.

Here's the first truly comprehensive guide to digital terrain modeling that provides you with a thorough, mathematically rigorous treatment of DTM generation, manipulation, and analysis techniques and applications in a single volume. It describes photogrammetric data capture, direct georeferencing systems, LIDAR, IFSAR and other data acquisition techniques, and explains how to determine the most appropriate DTM generation technique for any given project. You find a detailed treatment of DTM data structures, including storage and compression techniques for gridded data, as well as data filtering and smoothing procedures.

Dieses Buch untersucht, welchen Einfluß Landschaftsformen, insbesondere Höhenunterschiede, auf die an der Erdoberfläche ablaufenden Prozesse haben. Wasserbewegungen, die Sonneneinstrahlung sowie die Bodenentwicklung und -erosion werden alle mehr oder minder durch die Form der Landschaftsoberfläche gesteuert. Die Anwendungsmöglichkeiten der Landschaftsanalyse sind vielfältig: Sie reichen von Studien über Wasserscheiden und Feuchtgebiete über Bodenkunde und Erosionsstudien, Landschafts- und Landnutzungsstudien bis zu geomorphologischer Forschung und regionalen und globalen Ökologiestudien. Darüber hinaus kann die Landschaftsanalyse auch zu meteorologischen Vorhersagen sowie bei Problemen mit TV- oder Radiosignalempfang eingesetzt werden. Dieses Forschungsgebiet hat in Verbindung mit den jüngsten Fortschritten auf dem Gebiet der GIS und GPS eine rasante Entwicklung durchlaufen. In diesem Band werden alle diese neuen Ansätze und Anwendungsbereiche umfassend erläutert. (y05/00)

Terrain analysis has attracted research studies from geographers, surveyors, engineers and computer scientists. The contributions in this book represent the state-of-the-art of terrain analysis methods and techniques in areas of digital representation, morphological and hydrological models, uncertainty and applications of terrain analysis. The book will appeal to postgraduate and senior undergraduate students who take advanced courses in GIS and geographical analysis.