products Digital Elevation Models (DEM)

Digital Elevation Models (DEM)

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A Digital Elevation Model (DEM) is a digital representation of ground surface topography or terrain. A DEM can be represented as a raster (a grid of squares) or as a triangular irregular network. DEMs are commonly built using remote sensing techniques; however, they may also be built from land surveying. DEMs are often used in geographic information systems and serve as the most common basis for digital relief maps and are commonly called Digital Surface Models (DSMs).

As a partner of Intermap Technologies, a preeminent digital mapping company creating uniform high-resolution 3D digital models of the earth’s surface, Spatial Energy provides Inermap's digital elevation models (DEMs).  Verified by eleven, national independent agencies, these models provide a high degree of accuracy and have many applications within the energy industry. 

In addition to DEMs, Spatial Energy can also provide either digital surface models (DSMs) or digital terrain models (DTMs) when digital representations of the earth with buildings and vegetation removed are needed. 

Common uses of DEMs include:

• new venture planning
• modeling surface and ground water flow patterns
• viewshed/line of sight analysis
• logistics planning
• seismic planning
• well site planning
• pipeline route planning
• facility planning
• drainage analysis
• cut-fill operations
• creation of relief maps
• extraction of terrain parameters
• rendering of 3D visualizations
• rectification of aerial photography or satellite imagery

Spatial 1m Digital Surface Model (DSM)
This digital surface model represents the terrain elevations and surface elevation of tree canopy and the top of buildings. Break lines are not added to the DSM. Bodies of water are flattened. The post spacing is 5 meters with vertical accuracy in open flat terrain of f 1m (RMSE).

Spatial 7m Digital Surface Model (DSM)
This digital surface model represents terrain elevations and also represents the surface elevation of tree canopy and the top of buildings. Larger objects are edited to the ground except in areas of dense canopy where the ground height cannot be determined. No break lines added to the DSM. Bodies of water are flattened. The post spacing is 30 meters with vertical accuracy in open flat terrain of 7m (RMSE).

Summary of Spatial Energy DEM Product Offering

* Custom quote required for areas of 2,000 sq km or greater.

Quality of DEMs
The quality of a DEM is a measure of how accurate elevation is at each pixel (absolute accuracy) and how accurately is the morphology presented (relative accuracy). Several factors play an important role for quality of DEM-derived products:

• terrain roughness
• sampling density (elevation data collection method)
• grid resolution or pixel size
• interpolation algorithm
• vertical resolution
• terrain analysis algorithm

Digital Terrain Model (DTM)
A Digital Terrain or “Bare Earth” Model can also be created when there is a requirement for a digital representation of the earth void of all buildings and vegetation. Pricing for DTMs can be provided on a custom project basis.


Additional Information
For additional information and pricing, please contact us via phone or email.