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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 30/09/2026

We've deployed a SpatioTemporal Asset Catalog (STAC) catalog for our raster DEM datasets. This allows users to programmatically search, browse, and access our full library of open DEM datasets. Learn more: opentopography.org/blog/opentop...

A hillshade overlay rendered on the ipyleaflet map from the Jupyter notebook.

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 15/09/2026

OpenTopography has new lidar datasets, including NOAA data around the San Francisco Bay and bathymetry data along major Appalachian rivers, two large USGS 3DEP datasets in southern California, and a Community Dataspace dataset from southern Japan. opentopography.org/news/august-...

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 03/09/2026

OpenTopography is excited to announce the launch of a new Point Elevation API— a fast, lightweight service that returns the elevation for any location on Earth from our global and regional dataset collection with a single web request. Learn more: opentopography.org/blog/new-poi...

View of the globe with a poinpoint along the western coast of South America and input and output elevation data in text.

Elevation returned by each OpenTopography dataset for three representative locations: an urban area (top row: Denver, CO), an arid desert (middle row: Saharan Reg, Algeria), and a forested region (bottom row: Black Forest, Germany). Bars are color-coded by vertical datum. The middle column shows the regional location of the query point; the right column shows zoomed-in satellite imagery. Differences across datasets reflect differences between sensor type (lidar vs. radar), DSM vs. DTM, spatial resolutions, and vertical reference systems.

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 01/09/2026

New data releases on OpenTopography bring new high resolution topographic coverage across Europe, Central America, and the U.S. See all new data releases: opentopography.org/news/july-20...

A hillshade of a DTM of drumlins in southern Finland.

A hillshade draped on a Digital Surface Model (DSM) of an alpine glacier in Norway. Darker blues are higher elevations.

A 50 cm hillshade of a DSM over a section of Zurich, Switzerland.

3D point cloud colored by elevation of Rio Tambor, Guatemala.

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 27/07/2026

OpenTopography will be hosting a short course on Sept. 23, 2026 prior to the start of the 2026 CLaSH Annual Meeting in Boulder, CO. Deadline extended: Applications and meeting registration are now due by July 31. Learn more & register: sites.google.com/umich.edu/20...

Promotional graphic for a short course titled Multi-Temporal Topographic Analysis of Natural Hazards Using OpenTopography at the 2026 CLaSH Annual Meeting, September 23, 2026, in Boulder, Colorado. The design features a light gray topographic contour background and a red-and-blue elevation change map along the bottom.

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 09/07/2026

OpenTopography is pleased to announce the availability of two new continental to global-scale digital terrain models (DTMs): ANADEM, covering South America, and the Global Ensemble Digital Terrain Model (GEDTM), covering nearly all global landmasses. Read more: opentopography.org/news/new-mac...

A Digital Terrain Model (DTM) of a section of the Congo River basin. The DTM is colored by elevation and draped on a hillshade generated from the Global Ensemble Digital Terrain Model (GEDTM).

Image A shows the Google Earth imagery over the upper reaches of the Amazon River in Brazil. Panel B is the DTM generated using ANADEM over the same region, revealing the topography under the dense amazon rain forest.

Image A shows the Google Earth imagery over Tokyo. Panel B is the DTM generated using GEDTM over the same region, revealing the Tokyo's topography with the buildings removed.

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 08/07/2026

OpenTopography will be hosting a short course on Sept. 23, 2026 prior to the start of the 2026 CLaSH Annual Meeting in Boulder, CO. Course is free of charge to selected meeting participants. Applications and meeting reg. due by July 24. Learn more & register: sites.google.com/umich.edu/20...

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 12/05/2026

OT has new datasets, including lidar surveys supporting research in fire-prone SoCal regions and slot canyon studies in Arizona. New USGS 3DEP datasets in NV, OH, and OR, along with Community Dataspace datasets from China, Virginia, and Iceland are also available. opentopography.org/news/april-2...

3D Point cloud colored by intensity of sediment transport into Summer Lake in Oregon.

Canopy Height Model created from a section of the Great Seal State Park, Ohio. Darker greens indicate taller trees.

3D point cloud colored by elevation of the Virginia Tech StREAM Lab.

Hillshade of dam in north western China draped on Google imagery.

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 11/05/2026

OpenTopography is working to improve our user experience and interface, and we are conducting a UI/UX study in partnership with the CRUX Lab at Arizona State. Feedback from this ~15 min study will directly contribute to improving the OT platform. Access the study: study.uxtweak.com/cardsort/eS3...

Screenshot of OpenTopography homepage with text "Card Sorting UI/UX Study: Help improve the OpenTopography platform."

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 17/03/2026

Recent dataset additions on OpenTopo include the nationwide 0.5-meter Netherlands Digital Elevation Model (AHN4), new USGS 3DEP and NOAA Coastal lidar datasets across the United States, and a high-resolution SfM dataset of Italy’s Stromboli volcano. See more ➡️ opentopography.org/news/january...

Digital Terrain Model over Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

3D Point cloud colored by intensity gradient over the Painted Hills in Oregon. The Painted Hills consist of alternating layers of volcanic ash, claystones, and soils with varying colors which respond differently to lidar, causing the bands of intensity in this image.

Hillshade colored by elevation of South Deadman Dome near Mammoth Lakes, California. South Deadman Dome is a rhyolite lava dome and obsidian flow located in the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains.

3D point cloud colored by elevation of the historic section of Charleston, South Carolina.

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 16/03/2026

OpenTopography's Spring 2026 webinar series kicks off this week! Join us in March and April for a series of hour-long webinars—perfect for those who are seeking to make better use of lidar data in their research and teaching. Register in advance ⬇️ opentopography.org/news/2026_we...

Graphic advertising dates and titles of OpenTopography's Spring 2026 Webinar Series held on March 18 and 25, and April 1 and 8 at 1 pm ET.

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 04/02/2026

Since its initiation, OpenTopography data and resources have enabled over 1,500 peer-reviewed publications across increasingly diverse science disciplines, demonstrating the broad applications of open topographic data. Read more about OT's publication impact ⬇️ opentopography.org/blog/ot-bibl...

Plot from 2009 to 2025 showing growth of OpenTopography cited in peer-reviewed publications by science domain.

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 29/01/2026

OpenTopography invites you to join a series of weekly, hour-long webinars. The first webinar introduces OT and our new resources, and the subsequent three are aimed at those with familiarity with lidar who are seeking to make better use of these data. Register: opentopography.org/news/2026_we...

Graphic advertising OpenTopography's Spring 2026 Webinar Series, taking place Wednesday, March-April, 2026 at 1 pm ET/10 am PT.

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 27/01/2026

We're recruiting new members to serve on OpenTopography's advisory committees! These committees represent OT's users and ensure that activities are aligned with the needs and initiatives of the scientific and educational communities. Learn more & apply: opentopography.org/news/AC_nomi...

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 12/01/2026

Check out the latest datasets now available on OpenTopography, which include over a dozen new USGS 3DEP datasets, new NOAA Coastal Lidar, and data collected over the Eaton Fire in Los Angeles, California. opentopography.org/news/decembe...

Lidar point cloud colored by intensity of the neighborhood destroyed by the Eaton Fire.

What are all those light-colored patches on the ground? Gravestones in a cemetery! This is a plot of intensity gradient which is the rate of change in intensity between neighboring points. The intensity of a lidar return over stone is quite different than surrounding grass or soil, so the headstones plot clearly in an intensity gradient style plot.

Colorized point cloud of a Structure from Motion survey of the Crater Elegante in Mexico.

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 07/01/2026

Please join OpenTopo's Chelsea Scott & Cassandra Brigham for a WHPC@SDSC Professional Speaker Series talk. Topographic change with OpenTopography: Adventures in cloud computing, spatial uncertainty, and impactful applications Feb. 25, 2026 at 1–2 pm PT Register: www.sdsc.edu/events/20260...

Event flyer for the San Diego Supercomputer Center Women in High Performance Computing Professional Speaker Series featuring Dr. Chelsea Scott and Dr. Cassandra Brigham, titled “Topographic change with OpenTopography,” with date Wednesday, February 25, 2026, 1:00–2:00 pm PST, over a shaded relief topography background.

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 16/12/2025

At #AGU25? Be sure to check out these presentations by OpenTopography team members! OT at AGU: opentopography.org/news/opentop...

Cassandra Brigham et al.: EP41E-1848 A geostatistically grounded workflow for spatial uncertainty quantification in lidar topographic differencing Thursday, 18 December 2025, 8:30 - 12:20, Hall EFG (Poster Hall)

Chelsea Scott et al.: B43J-2061 Monitoring forest structure change using multi-temporal airborne lidar workflows in OpenForest4D Thursday, 18 December 2025, 14:15 - 17:45, Hall EFG (Poster Hall)

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 10/12/2025

November's new data releases on OpenTopography include a new Community Dataspace dataset and USGS 3DEP coverage in California, plus NOAA Coastal Lidar over Ohio. Read more and access data: opentopography.org/news/novembe...

Colorized point cloud of mobile lidar scans in the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias in California. Data Source:

Lidar point cloud colored by intensity of the stadium at Bowling Green State University. Note the yard markings and end zone lettering can be seen due to the variation in the lidar return intensity between dark, light, and colored grass.

Lidar point cloud colored by elevation of downtown Los Angeles, California.

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 10/12/2025

Final year for NSF-supported NCALM seed project proposals! Great opportunity for students to get free #lidar for research. Focus this year is projects in the Alaskan Arctic. Data become open via OT. To date there are 252 NCALM datasets available on OT (red ⬇️) Info: ncalm.cive.uh.edu/seed-proposals

Map of CONUS showing areas of NCALM lidar data collection available via OpenTopography in red.

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 09/12/2025

Connect with OpenTopography at #AGU25 in New Orleans next week! Our booth (908) is staffed by the OT team and is a great chance to ask questions, provide feedback, or to discuss lidar, high resolution topography, and cyberinfrastructure. opentopography.org/news/opentop...

AGU25 graphic, 'Connect with OpenTopography at AGU in New Orleans! December 15-19, 2025. Booth #908' with an outline of a meandering river.

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 10/11/2025

For the last several decades, scientists have been developing a way to make our maps more reliable with point cloud data collected by lidar. Lidar is an accurate method that helps scientists to map cities, landscapes, and places that were previously difficult or dangerous to access.

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 03/11/2025

New for educators! Lab Exercise: Using lidar to track Lake Michigan bluff retreat and inform local communities Designed for community college and intro-level geomorph, enviro sci, and GIS courses, students use lidar data to learn about dynamic coastal erosion. opentopography.org/learn/WI_blu...

Side-by-side view of an aerial photo of the Wisconsin coastline along Lake Michigan showing a bluff and change along the Michigan coastline showing topographic hillshades (left) and vertical change (right) from 2010- 2020.

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 15/10/2025

OT will be at GSA Connects 2025 in San Antonio, TX, Oct 19–22. Visit us at booth 809 to talk lidar, topography, and grab an "I ❤️ LIDAR" sticker. OT is honored to receive the 2025 GSA President’s Medal. Join us for the President’s Medal Lecture on Mon Oct. 20. opentopography.org/news/opentop...

Graphic with a colorful rainbow river relative elevation model at the bottom and text on top reading "OpenTopography. GSA Connects 2025 | Oct. 19-22"

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 02/10/2025

New September 2025 data releases on OpenTopography include Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) lidar over the North Island of New Zealand, SfM topography over the 2019 Ridgecrest rupture, NOAA coastal lidar additions, and additional USGS 3DEP data. opentopography.org/news/septemb...

3D point cloud of intensity of a glacier near Kachemak Bay, Alaska. Data Source: NOAA: 2024 NOAA Lidar: AK Coastal Communities (Kachemak Bay).

Colorized hillshade of Quinhagak, Alaska. Data Source: NOAA: 2024 NOAA Lidar: AK Coastal Communities (Eek, Goodnews Bay, Nelson Lagoon, Quinhagak, Togiak).

Colored hillshade covering a portion of the 2019 M7.1 Ridgecrest earthquake surface rupture in California (red is higher elevation, grey is lower elevation). Data Source: CDS: High-Res SfM Topography of a Portion of the 2019 M7.1 Ridgecrest Rupture.

Colorized hillshade of the USGS 1m DTM data over Dayton, Ohio. Note this dataset is a hydro-flattened digital terrain model, so it has buildings, bridges, and overpasses removed. Data Source: USGS: USGS 1 meter Digital Elevation Model.

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 01/10/2025

Coastlines in Crisis Coastal areas like the Outer Banks of North Carolina are shrinking. What can we learn and see from lidar data?

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 29/09/2025

Check out TopoRivBlender, a new tool to create custom 3D images of topography and hydrography. Uses Blender and the OpenTopography API to produce 3D visualizations for data around the world. More info: waterdata.usgs.gov/blog/topo-ri... github.com/DOI-USGS/top...

3D visualization of Kings Peak in Northeast Utah, USA

A rendered 3D image of topography and hydrography in Upper Juniata in Central Pennsylvania (HUC: 02050302) using a perspective viewpoint.

3D visualization of the Columbia River in Oregon and Washington, USA.

3D visualization of the Colorado River in Southern Utah, USA

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 15/09/2025

Join OpenTopography's Chelsea Scott and Cassandra Brigham for an AGU EPSP Connects Virtual Science Talk on cloud computing, spatial uncertainty, and impactful applications of topographic change on September 17, 2025 at 11 am ET (8 am PT). Register to attend: tinyurl.com/sep17epsptalk

Graphic advertising talk "Topographic change with OpenTopography: Adventures in cloud computing, spatial uncertainty, and impactful applications" by Prof. Chelsea Scott and Dr. Cassandra Brigham

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 11/09/2025

The stunning sandstone peaks of the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in China inspired the floating mountains in the movie Avatar, but how did the real-life versions form?

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 10/09/2025

OpenTopography datasets have been chosen for the NSF's National Artificial Intelligence Research Resource (NAIRR) Pilot Program, aiming to provide access to high-quality datasets that support the advancement of AI literacy, education, and innovation. Read more ⬇️ opentopography.org/news/nsf-nairr

Credit: U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF). Graphic showcasing researchers in hardhats, with binary code and other computing elements in the background.

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 09/09/2025

August's new data releases on OpenTopography include additional USGS 3DEP 1m raster updates (available to academics and OT+ subscribers), and UAV data from landslide reconnaissance monitoring in Utah. Access the data: opentopography.org/news/august-...

Hillshade of the ZigZag Landslide near Snow Basin Road (UT-226), Morgan County, Utah.

Colored hillshade of Mt Jefferson, Oregon. Data

Hillshade of a section of the Carizzo Plain in California with the San Andreas fault zones plotted in red.

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 18/08/2025

The Martian Mega-Volcano The tallest volcano on Earth, Hawaii's Mauna Kea, pales in comparison to Olympus Mons on Mars, the largest volcano in the solar system. See what we can learn by studying the topography of planetary bodies.

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 13/08/2025

A number of new topographic datasets are now available on OpenTopography. July dataset additions include the High Resolution Digital Elevation Model of Canada, NOAA coastal lidar of the Indiana coastline, and new LINZ lidar over New Zealand. opentopography.org/news/july-20...

Digital Terrain Model centered on Mount Royal Park in Montreal, Quebec.

Imagery draped on hillshade of topography of Fox Glacier in the Southern alps.

3D point cloud colored by elevation of the Ogden Sand Dunes on the southern shore of Lake Michigan.

Digital Terrain Model (DTM) of a volcanic cone in Rangitoto Island Scenic Reserve, New Zealand.

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 06/08/2025

How do you end up with desert dunes next to a wetland? The Potholes Reservoir explained.

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 04/08/2025

The Mystery of the Missoula Megafloods What can we learn from the topography of the Pacific Northwest?

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 30/07/2025

6th largest #earthquake recorded by modern instruments. USGS epicentral location plotted on GEBCO Global Bathymetry & Topography dataset freely available from OpenTopography: doi.org/10.5069/G9D2.... Red line is the coastline of the Kamchatka Peninsula. Follow @earthscope.org for more on this event.

Topographic / bathymetric dataset with the location of the M8.8 Kamchatka Peninsula EQ plotted. Red line shows coastline.

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 23/07/2025

OpenTopography is excited to announce a major expansion to its international data catalog with the addition of the High Resolution Digital Elevation Model from Natural Resources Canada. This 1-meter resolution dataset is ideal for a wide range of applications. opentopography.org/news/opentop...

Map showing extent of data coverage, primarily over southern Canada

A hillshade colored by elevation of downtown Toronto draped on Google Earth imagery.

A three panel figure of a section of the Athabasca River in Alberta. Figure A is the Digital Surface Model which includes buildings, trees and other structures. Figure B is the Digital Terrain Model and is a bare-earth representation of the topography. Figure C is the Canopy Height Model (CHM) which is the difference between the DSM and the DTM.

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 10/07/2025

New topographic datasets are now available on OpenTopography! June additions include lidar over Mount Ruapehu (New Zealand), Point Beach State Forest (WI), and new NOAA coastal data from Florida and the Southeast U.S. ➡️ opentopography.org/news/june-20...

3D point cloud colored by RGB over a section of the Lake Michigan coastline.

3D point cloud colored by elevation showing a draw bridge opening over the Miami River.

Colorized hillshade of homes along the canals in Cape Coral, Florida.

Hillshade of Mount Ruapehu crater lake draped on Google Earth imagery.

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 27/05/2025

OpenTopography is excited to introduce enhanced classification filtering options for lidar point cloud processing. Users can now selectively include or exclude specific point classes directly through the job submission interface, helping to streamline workflows. opentopography.org/news/new-cla...

3D point cloud colored by intensity of a suburban housing area filtered to return only points with a building classification (class 6).

The dataset, "Auckland Part 1, New Zealand 2024" has a "Bridge Deck" classification. Using the advanced classification filters, the bridge deck class was selected and only those points with a classification value of 17 were returned. This image shows the job selection area over the Tamaki River in New Zealand, and a 3D point cloud representation of just the points classified as "Bridge Deck". Points are colored by elevation value.

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 16/05/2025

Nice example of the importance of illumination angle when making hillshade / shaded relief maps. The OT raster visualization tool allows users to make custom hillshades with control over the orientation of the light source (direction & altitude). Mulitdirectional shading is also worth exploring.

Screen capture of the OpenTopography Raster Visualization tool with parameters for control over hillshading highlighted.

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 06/05/2025

OpenTopography's April 2025 data releases include Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) coverage of Auckland, New Zealand, UAV lidar surveys in California, and SfM high resolution topography of Stromboli Volcano, Italy. Discover the data here: opentopography.org/news/april-2...

3D point cloud colored by intensity of downtown Auckland, New Zealand and the Auckland SkyTower.

Hillshade draped on colorized DEM of Stromboli Volcano in Southern Italy.

3D point cloud colored by RGB over the Dawson Los Monos Canyon Reserve in California.

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 28/04/2025

Lidar is reshaping how utilities plan, build, and protect infrastructure. From optimizing wind and solar farms to assessing wildfire risks, high resolution topography is critical for developing more resilient infrastructure. Read more about lidar and utilities: opentopography.org/blog/utility...

Digital surface models of the mountainous topography surrounding a suburban development Phoenix, Arizona.

A lidar point cloud of a wind farm in Minnesota colored by intensity.

Topographic differencing map of Central Altadena, Los Angeles County, after the January 2025 fires.

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 10/04/2025

The Medium Resolution Digital Elevation Model (MRDEM) of Canada is now available on OpenTopography. This 30 m resolution dataset provides full national coverage, including both DTM and DSM products, and extends into the U.S. to support cross-border hydrologic studies.

Colored Hillshade of the Saguenay River/St Lawrence confluence draped on Google Earth Imagery

Colorized DTM of Toronto area draped on Google Earth Imagery. The spatial coverage extends into the USA, where needed, to provide coverage for cross-border watersheds in support of hydrological studies and applications.

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 09/04/2025

Check out the latest updates to RiverREM, a Python package that automatically generates river REM visualizations. Recent improvements include new colormap options (including custom and cmocean palettes), more efficient CPU and RAM usage, and expanded documentation. buff.ly/bwtP8Vs

Relative elevation model of the Neches River, Texas, showing complex river channel patterns and surrounding floodplain topography in varying shades of green and blue.

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 08/04/2025

How can topographic data help students explore everything from river systems to wildfire damage? This month’s @earthscope.org educator newsletter spotlights OpenTopography—complete with classroom-ready resources and striking examples. ➡️ buff.ly/IKJdtTH

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 27/03/2025

Thank you to everyone who joined for OpenTopography's Spring 2025 Webinar Series this month! If you missed any of the webinars live, you can find the recordings on our YouTube channel. ⬇️ www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...

Graphic for the "OpenTopography Spring 2025 Webinar Series" featuring a shaded topographic map background. The series included four webinars. At the bottom, a red YouTube icon is followed by the URL: youtube.com/@OpenTopography.

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 26/03/2025

OpenTopography’s February 2025 data releases include over a dozen new lidar datasets—from Grand Teton National Park to the Hawaiian Islands—plus post-fire topography from the Palisades and Eaton Fires in California. Explore the details and get the data here: opentopography.org/news/februar...

Location of datasets released in February 2025 and accessible through OpenTopography. USGS 3DEP datasets are in green, OpenTopography-hosted data is in red, and Community DataSpace datasets are in purple.

Colored hillshade of Woody Ridge in Wyoming draped on Google Earth imagery.

3D point cloud colored by intensity of new lava flows over the Big Island of Hawaii.

Topographic differencing products were produced for the Eaton and Palisades Fire. This graphic shows areas where homes were destroyed by the fires in red.

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 18/03/2025

Planning on attending the 2025 NSF GAGE/SAGE Community Science Workshop? OpenTopography will be offering a short course, providing an introduction to OpenTopography, with a focus on tools for computing topographic change from multi-temporal data. Learn More & Register: www.earthscope.org/workshop

Promotional graphic for a short course titled "Introduction to OpenTopography Tools for Calculating Change at the Earth’s Surface," part of the 2025 NSF GAGE/SAGE Community Science Workshop. The event is on May 18, 2025, in Bloomington, MN. The background features a topographic map pattern, and the bottom portion includes a satellite-style image with red and blue overlays representing surface changes.

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 06/03/2025

Remember, if you use OT data or services in a publication, please include a citation. We try to make it easy to cite data by providing a recommended citation on data landing and access pages. Additional citation guidance is available here: opentopography.org/citations #FAIRdata

Screen capture with red box highlighting an example citation.

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OpenTopography @opentopography.org · 06/03/2025

Find all publications that cite OT-accessed data on our Google Scholar Profile (scholar.google.com/citations?us...), or via our full publication list (cloud.sdsc.edu/v1/AUTH_open...). This is a great review of recent science that uses topography data. Don't see your publication listed? Contact us!

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