ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World provides foundation elevation layers and tools to support analysis and visualization across the ArcGIS system. These layers get updated quarterly with high resolution elevation data from federal agencies, open sources, and community maps program. Esri is providing these datasets as ready to use services that benefit the GIS community and extend the use of data in new and innovative ways. In this release, world elevation layers and tools are updated with a few high-resolution elevation and bathymetry datasets.
Terrain and TopoBathy layers are updated with:
- Bundesamt für Eich- und Vermessungswesen’s (BEV) 1 meter lidar derived DTM’s covering the entire country of Austria. This brings quality enhancements over previously available 5 meters (few states) and 10 meters data.
- Expanded coverage of USGS 3DEP 1 meter lidar derived DTM’s covering areas of the conterminous United States. In this release, approximately 576,000 square kilometers (~ 222,395 square miles) of new coverage of USGS 3DEP 1 meter has been added. The graphic below shows the new addition (magenta) along with previously available coverage (green).
TopoBathy layer is updated with:
- USGS’ 1-3 meters CoNED topobathymetric datasets covering partial coastal areas of New England, Puget Sound, Southern California and Northern Gulf of Mexico
- General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO_2021) 15 arc second (approx. 464 meters) dataset covering entire globe. [GEBCO Compilation Group (2021) GEBCO 2021 Grid (doi:10.5285/c6612cbe-50b3-0cff-e053-6c86abc09f8f)]
Ready-To-Use Elevation Tools:
Profile tool has been updated with GEBCO 2021 grid for 500 m (15 arc second) DEM Resolution option.
Let’s see a few examples highlighting the improvements with before and after images.
Cone Peak, California, USA – the second highest mountain peak (1571 m) in the Santa Lucia Range of the Los Padres National Forest depicted with USGS’ 3DEP 1 meter data in comparison to 10 meters
Little Christmas Mountain, Texas, USA– part of Christmas Mountain range next to Big Bend National Park depicted with USGS’ 3DEP 1 meter data in comparison to 10 meters
Liezen, Austria – fine details in urban area depicted with 1 meter data in comparison to 10 meters
Seattle, Washington, USA – bathymetry of Puget sound depicted with USGS CoNED 1 meter topobathy data in comparison to 90 meters
These data updates will be rolled out to the world elevation tiled services – Elevation 3D (Terrain3D and TopoBathy3D) and Hillshade (World Hillshade and World Hillshade (Dark) ) by the next quarter.
To see the coverage extents of each source comprising World Elevation services, check out the Elevation coverage map.
You can help in improving these services by contributing high-resolution elevation data to Living Atlas of the World. To participate and learn more, check out the Esri Community Maps for Elevation program.
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