Perspectives on Digital Elevation Model Applications

Dear Colleagues,

Imagine a digital elevation model (DEM) as a soft foil hugging every aspect of topography, which can coat all predefined objects upon it. More specifically, the DEM is a continuous surface model, usually recorded in a regular 2.5D grid, which consists of elevation values that describe the topographic surface—in various resolutions, or multitemporal surface changes, in 4D. A digital terrain model (DTM) portrays bare-earth surface (terrain). In contrast to a DTM, a digital surface model (DSM) includes the tops of buildings (e.g., houses, viaducts), vegetation cover, as well as natural terrain features (e.g., temporal snow cover, the 3D surface of caves). We can use the term DEM here as a generic one for the whole family of (geo)surface models. A DEM is, therefore, a rich model that inherently includes an unimaginable amount of information.

The DEM is considered to be among the most important data layers in the geoscience domain (geography, geodesy, cartography, geophysics), with outreach in natural science, engineering, environmental and social sciences (archaeology, urban dynamics), entertainment (movies), etc. There are already many publications on DEM applications. However, diverse users want to make applications that potentially require different kinds of DEMs. For example, for relatively flat flood zones, it is essential to use a geomorphologically correct DEM. It is important to consider the concept of DEM, definition and realization in the physical data model, various coordinate systems, availability of DEMs, various aspects of quality including DEM properties that are based on particular acquisition methods and sensors properties, aesthetics and other perspectives of the product. Different software and platforms used for DEM applications are based on GIS, remote sensing, CAD, virtual globes, computer graphics, game engines, BIM, IoT-software, or DEM-specific. There is, then, the added headache for users due to mismatches between metadata and issued DEM.

The basic questions regarding applicability are: Which solution is more reliable: highly standardized multiscale DEMs, unique universal DEM balanced for most demands, or something else? What are applications that include DEM, e.g., cartography, autonomous vehicle navigation, disaster/hazard management, precision agriculture, maritime, planning space missions, virtual reality, environmental studies, or even out of geodomains - medicine?

The research questions of the contributions should focus on contemporary and future applications of DEMs, on the reliability and usability of DEMs, or the more demanding relation between target applications and different properties of the selected DEM(s).

Dr. Tomaž Podobnikar
Guest Editor

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