OpenTopography

@opentopography

Open access to high-resolution, Earth science-oriented topography data, and related tools & resources. US National Science Foundation supported. #lidar

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OpenTopography@opentopography· 15d

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.

OpenTopography@opentopography· Jul 9

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.

OpenTopography@opentopography· Jul 8

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...

OpenTopography@opentopography· May 12

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.

OpenTopography@opentopography· May 11

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."

OpenTopography@opentopography· Mar 17

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.

OpenTopography@opentopography· Mar 16

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.

OpenTopography@opentopography· Feb 4

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.

OpenTopography@opentopography· Jan 29

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.

OpenTopography@opentopography· Jan 27

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...

OpenTopography@opentopography· Jan 12

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.

OpenTopography@opentopography· Jan 7

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.

OpenTopography@opentopography· Dec 16

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)

OpenTopography@opentopography· Dec 10

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.

OpenTopography@opentopography· Dec 10

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.

OpenTopography@opentopography· Dec 9

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.

OpenTopography@opentopography· Nov 10

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.

OpenTopography@opentopography· Nov 3

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.

OpenTopography@opentopography· Oct 15

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"

OpenTopography@opentopography· Oct 2

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.

OpenTopography@opentopography· Oct 1

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

OpenTopography@opentopography· Sep 29

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

OpenTopography@opentopography· Sep 15

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

OpenTopography@opentopography· Sep 11

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?

OpenTopography@opentopography· Sep 10

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.

OpenTopography@opentopography· Sep 9

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.

OpenTopography@opentopography· Aug 18

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.

OpenTopography@opentopography· Aug 13

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.

OpenTopography@opentopography· Aug 6

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

OpenTopography@opentopography· Aug 4

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