The highest city in the world with a population of more than one million is La Paz. The Capital of Bolivia sits ***** meters above sea level, and is more than 1,000 meters higher than the second-ranked city, Quito. La Paz is also higher than Mt. Fuji in Japan, which has a height of 3,776 meters. Many of the world's largest cities are located in South America. The only city in North America that makes the top 20 list is Denver, Colorado, which has an altitude of ***** meters.

This statistic displays the countries with the greatest range between their highest and lowest elevation points. China and Nepal share the highest elevation point worldwide, which ascends to an amount of 8848 meters above sea level. Near the city Turpan Pendi, Xinjiang, China's elevation reaches 154 meters below sea level.

South America was home to the world's highest altitude soccer stadiums in 2020. At the top of the list was Daniel Alcides Carrión stadium, located at 4,380 meters above sea level (MASL), in the Peruvian city of Cerro del Pasco. It hosts matches during the Copa Perú, a regional football tournament. Also surpassing the four thousand meters of altitude, the municipal stadium of El Alto ranked second that year, followed by Víctor Agustín stadium, at 3,960 MASL. Both of these stadiums are located in Bolivia, which is also home to the highest altitude soccer stadium in a capital city &#8211 Hernando Siles stadium, in La Paz.

[From GeoData Center Home Page descriptions, "http://www.gi.alaska.edu/alaska-satellite-facility/geodata-center"]

 The GeoData Center is the browse facility for the state copy of the AHAP
 collection, which covers approximately 95% of the State of Alaska in 1:60,000
 color infrared (CIR) and 1:120,000 black and white (B&W) photography. The data
 reside in 10" film format. Approximately 70,000 frames of photography were
 acquired between 1978 and 1986.

At 282 feet below sea level, Death Valley in the Mojave Desert, California is the lowest point of elevation in the United States (and North America). Coincidentally, Death Valley is less than 85 miles from Mount Whitney, the highest point of elevation in the mainland United States. Death Valley is one of the hottest places on earth, and in 1913 it was the location of the highest naturally occurring temperature ever recorded on Earth (although some meteorologists doubt its legitimacy). New Orleans Louisiana is the only other state where the lowest point of elevation was below sea level. This is in the city of New Orleans, on the Mississippi River Delta. Over half of the city (up to two-thirds) is located below sea level, and recent studies suggest that the city is sinking further - man-made efforts to prevent water damage or flooding are cited as one reason for the city's continued subsidence, as they prevent new sediment from naturally reinforcing the ground upon which the city is built. These factors were one reason why New Orleans was so severely impacted by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 - the hurricane itself was one of the deadliest in history, and it destroyed many of the levee systems in place to prevent flooding, and the elevation exacerbated the damage caused. Highest low points The lowest point in five states is over 1,000 feet above sea level. Colorado's lowest point, at 3,315 feet, is still higher than the highest point in 22 states or territories. For all states whose lowest points are found above sea level, these points are located in rivers, streams, or bodies of water.

The global High-Altitude Exterior Wall Cleaning Service market size was valued at USD XXX million in 2025 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of XX% during the forecast period, reaching USD XXX million by 2033. The market is driven by factors such as rising demand for aesthetically appealing buildings, increasing awareness of the importance of building maintenance, and growing adoption of advanced cleaning technologies. Additionally, the rapid urbanization and development of skyscrapers in major cities have contributed to the growth of the market. Among the different types of facades, the lightweight facade segment accounted for the largest market share in 2025, owing to its growing popularity in commercial and residential buildings. The segment is expected to maintain its dominance throughout the forecast period. In terms of applications, the commercial office buildings segment is the largest contributor to the market, with a significant share in 2025. This is due to the increasing demand for high-quality and aesthetically pleasing exteriors for commercial buildings, particularly in major cities. The Asia Pacific region is projected to witness the fastest growth during the forecast period, due to the growing construction industry and increasing investments in infrastructure development across the region. China, India, and Japan are expected to be the major contributors to the market growth in Asia Pacific. This insightful report provides a comprehensive overview of the global high-altitude exterior wall cleaning service market, delving into its dynamics, trends, competitive landscape, and future prospects.

The High Accuracy Elevation Data Project collected elevation data (meters) on a 400 meter topographic grid with a vertical accuracy of +/- 15 centimeters to define the topography in South Florida. The data are referenced to the horizontal datum North American Datum 1983 (NAD 83) and the vertical datum North American Vertical Datum 1988 (NAVD 88). In some areas, the surveying was accomplished using airboats. Because access was a logistical problem with airboats, the USGS developed a helicopter-based instrument known as the Airborne Height Finder (AHF). All subsequent data collection used the AHF. Data were collected from the Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, south through the Water Conservation Areas (1A, 2A, 2B, 3A, and 3B), Big Cypress National Park, the Everglades National Park, to the Florida Bay. The data are available for the areas shown on the USGS High Accuracy Elevation Data graphic at http://sofia.usgs.gov/exchange/desmond/desmondelev.html . The work was performed for Everglades ecosystem restoration purposes.

 The data are from regional topographic surveys to collect and provide elevation data to parameterize hydrologic and ecological numerical simulation models that are being developed for ecosystem restoration activities. Surveying services were also rendered to provide vertical reference points for numerous water level gauges. Modeling of sheet flow and water surface levels in the wetlands of South Florida is very sensitive to changes in elevation due to the expansive and extremely low relief terrain. Hydrologists determined minimum vertical accuracy requirements for the elevation data for use as input to hydrologic models. As a result, elevation data with a vertical accuracy specification of +/-15 centimeters (cm) relative to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88) were collected in critical areas using state-of-the-art differential global positioning system (GPS) technology and data processing techniques.

NOAA's National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) is building high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) for select U.S. coastal regions. These integrated bathymetric-topographic DEMs are used to support tsunami forecasting and warning efforts at the NOAA Center for Tsunami Research, Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL). The DEMs are part of the tsunami forecast system SIFT (Short-term Inundation Forecasting for Tsunamis) currently being developed by PMEL for the NOAA Tsunami Warning Centers, and are used in the MOST (Method of Splitting Tsunami) model developed by PMEL to simulate tsunami generation, propagation, and inundation. Bathymetric, topographic, and shoreline data used in DEM compilation are obtained from various sources, including NGDC, the U.S. National Ocean Service (NOS), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and other federal, state, and local government agencies, academic institutions, and private companies. DEMs are referenced to the vertical tidal datum of Mean High Water (MHW) and horizontal datum of World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS84). Grid spacings for the DEMs range from 1/3 arc-second (~10 meters) to 3 arc-seconds (~90 meters).

The global building high-altitude surveillance camera market is experiencing robust growth, driven by increasing security concerns across residential, commercial, and industrial sectors. The market, estimated at $2.5 billion in 2025, is projected to exhibit a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 15% from 2025 to 2033, reaching an estimated $8.2 billion by 2033. This significant expansion is fueled by several key factors. Technological advancements leading to higher resolution, improved analytics capabilities, and the integration of AI and IoT are enhancing the effectiveness and appeal of these systems. Furthermore, government initiatives promoting smart city development and stricter security regulations are creating a favorable environment for market growth. The increasing adoption of cloud-based surveillance solutions and the rising demand for remote monitoring capabilities further contribute to the market's upward trajectory. The infrared type segment currently holds a larger market share due to its superior performance in low-light conditions, though the non-infrared segment is expected to witness significant growth driven by cost-effectiveness. Geographic distribution reveals strong growth across North America and Asia Pacific regions, driven by early adoption of advanced surveillance technologies and substantial investments in infrastructure development. However, market penetration in other regions like South America and Africa is expected to increase steadily as awareness and demand for sophisticated security solutions grows. Key players like Hikvision, Dahua, and Bosch Security Systems are actively engaged in product innovation and strategic partnerships to consolidate their market positions. While the high initial investment cost poses a restraint, the long-term benefits in terms of enhanced security and operational efficiency are driving wider adoption. The competitive landscape is characterized by both established players and emerging innovative companies, leading to continuous product advancements and increased market competitiveness. This report provides a detailed analysis of the global Building High Altitude Surveillance Camera market, projecting robust growth fueled by increasing security concerns and technological advancements. We delve into market size, segmentation, key players, emerging trends, and future forecasts, offering invaluable insights for stakeholders across the surveillance technology sector. The global market is estimated to be valued at $3.5 billion in 2024, with a projected Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 15% through 2030.

NOAA's National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) is building high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) for select U.S. coastal regions. These integrated bathymetric-topographic DEMs are used to support tsunami forecasting and warning efforts at the NOAA Center for Tsunami Research, Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL). The DEMs are part of the tsunami forecast system SIFT (Short-term Inundation Forecasting for Tsunamis) currently being developed by PMEL for the NOAA Tsunami Warning Centers, and are used in the MOST (Method of Splitting Tsunami) model developed by PMEL to simulate tsunami generation, propagation, and inundation. Bathymetric, topographic, and shoreline data used in DEM compilation are obtained from various sources, including NGDC, the U.S. National Ocean Service (NOS), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and other federal, state, and local government agencies, academic institutions, and private companies. DEMs are referenced to the vertical tidal datum of Mean High Water (MHW) and horizontal datum of World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS 84). Grid spacings for the DEMs range from 1/3 arc-second (~10 meters) to 3 arc-seconds (~90 meters).The DEM Global Mosaic is an image service providing access to bathymetric/topographic digital elevation models stewarded at NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), along with the global GEBCO_2014 grid: http://www.gebco.net/data_and_products/gridded_bathymetry_data. NCEI builds and distributes high-resolution, coastal digital elevation models (DEMs) that integrate ocean bathymetry and land topography to support NOAA's mission to understand and predict changes in Earth's environment, and conserve and manage coastal and marine resources to meet our Nation's economic, social, and environmental needs. They can be used for modeling of coastal processes (tsunami inundation, storm surge, sea-level rise, contaminant dispersal, etc.), ecosystems management and habitat research, coastal and marine spatial planning, and hazard mitigation and community preparedness. This service is a general-purpose global, seamless bathymetry/topography mosaic. It combines DEMs from a variety of near sea-level vertical datums, such as mean high water (MHW), mean sea level (MSL), and North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88). Elevation values have been rounded to the nearest meter, with DEM cell sizes going down to 1 arc-second. Higher-resolution DEMs, with greater elevation precision, are available in the companion NAVD88: http://noaa.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=e9ba2e7afb7d46cd878b34aa3bfce042 and MHW: http://noaa.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=3bc7611c1d904a5eaf90ecbec88fa799 mosaics. By default, the DEMs are drawn in order of cell size, with higher-resolution grids displayed on top of lower-resolution grids. If overlapping DEMs have the same resolution, the newer one is shown. Please see NCEI's corresponding DEM Footprints map service: http://noaa.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=d41f39c8a6684c54b62c8f1ab731d5ad for polygon footprints and more information about the individual DEMs used to create this composite view. In this visualization, the elevations/depths are displayed using this color ramp: http://gis.ngdc.noaa.gov/viewers/images/dem_color_scale.png.A map service showing the location and coverage of land and seafloor digital elevation models (DEMs) available from NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). NCEI builds and distributes high-resolution, coastal digital elevation models (DEMs) that integrate ocean bathymetry and land topography to support NOAA's mission to understand and predict changes in Earth's environment, and conserve and manage coastal and marine resources to meet our Nation's economic, social, and environmental needs. They can be used for modeling of coastal processes (tsunami inundation, storm surge, sea-level rise, contaminant dispersal, etc.), ecosystems management and habitat research, coastal and marine spatial planning, and hazard mitigation and community preparedness. Layers available in the map service: Layers 1-4: DEMs by Category (includes various DEMs, both hosted at NCEI, and elsewhere on the web); Layers 6-11: NCEI DEM Projects (DEMs hosted at NCEI, color-coded by project); Layer 12: All NCEI Bathymetry DEMs (All bathymetry or bathy-topo DEMs hosted at NCEI).This is an image service providing access to bathymetric/topographic digital elevation models stewarded at NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), with vertical units referenced to mean high water (MHW). NCEI builds and distributes high-resolution, coastal digital elevation models (DEMs) that integrate ocean bathymetry and land topography to support NOAA's mission to understand and predict changes in Earth's environment, and conserve and manage coastal and marine resources to meet our Nation's economic, social, and environmental needs. They can be used for modeling of coastal processes (tsunami inundation, storm surge, sea-level rise, contaminant dispersal, etc.), ecosystems management and habitat research, coastal and marine spatial planning, and hazard mitigation and community preparedness. This service provides data from many individual DEMs combined together as a mosaic. By default, the rasters are drawn in order of cell size, with higher-resolution grids displayed on top of lower-resolution grids. If overlapping DEMs have the same resolution, the newer one is shown. Alternatively, a single DEM or group of DEMs can be isolated using a filter/definition query or using the 'Lock Raster 'mosaic method in ArcMap. This is one of three services displaying collections of DEMs that are referenced to common vertical datums: North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88): http://noaa.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=e9ba2e7afb7d46cd878b34aa3bfce042, Mean High Water (MHW): http://noaa.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=3bc7611c1d904a5eaf90ecbec88fa799, and Mean Higher High Water: http://noaa.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=9471f8d4f43e48109de6275522856696. In addition, the DEM Global Mosaic is a general-purpose global, seamless bathymetry/topography mosaic containing all the DEMs together. Two services are available: http://noaa.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=c876e3c96a8642ab8557646a3b4fa0ff Elevation Values: http://noaa.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=c876e3c96a8642ab8557646a3b4fa0ff and Color Shaded Relief: http://noaa.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=feb3c625dc094112bb5281c17679c769. Please see the corresponding DEM Footprints map service: http://noaa.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=d41f39c8a6684c54b62c8f1ab731d5ad for polygon footprints and more information about the individual DEMs used to create this composite view. This service has several server-side functions available. These can be selected in the ArcGIS Online layer using 'Image Display ', or in ArcMap under 'Processing Templates '. None: The default. Provides elevation/depth values in meters relative to the NAVD88 vertical datum. ColorHillshade: An elevation-tinted hillshade visualization. The depths are displayed using this color ramp: http://gis.ngdc.noaa.gov/viewers/images/dem_color_scale.png. GrayscaleHillshade: A simple grayscale hillshade visualization. SlopeMapRGB: Slope in degrees, visualized using these colors: http://downloads.esri.com/esri_content_doc/landscape/SlopeMapLegend_V7b.png. SlopeNumericValues: Slope in degrees, returning the actual numeric values. AspectMapRGB: Orientation of the terrain (0-360 degrees), visualized using these colors: http://downloads.esri.com/esri_content_doc/landscape/AspectMapLegendPie_V7b.png. AspectNumericValues: Aspect in degrees, returning the actual numeric values.

NOAA's National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) is building high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) for select U.S. coastal regions. These integrated bathymetric-topographic DEMs are used to support tsunami forecasting and warning efforts at the NOAA Center for Tsunami Research, Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL). The DEMs are part of the tsunami forecast system SIFT (Short-term Inundation Forecasting for Tsunamis) currently being developed by PMEL for the NOAA Tsunami Warning Centers, and are used in the MOST (Method of Splitting Tsunami) model developed by PMEL to simulate tsunami generation, propagation, and inundation. Bathymetric, topographic, and shoreline data used in DEM compilation are obtained from various sources, including NGDC, the U.S. National Ocean Service (NOS), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and other federal, state, and local government agencies, academic institutions, and private companies. DEMs are referenced to a variety of vertical datums and horizontal datum of World Geodetic System of 1984 (WGS84). Cell size for the DEMs ranges from 1/3 arc-second (~10 meters) to 3 arc-seconds (~90 meters).The DEM Global Mosaic is an image service providing access to bathymetric/topographic digital elevation models stewarded at NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), along with the global GEBCO_2014 grid: http://www.gebco.net/data_and_products/gridded_bathymetry_data. NCEI builds and distributes high-resolution, coastal digital elevation models (DEMs) that integrate ocean bathymetry and land topography to support NOAA's mission to understand and predict changes in Earth's environment, and conserve and manage coastal and marine resources to meet our Nation's economic, social, and environmental needs. They can be used for modeling of coastal processes (tsunami inundation, storm surge, sea-level rise, contaminant dispersal, etc.), ecosystems management and habitat research, coastal and marine spatial planning, and hazard mitigation and community preparedness. This service is a general-purpose global, seamless bathymetry/topography mosaic. It combines DEMs from a variety of near sea-level vertical datums, such as mean high water (MHW), mean sea level (MSL), and North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88). Elevation values have been rounded to the nearest meter, with DEM cell sizes going down to 1 arc-second. Higher-resolution DEMs, with greater elevation precision, are available in the companion NAVD88: http://noaa.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=e9ba2e7afb7d46cd878b34aa3bfce042 and MHW: http://noaa.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=3bc7611c1d904a5eaf90ecbec88fa799 mosaics. By default, the DEMs are drawn in order of cell size, with higher-resolution grids displayed on top of lower-resolution grids. If overlapping DEMs have the same resolution, the newer one is shown. Please see NCEI's corresponding DEM Footprints map service: http://noaa.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=d41f39c8a6684c54b62c8f1ab731d5ad for polygon footprints and more information about the individual DEMs used to create this composite view. In this visualization, the elevations/depths are displayed using this color ramp: http://gis.ngdc.noaa.gov/viewers/images/dem_color_scale.png.A map service showing the location and coverage of land and seafloor digital elevation models (DEMs) available from NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). NCEI builds and distributes high-resolution, coastal digital elevation models (DEMs) that integrate ocean bathymetry and land topography to support NOAA's mission to understand and predict changes in Earth's environment, and conserve and manage coastal and marine resources to meet our Nation's economic, social, and environmental needs. They can be used for modeling of coastal processes (tsunami inundation, storm surge, sea-level rise, contaminant dispersal, etc.), ecosystems management and habitat research, coastal and marine spatial planning, and hazard mitigation and community preparedness. Layers available in the map service: Layers 1-4: DEMs by Category (includes various DEMs, both hosted at NCEI, and elsewhere on the web); Layers 6-11: NCEI DEM Projects (DEMs hosted at NCEI, color-coded by project); Layer 12: All NCEI Bathymetry DEMs (All bathymetry or bathy-topo DEMs hosted at NCEI).This is an image service providing access to bathymetric/topographic digital elevation models stewarded at NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), with vertical units referenced to mean high water (MHW). NCEI builds and distributes high-resolution, coastal digital elevation models (DEMs) that integrate ocean bathymetry and land topography to support NOAA's mission to understand and predict changes in Earth's environment, and conserve and manage coastal and marine resources to meet our Nation's economic, social, and environmental needs. They can be used for modeling of coastal processes (tsunami inundation, storm surge, sea-level rise, contaminant dispersal, etc.), ecosystems management and habitat research, coastal and marine spatial planning, and hazard mitigation and community preparedness. This service provides data from many individual DEMs combined together as a mosaic. By default, the rasters are drawn in order of cell size, with higher-resolution grids displayed on top of lower-resolution grids. If overlapping DEMs have the same resolution, the newer one is shown. Alternatively, a single DEM or group of DEMs can be isolated using a filter/definition query or using the 'Lock Raster 'mosaic method in ArcMap. This is one of three services displaying collections of DEMs that are referenced to common vertical datums: North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88): http://noaa.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=e9ba2e7afb7d46cd878b34aa3bfce042, Mean High Water (MHW): http://noaa.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=3bc7611c1d904a5eaf90ecbec88fa799, and Mean Higher High Water: http://noaa.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=9471f8d4f43e48109de6275522856696. In addition, the DEM Global Mosaic is a general-purpose global, seamless bathymetry/topography mosaic containing all the DEMs together. Two services are available: http://noaa.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=c876e3c96a8642ab8557646a3b4fa0ff Elevation Values: http://noaa.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=c876e3c96a8642ab8557646a3b4fa0ff and Color Shaded Relief: http://noaa.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=feb3c625dc094112bb5281c17679c769. Please see the corresponding DEM Footprints map service: http://noaa.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=d41f39c8a6684c54b62c8f1ab731d5ad for polygon footprints and more information about the individual DEMs used to create this composite view. This service has several server-side functions available. These can be selected in the ArcGIS Online layer using 'Image Display ', or in ArcMap under 'Processing Templates '. None: The default. Provides elevation/depth values in meters relative to the NAVD88 vertical datum. ColorHillshade: An elevation-tinted hillshade visualization. The depths are displayed using this color ramp: http://gis.ngdc.noaa.gov/viewers/images/dem_color_scale.png. GrayscaleHillshade: A simple grayscale hillshade visualization. SlopeMapRGB: Slope in degrees, visualized using these colors: http://downloads.esri.com/esri_content_doc/landscape/SlopeMapLegend_V7b.png. SlopeNumericValues: Slope in degrees, returning the actual numeric values. AspectMapRGB: Orientation of the terrain (0-360 degrees), visualized using these colors: http://downloads.esri.com/esri_content_doc/landscape/AspectMapLegendPie_V7b.png. AspectNumericValues: Aspect in degrees, returning the actual numeric values.

At 20,310 feet (6.2km) above sea level, the highest point in the United States is Denali, Alaska (formerly known as Mount McKinley). The highest point in the contiguous United States is Mount Whitney, in the Sierra Nevada mountain range in California; followed by Mount Elbert, Colorado - the highest point in the Rocky Mountains. When looking at the highest point in each state, the 13 tallest peaks are all found in the western region of the country, while there is much more diversity across the other regions and territories.

Despite being approximately 6,500 feet lower than Denali, Hawaii's Mauna Kea is sometimes considered the tallest mountain (and volcano) on earth. This is because its base is well below sea level - the mountain has a total height of 33,474 feet, which is almost 4,500 feet higher than Mount Everest.

Introduction

Climate Central’s Surging Seas: Risk Zone map shows areas vulnerable to near-term flooding from different combinations of sea level rise, storm surge, tides, and tsunamis, or to permanent submersion by long-term sea level rise. Within the U.S., it incorporates the latest, high-resolution, high-accuracy lidar elevation data supplied by NOAA (exceptions: see Sources), displays points of interest, and contains layers displaying social vulnerability, population density, and property value. Outside the U.S., it utilizes satellite-based elevation data from NASA in some locations, and Climate Central’s more accurate CoastalDEM in others (see Methods and Qualifiers). It provides the ability to search by location name or postal code.

The accompanying Risk Finder is an interactive data toolkit available for some countries that provides local projections and assessments of exposure to sea level rise and coastal flooding tabulated for many sub-national districts, down to cities and postal codes in the U.S. Exposure assessments always include land and population, and in the U.S. extend to over 100 demographic, economic, infrastructure and environmental variables using data drawn mainly from federal sources, including NOAA, USGS, FEMA, DOT, DOE, DOI, EPA, FCC and the Census.

This web tool was highlighted at the launch of The White House's Climate Data Initiative in March 2014. Climate Central's original Surging Seas was featured on NBC, CBS, and PBS U.S. national news, the cover of The New York Times, in hundreds of other stories, and in testimony for the U.S. Senate. The Atlantic Cities named it the most important map of 2012. Both the Risk Zone map and the Risk Finder are grounded in peer-reviewed science.

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This map is based on analysis of digital elevation models mosaicked together for near-total coverage of the global coast. Details and sources for U.S. and international data are below. Elevations are transformed so they are expressed relative to local high tide lines (Mean Higher High Water, or MHHW). A simple elevation threshold-based “bathtub method” is then applied to determine areas below different water levels, relative to MHHW. Within the U.S., areas below the selected water level but apparently not connected to the ocean at that level are shown in a stippled green (as opposed to solid blue) on the map. Outside the U.S., due to data quality issues and data limitations, all areas below the selected level are shown as solid blue, unless separated from the ocean by a ridge at least 20 meters (66 feet) above MHHW, in which case they are shown as not affected (no blue).

Areas using lidar-based elevation data: U.S. coastal states except Alaska
Elevation data used for parts of this map within the U.S. come almost entirely from ~5-meter horizontal resolution digital elevation models curated and distributed by NOAA in its Coastal Lidar collection, derived from high-accuracy laser-rangefinding measurements. The same data are used in NOAA’s Sea Level Rise Viewer. (High-resolution elevation data for Louisiana, southeast Virginia, and limited other areas comes from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)).

Areas using CoastalDEM™ elevation data: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Corn Island (Nicaragua), Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Blas (Panama), Suriname, The Bahamas, Trinidad and Tobago.

CoastalDEM™ is a proprietary high-accuracy bare earth elevation dataset developed especially for low-lying coastal areas by Climate Central. Use our contact form to request more information.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is coordinating the aquisition of high accuracy elevation data. Three formats of the data are available for each data set: .cor files which contain complete lists of Global Positioning System point files, .asc files which are the same as the .cor files but have been reformatted to process into ARC/INFO coverages, and .e00 files which are the ARC/INFO coverages. The files are available in the same 7.5- by 7.5-minute coverages as USGS quadrangles. The elevation data is collected on a 400 by 400 meter grid. The elevations are referenced to the horizontal North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83) and vertical North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88).

 This project is performing regional topographic surveys to collect and provide elevation data to parameterize hydrologic and ecological numerical simulation models that are being developed for ecosystem restoration activities. Surveying services are also being rendered to provide vertical reference points for numerous water level gauges.

 Modeling of sheet flow and water surface levels in the wetlands of South Florida is very sensitive to changes in elevation due to the expansive and extremely low relief terrain. Hydrologists have determined minimum vertical accuracy requirements for the elevation data for use as input to hydrologic models. As a result, elevation data with a vertical accuracy specification of +/-15 centimeters (cm) relative to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88) are being collected in critical areas using state-of-the-art differential global positioning system (GPS) technology and data processing techniques.

NOAA's National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) is building high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) for select U.S. coastal regions. These integrated bathymetric-topographic DEMs are used to support tsunami forecasting and modeling efforts at the NOAA Center for Tsunami Research, Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL). The DEMs are part of the tsunami forecast system SIFT (Short-term Inundation Forecasting for Tsunamis) currently being developed by PMEL for the NOAA Tsunami Warning Centers, and are used in the MOST (Method of Splitting Tsunami) model developed by PMEL to simulate tsunami generation, propagation, and inundation. Bathymetric, topographic, and shoreline data used in DEM compilation are obtained from various sources, including NGDC, the U.S. National Ocean Service (NOS), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and other federal, state, and local government agencies, academic institutions, and private companies. DEMs are referenced to the vertical tidal datum of Mean High Water (MHW) and horizontal datum of World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS84). Grid spacings for the DEMs range from 1/3 arc-second (~10 meters) to 3 arc-seconds (~90 meters).

Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data was collected by The Geoinformation Group using LiDAR-equipped survey aircraft for the main urban conurbations of England and Wales (including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Liverpool, Newcastle, Edinburgh and Glasgow) as part of the Cities Revealed project, and made available through the Landmap service. The GeoInformation Group (TGG) has processed the data so that they are available as Digital Terrain Models (ground surface only) and Digital Surface/Elevation Models (the ground and all features on it), both geographic databases with height and surface measurement information in the form of regular grids with intervals of 1 or 2 m. In addition, some First Pass and Last Pass data are available. The First Pass data provides height values for the top of the canopy (i.e. buildings, trees etc.) while the Last Pulse data provides height values for the bottom of the canopy and provides information about the shape of the terrain. The data are available in img format. The Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) funded Landmap service which ran from 2001 to July 2014 collected and hosted a large amount of earth observation data for the majority of the UK, part of which was elevation data. After removal of JISC funding in 2013, the Landmap service is no longer operational, with the data now held at the NEODC.

When using the data please also add the following copyright statement: Cities Revealed © The GeoInformation Group yyyy

Digital Aerial Solutions LLC collected 185.5 square miles in the City of Palm Coast in Florida. The nominal pulse spacing for this project was 1 point every 0.35 meters. Dewberry used proprietary procedures to classify the LAS according to project specifications: 1-Unclassified, 2-Ground, 7-Low Noise, 9-Water, 10-Ignored Ground due to breakline proximity, 17- Overpasses and Bridges, 18-High N...

A high resolution LiDAR derived hillshade facilitates the visualization of the topography of a landscape at a variety of scales. This hillshade which was created from a LiDAR derived hydro-flattened bare earth digital elevation model shows the signal returns without any vegetation or human-made structures. In addition to that, bodies of water have been smoothed. This layer may be used on its own or in conjunction with other data.The Sonoma County Vegetation Mapping and LiDAR Program. and the University of Maryland (under grant NNX13AP69G from NASA’s Carbon Monitoring System, Dr. Ralph Dubayah, PI) contracted LiDAR and orthophoto data collection for all of Sonoma County in late 2013. Also included in the data collection were two areas in Mendocino County - the Soda Spring Creek-Dry Creek Watershed and Lake Mendocino. This fine scale data will help provide an accurate, up-to-date inventory of the county’s landscape features, ecological communities and habitats. Project funders include: NASA, the University of Maryland, the Sonoma County Agricultural Preservation and Open Space District, the Sonoma County Water Agency, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, the United States Geological Survey, the Sonoma County Information Systems Department, the Sonoma County Transportation and Public Works Department, the Nature Conservancy, and the City of Petaluma.The hillshade is a greyscale image showing topography in the landscape. In this case it is created from a LiDAR derived hydro-flattened bare earth digital elevation model illuminated by hypothetical light source shining from the north west. A hydro flattened bare earth digital elevation model (DEM) represents the earth's surface with all vegetation and human-made structures removed. In addition bodies of waters 2acres or larger have been smoothed.The DEM used to create this hillshade is described as a bare earth digital elevation model (DEM) representing the earth's surface with all vegetation and human-made structures removed. The bare earth DEMs were derived from LiDAR data using triangulated irregular network (TIN) processing of the ground point returns. Each image corresponds to a 37,800-square-foot tile. Each pixel is 3 feet and represents an average elevation for that area.