Blog

Quantitative interrogation of DEMs using TopoToolbox

Wolfgang Schwanghart
University of Potsdam Germany

April 2nd , 2025
7:00 MDT (UTC -7), 9:00 EDT (UTC -5), 11:00 BRT (UTC -3), 14:00 GMT (UTC +0), 15:00 CEST (UTC+1), 16:00 EET (UTC +2), 22:00 CST (UTC +8)

Recording available in our YouTube channel

Bio: Dr. Wolfgang Schwanghart is a physical geographer and geomorphologist at the University of Potsdam, Germany. He has more than 15 years experience in working with DEMs and has written the software TopoToolbox, a MATLAB software for terrain analysis. His research focuses on landscape evolution on geological timescales and natural hazards, particularly in high mountain areas. In this context, he applies digital terrain analysis to extract as much quantitative and qualitative information as possible from DEMs, enhancing the understanding of tectonic and climatic influences on landscape evolution and improving predictions of natural hazards and risks.

Abstract: In this talk, I will present current developments within the project TopoToolbox 3 – improving the quality and reuse of a research software for terrain analysis. Adopting FAIR principles of research software development, the project will make the MATLAB-based TopoToolbox available in other high-level programming languages. I will also talk about the software design which aims at providing a platform that fosters creativity, development, and proto-typing. Lastly, I will show some applications.

Insights into the production process of global radar DEMs

Ernest Fahrland
Airbus, Germany

December 4th, 2024
7:00 MDT (UTC -7), 9:00 EST (UTC -5), 11:00 BRT (UTC -3), 14:00 GMT (UTC +0), 15:00 CET (UTC +1), 16:00 EET (UTC +2), 22:00 CST (UTC +8)

Recording available in our YouTube channel

Bio: Ernest Fahrland is a 3D Data Development Manager working within the Radar Programs unit of Airbus. He is a studied Cartographer and has more than 15 years of experience in the field of global Digital Elevation Models. He was involved in the process design and development of production tools for the WorldDEMTM, a consistent, highly accurate and pole-to-pole DEM, that was released in 2015. On-going acquisitions of global raw DEM data in combination with the user demand for quick delivery of error-free DEMs invoked the development of a fully automated, high-performant and consistent DEM production process, hence leading to the WorldDEM Neo product. Ernest was responsible for its development and contributed his concept ideas, processing strategies and algorithmic tools. His passion for global Digital Elevation Models and his continuous strive for improvements have paved the ground for many current DEMs such as the Copernicus DEM and its derivatives.

Abstract: In his talk, Ernest Fahrland will provide an insight into a fully-automated editing & production process of global DEM data primarily from interferometric radar DEM acquisitions. The presentation comprises a short look into the history with its manual & semi-automated DEM editing. He will also address on-going challenges with interferometry-based elevation data and provide an outlook on error compensation strategies (e.g. height reconstruction from radar amplitude data based on machine-learning techniques).

The GRASS GIS 8.4.0RC1 release provides more than 515 improvements and fixes with respect to the release 8.3.2.

Check the full announcement at https://github.com/OSGeo/grass/releases/tag/8.4.0RC1.

Please support in testing this release candidate.

There is a new paper (open access) describing a novel method to estimate sub-pixel planimetric displacements between two DEMs:

Riazanoff, S.; Corseaux, A.; Albinet, C.; Strobl, P.A.; López-Vázquez, C.; Guth, P.L.; Tadono, T. Best BiCubic Method to Compute the Planimetric Misregistration between Images with Sub-Pixel Accuracy: Application to Digital Elevation Models. ISPRS Int. J. Geo-Inf. 13, 96. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi13030096

So you want to post something to geomorphometry.org? Excellent!

The posts themselves are quite simple to make. Just write it using markdown and it should work. If you’re new to markdown, this guide can help you with the first steps.