DTM vs. DEM: Key differences for teams working with spatial data
Blog post from Felt
Elevation data plays a crucial role in various fields, such as flood modeling, infrastructure planning, and environmental monitoring, and understanding the differences between digital terrain models (DTM), digital elevation models (DEM), and digital surface models (DSM) is vital for accurate analysis. DTMs represent the bare-earth surface by removing above-ground features like buildings and vegetation, making them ideal for precise mapping and slope analysis. DEMs, often used as a generic term, can either depict bare-earth or surface elevation, and their definition varies by data source, necessitating careful metadata review to ensure accurate application. DSMs capture the topmost surface, including structures and vegetation, making them suitable for urban planning and 3D modeling. The choice between these models can significantly impact analytical outcomes, with incorrect selection potentially leading to flawed results, such as inaccurate flood risk assessments or construction errors. Modern GIS platforms, particularly cloud-native systems like Felt, facilitate working with large elevation datasets by allowing real-time data streaming and processing in the browser, thus overcoming hardware limitations and enhancing collaboration across various stakeholders in GIS and related fields.
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