The 3rd edition of the DEM Users Manual includes 15 chap-
ters and three appendices. References in the eBook version
are hyperlinked. Chapter and appendix titles include:
1. Introduction to DEMs
David F. Maune, Hans Karl Heidemann,
Stephen M. Kopp, and Clayton A. Crawford
2. Vertical Datums
Dru Smith
3. Standards, Guidelines & Specifications
David F. Maune
4. The National Elevation Dataset (NED)
Dean B. Gesch, Gayla A. Evans,
Michael J. Oimoen, and Samantha T. Arundel
5. The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP)
Jason M. Stoker, Vicki Lukas, Allyson L. Jason,
Diane F. Eldridge, and Larry J. Sugarbaker
6. Photogrammetry
J. Chris McGlone and Scott Arko
7. IfSAR
Scott Hensley and Lorraine Tighe
8. Airborne Topographic Lidar
Amar Nayegandhi and Joshua Nimetz
9. Lidar Data Processing
Joshua M. Novac
10. Airborne Lidar Bathymetry
Jennifer Wozencraft and Amar Nayegandhi
11. Sonar
Guy T. Noll and Douglas Lockhart
12. Enabling Technologies
Bruno M. Scherzinger, Joseph J. Hutton,
and Mohamed M.R. Mostafa
13. DEM User Applications
David F. Maune
14. DEM User Requirements & Benefits
David F. Maune
15. Quality Assessment of Elevation Data
Jennifer Novac
Appendix A. Acronyms
Appendix B. Definitions
Appendix C. Sample Datasets
This book is your guide to 3D elevation technologies, prod-
ucts and applications. It will guide you through the incep-
tion and implementation of the U.S. Geological Survey’s
(USGS) 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) to provide not just
bare earth DEMs, but a full suite of 3D elevation products
using Quality Levels (QLs) that are standardized and con-
sistent across the U.S. and territories. The 3DEP is based
on the National Enhanced Elevation Assessment (NEEA)
which evaluated 602 different mission-critical requirements
for and benefits from enhanced elevation data of various
QLs for 34 Federal agencies, all 50 states (with local and
Tribal input), and 13 non-governmental organizations.
The NEEA documented the highest Return on Invest-
ment from QL2 lidar for the conterminous states, Hawaii
and U.S. territories, and QL5 IfSAR for Alaska.
Chapters 3, 5, 8, 9, 13, 14, and 15 are “must-read”
chapters for users and providers of topographic lidar data.
Chapter 8 addresses linear mode, single photon and Geiger
mode lidar technologies, and Chapter 10 addresses the
latest in topobathymetric lidar. The remaining chapters are
either relevant to all DEM technologies or address alternative
technologies including photogrammetry, IfSAR, and sonar.
As demonstrated by the figures selected for the front
cover of this manual, readers will recognize the editors’
vision for the future – a 3D Nation that seamlessly merges
topographic and bathymetric data from the tops of the moun-
tains, beneath rivers and lakes, to the depths of the sea.
Co-Editors
David F. Maune, PhD, CP and
Amar Nayegandhi, CP, CMS
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