dataset · Global
EarthDEM
EarthDEM - 2m GSD Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) and mosaics from 2002 to the present. The EarthDEM project seeks to fill the need for high-resolution time-series elevation data in non-polar regions. The time-dependent nature of the strip DEM files allows users to perform change detection analysis and to compare observations of topography data acquired in different seasons or years. The mosaic DEM tiles are assembled from multiple strip DEMs with the intention of providing a more consistent and
Visit source ↗Source details
Licence: [Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Evidence quality: 44.3
Listed in aws-odr public catalogue API on 2026-10-16; relevance/value screened (haiku).
Metadata checked: 2026-10-14T13:20:00.000Z
What's in it
- Data offered docs-verified
- 2 m GSD DEM strips (time-series, from in-track and cross-track ~0.5 m Maxar imagery) · 2 m GSD DEM mosaic tiles
- Coverage docs-verified
- Global, non-polar regions · 2002 to present
- Resolution docs-verified
- 2 m GSD (ground sample distance)
- Update frequency docs-verified
- New strips added when licensing allows; mosaics added as soon as available
- Formats llm-inferred
- COG (Cloud Optimized GeoTIFF, inferred from 'cog' tag) · STAC (static catalog and dynamic API)
- Access docs-verified
- Open, no auth: public AWS S3 bucket (us-west-2) accessible without an AWS account; licence CC BY 4.0. Only a portion is public; full dataset for federally-funded researchers via NASA CSDA SmallSat Data Explorer.
Useful for
- Use cases llm-inferred
- Change detection between strip DEMs from different years or seasons (e.g. ground change after flooding or construction) · Terrain baseline for overseas project areas where no local LiDAR or DTM coverage exists · Time-series topographic monitoring for slope or landslide assessment
- Audience llm-inferred
- hydrologists · geotechnical engineers · GIS analysts · drainage engineers · environmental consultants
Limitations
- Constraints llm-inferred
- Only a portion of the dataset is publicly available; full access restricted to federally-funded researchers via NASA CSDA · New strips depend on licensing permission, so recent coverage may lag · Focus is non-polar regions; polar coverage is not the aim · Strip DEMs vary in quality and mosaics are composites from multiple strips, so validation is needed before design use · Source imagery is commercial (Maxar), which may limit redistribution beyond CC BY 4.0 terms
Evidence
Check upstream coverage, uncertainty and licence before use. Station observations are not forecasts or design levels.