3D elevation data is critical to supporting national infrastructure and maintaining economic security

Administered by the USGS in collaboration with numerous federal, state, local, tribal and other partners, 3DEP was launched in 2016 to meet the growing demand for high-quality terrain data and 3D representations of a wide range of natural and man-made features across the United States.

Decision makers across the United States use this elevation data every day to make critical decisions, including the immediate safety of people, property, and the environment. The benefits to the American people are conservatively estimated to be $690 million per year, and could be even greater as more data is collected.

What makes 3DEP so valuable is that it collects data systematically, in three dimensions and at high quality. The underlying technology used to collect the data is light detection and ranging, or LiDAR.

LiDAR data Data is being collected for the contiguous United States, Hawaii, and U.S. territories, and interferometric synthetic aperture radar (IfSAR) data is needed for Alaska, whose cloud cover and remote terrain limit the ability to use lidar.

As of the end of fiscal year 2023, 94.7% of the United States has or is in the process of having elevation data that meets 3DEP’s high-accuracy and high-resolution specifications.

The goal is to cover 100% of the United States. Once completed, the dataset will provide the first-ever consistent national baseline of high-resolution terrain elevation data, including bare earth and 3D point clouds. As new 3DEP data collections are added, the National 3DEP Baseline will become increasingly useful and valuable for monitoring changes to human and natural landscapes.

LiDAR data is captured using a sensor mounted on an aircraft or helicopter, and altitude is determined based on how fast light emitted by the aircraft reaches the Earth’s surface and returns to the sensor.

Below are examples of how 3DEP data is supporting the nation’s infrastructure and economic recovery in areas such as flood risk management, precision agriculture, infrastructure projects, and landslide hazard management.

3DEP and Flood Risk Management

According to the National Weather Service’s Hydrological Information Center (NOAA), floods have cost the United States an average of nearly $8 billion in damages and killed more than 80 people each year over the past 30 years.

Improved flood risk assessment and management relies on high-quality elevation data along coasts and waterways to help reduce property damage and save lives. Data collected through 3DEP is used to provide the most accurate hydrological forecast models and flood risk maps, allowing responders and planners to better prepare for a possible flood or other disaster.

The data provided supports the management of critical infrastructure and detects changes in the land surface caused by natural processes (such as landslides and erosion) and human activities (such as urban development and agriculture).

The dataset also helps improve state and local government risk management and flood response, emergency management, and floodplain management, stormwater drainage facilities, and dam management. FEMA is a partner and primary user of this data to support their mission to help people before, during, and after disasters.

3DEP and Precision Agriculture

The agricultural industry, including farmers who rely on advanced technology, is increasingly using LiDAR data for crop management to improve productivity.

High-quality terrain information from LiDAR provides producers with more detailed information about soil type, soil moisture, drainage, and topographic variations (slope, aspect, and curvature) within fields.

Knowing these elevation characteristics gives farms the opportunity to use site-specific approaches, such as using prescriptions to apply seeds, fertilizers, water or herbicides. It can also help with farmland suitability analysis, farm pond design, drainage analysis and conservation planning.

Use of this data can improve farmland management and farming practices, resulting in higher crop yields, reduced losses from flooding or poor site design, and protection of important natural resources and habitats.

3DEP and Landslide Hazard Management

United States Geological Survey Landslide Hazard Prevention Plan Rely on high-resolution 3D elevation data to conduct landslide hazard assessments, perform landslide investigations and forecasts, and provide technical assistance in responding to landslide emergencies.

Detailed and accurate information helps researchers better understand the terrain and its potential for landslides. High-resolution terrain data is important for predicting when and where landslides may occur, as well as understanding the potential size, speed and impact of landslides in specific environments.

The USGS Landslide Hazards Program uses detailed elevation data to improve the ability to communicate natural hazard information to decision makers and the public. This reduces property and infrastructure damage from landslides and aids in planning evacuation and staging areas.

Elevation data provide input to slope stability models used by the USGS to determine where shallow landslides may develop into fast-moving, potentially destructive and lethal mudflows; landslide initiation and flow models, landslide inventories and sediment maps are used to show landslide activity.

3DEP and Infrastructure Projects

Across the country, accurate topographic surveys and LiDAR point clouds are critical to supporting power grids, earthwork projects, topographic land surveys, and complex hydrological models.

Elevation data is also used for infrastructure maintenance and can provide valuable productivity, safety and cost-saving benefits for improved projects and related construction management.

Examples of the use of 3D elevation data in infrastructure projects include utility surveys and corridor mapping, aerial terrain and other obstacle identification, dam, levee and coastal structure failure modeling and mitigation, construction planning, assessment of geological, coastal and other features, and preliminary engineering.

The benefits of using this data are that it can improve personnel safety by reducing exposure to site hazards, increase detail by capturing a high density of point measurements, and cover visible surfaces in large and difficult to access project areas.

Leveraging partnerships for future success

Developing the 3DEP was truly a community effort, including data collection partnerships that leveraged funding, contracting with experienced private mapping firms, technical expertise, LiDAR data standards and specifications, and most importantly, public access to high-quality 3D elevation data.

USGS will continue to build a modernized elevation foundation to create stronger, more resilient communities, strengthen and expand the U.S. economy, improve decision making, and ensure effective and efficient communications and infrastructure across the nation.