As of 2022, the absolute vertical accuracy of the 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) 1/3 arc-second seamless DEM product within the conterminous United States is approximately 0.82 meters root mean square error (RMSE), based on a comparison to almost 25,000 NOAA National Geodetic Survey OPUS points. Accuracy has improved from a RMSE of 1.55 meters tested in 2013, due to the addition of lidar projects over the years.
The vertical accuracy of the 3DEP dynamic elevation service, which is a web coverage service (WCS) that includes multiple resolutions of DEMs (including 1-m resolution lidar-based DEMs where available), currently has a RMSE of 0.53 meters.
It is important to note that the vertical accuracy actually varies significantly across the U.S. because of differences in source quality, terrain relief, land cover, and other factors.
Learn more: The accuracy and consistency of 3D Elevation Program data: A systematic analysis
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What data sources are used to produce the 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) DEMs?
The USGS 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) is in the process of collecting high-quality lidar and IfSAR (for Alaska) coverage for all of the United States and its territories. As this new data becomes available, legacy Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) are being systematically replaced with high-resolution DEMs produced almost entirely from the lidar and ifsar data. Legacy DEMs were produced from sources...
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If you think you’ve found an error in USGS elevation data, please send an email to tnm_help@usgs.gov. We will add the reported information to our "Digital Elevation Model Issues" data log for further analysis and possible correction. Spikes, pits, seam-line anomalies, and other data errors are of concern to us. We are working to correct or minimize known issues, but it will take some time. Errors...
What is the difference between lidar data and a digital elevation model (DEM)?
Light detection and ranging (lidar) data are collected from aircraft using sensors that detect the reflections of a pulsed laser beam. The reflections are recorded as millions of individual points, collectively called a “point cloud,” that represent the 3D positions of objects on the surface including buildings, vegetation, and the ground. Digital elevation models (DEMs) are one of many products...
How accurate are elevations generated by the Elevation Point Query Service in The National Map?
The National Map’s Elevation Point Query Service returns elevations that are interpolated from the 1/3 arc-second 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) DEM dataset. These interpolated point elevations are not official and do not represent precisely measured ground surveyed values. Elevations derived for a specific location using the Elevation Point Query Service might differ from monumented control...
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