DTM - Digital Terrain Model

For which purpose DTM are used?

Applications in engineering

DTM were first used for engineering purposes such as planning of roads, rail roads, channels and water dams or for calculation of mass (soil) movements for bigger working areas. An other important application is for wireless radio and broadcasting especially nowadays for mobile telephone.

Applications in geosciences

Applications in geosciences are more interesting in the context of the Trianet WWW pages. DTM are since some years used for all applications where the relief of the earth’s surface is of importance, e.g. in:

• Geomorphology: geomorphological mapping, modelling and recognition of landforms patterns, modelling of all processes of erosion (e.g. soil erosion and landslides), etc.
• Climatology: calculation and prediction of temperature, precipitation, evapotranspiration and wind, etc.
• Hydrology: calculation of stream lines, watersheds and drainage basins, modelling of river highwaters, etc.
• Geology and soil science: recognition of geological and tectonic structures, geological and soil mapping, prediction of soil distribution, etc.
• also in geoecology, zoological and vegetation geography, etc.

DTM are furthermore a basic component of nearly all modern geographical information systems or special information systems – e.g. for soil, hydrology and environment.

© 1999 TRIANET, Program of the European Union Socrates-Comenius
Last update on 05.05.1999 by Markus Zapke-Gründemann