DSM
Digital Surface Model
Elevation of the ground and everything on it — buildings, vegetation and structures — as one continuous surface.
High resolution elevation data. Anywhere. Anytime.
nDSM
Normalized DSM — heights above ground
The terrain removed, leaving only object heights — ideal for building height, canopy and volume analysis.
DTM
Digital Terrain Model
The bare-earth surface with objects stripped away — the foundation for hydrology, slope and terrain analysis.
See the Difference
Global data, meet Calhypso.
Same coastline, a world of detail apart — drag from Copernicus' 30-metre global model to Calhypso's sub-metre DSM.
© DLR e.V. 2010-2014 and © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH 2014-2018 provided under COPERNICUS by the European Union and ESA; all rights reserved
Use Cases
What surface models are good for.
A digital model of the surface — and of the bare terrain beneath it — turns the shape of the world into measurable data. Here is where that matters.
Urban Planning
Surface models expose building heights, volumes and the 3-D fabric of a city. Planners can assess density, shadowing, view corridors, solar exposure and the visual impact of new developments before anything is built.
Telecommunications planning
Coverage for antennas, 5G small cells and microwave links depends on what stands between transmitter and receiver. A DSM captures rooftops, masts and vegetation, so line-of-sight, interference and optimal tower placement can be modelled accurately.
Climate Change monitoring
Repeat models over time to measure change in urban growth and canopy dynamics. Differencing two epochs turns elevation into a quantitative record of how a landscape is shifting.
Hydrology & Flood Risk
Water follows terrain. Surface and terrain models drive flow accumulation, watershed delineation and flood-inundation modelling — showing where water collects, how it routes through streets and which assets sit in a flood's path.
Disaster Risk Management
Before an event, elevation feeds landslide, wildfire and flood susceptibility maps. After one, fresh models quantify damage, debris volumes and structural change — helping responders prioritise and plan reconstruction.
Stockpile monitoring
Track how stockpiles grow and shrink, supporting inventory, reconciliation and reporting without manual survey.
Situational Awareness
Accurate 3-D terrain and surface data underpins mission planning, line-of-sight and viewshed analysis, mobility and route assessment, and simulation — understanding what can be seen, reached and concealed across complex environments.
Contacts
Get in touch.
Questions about our products, a specific area, or how a surface model could help your project? We're happy to talk — reach out for questions or more detail and we'll get back to you.
[email protected]