Lesson 10a - 3DEP Topic Lesson: Digital Elevation Models, Hydro-Flattening, and Hydro-Enforcement

Lesson 10A - 3DEP Topic Lesson: Digital Elevation Models, Hydro-Flattening, Hydro-Enforcement, and Breaklines In this 3DEP Topic lesson, we will provide information on different types of Digital Elevation Models, or DEMs. We will discuss the difference between a Topographic DEM and a Hydrologic DEM, and provide explanations of the related terms “hydro-flattened” and “hydro-enforced”. We will also provide a basic explanation of breaklines and the purposes they serve. Understanding the differences between these two types of DEMs, the concepts of hydro-flattening and hydro-enforcement, and the purposes that breaklines serve, are important steps in better utilizing 3DEP products. Producer: Amanda Bouchard, USGS