How to access restricted data in OpenTopography

OpenTopography is primarily supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation's Division of Earth Sciences, with a mandate to support U.S. academic research and education. Due to limited resources, we are unable to provide on-demand processing for all users for certain datasets. Note that there are many unrestricted datasets available from OpenTopography. Users who need access to our restricted datasets should review the information below.

1. US academic community with a .edu email address:

Members of the the US academic community have full access to restricted datasets in OpenTopography. Step 1: Create an OpenTopography account with your .edu email address. Step 2: Navigate to any restricted dataset page and click the "Enable Access" button located below the dataset map. Access is granted for a 1 year period and can be renewed annually.

2. K-12 teachers, international academics, and informal educators:

K-12 teachers, international academics, and informal educators interested in accessing restricted data and services (including APIs) via OpenTopography are invited to apply by submitting an application. Applications will be reviewed periodically by staff. Successful applicants will be granted access to restricted data for 1 year. Applicants must re-apply annually. Applications that do not conform to the review criteria will be rejected without review. OpenTopography uses information in these applications to demonstrate the impact of our services and to provide a measure of OpenTopography's success, helping to ensure continued funding.

Review criteria: (1) Applicants must have a MyOpenTopo account at the time of application. An account is free and easy to make here. (2) Applications are ideally received from an institutional email address. Applications from a personal (e.g., gmail) or other non-institutional email addresses are strongly discouraged. If your status as an educator is not clear from your email, include other evidence of your affiliation. For example, a faculty or staff page at an educational institution. (3) Explain your role and how you plan to utilize access to OpenTopography’s services. Examples of appropriate uses include: Development of educational resources, teaching/classroom instruction, undergraduate and graduate thesis research.

3. Commercial, hobby, and government users:

OpenTopography+. The OpenTopography+ pilot (OT+) is an opportunity for non-academic users to access OT’s value-added services applied to otherwise restricted access data. OT+ participants have access to OpenTopography's browser-based processing tools to generate custom Digital Elevation Models (inc. DTMs, DSMs, CHMs), contour lines, topographic hillshades, 3D point cloud visualizations, hydrology products, and vertical change maps. Learn more and sign-up here.

Restricted Datasets

USGS 3DEP Lidar Collection

The U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) is an ambitious effort to complete the acquisition of nationwide lidar (IfSAR in AK) to provide the first-ever national baseline of consistent high-resolution elevation data – bare earth and 3D point clouds & 1 m raster data– collected in a timeframe of less than a decade. By the end of 2023, USGS and federal, state, local and non-government partners have collected high resolution topography data over 94% of the United States . Thanks to USGS efforts in the last year to migrate these data into the cloud, led by Hobu, Inc. and the U.S Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) in collaboration with AWS Public Dataset Program.

NOAA Digital Coast Lidar Collection

The NOAA Coastal Lidar Data is a collection of lidar projects from many different sources and agencies, geographically focused on the coastal areas of the United States of America. The data is stored in the entwine point tile format, and hosted on Amazon as part of the AWS Public Dataset Program.  Elevation data are collected using a green laser for bathymetry and a green or near-infrared laser for topography. Data derive from the Joint Airborne Lidar Bathymetry Technical Center of Expertise (JALBTCX) and are coordinated through the Interagency Working Group–Ocean and Coastal Mapping (IWG-OCM).

High Resolution Digital Elevation Model Mosaic of Canada

The High Resolution Digital Elevation Model (HRDEM), is part of the CanElevation Series created in support of the National Elevation Data Strategy implemented by Natural Resources Canada. In the southern part of the country (south of the productive forest line), more accurate elevation is needed for forest inventory, coastal monitoring, flood plain mapping, precision agriculture, infrastructure, etc. This 1 meter mosaic represents the current and continuous coverage of high-resolution elevation data available in Canada and is available as Digital Surface Model (DSM) and Digital Terrain Model (DTM) datasets

ArcticDEM and REMA

The ArcticDEM and REMA (Reference Elevation Model of Antarctica) are National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA)-National Science Foundation (NSF) funded initiatives led by the Polar Geospatial Center (PGC) at the University of Minnesota. These datasets are high-resolution, high-quality digital surface models (DSM) of the polar regions produced using optical stereo imagery, high-performance computing, and open-source photogrammetry software.

The Netherlands Digital Elevation Model (AHN4)

The Netherlands Digital Elevation Model (AHN4) is a 50 centimeter, country-wide DSM and DTM of the Netherlands. The DEMs are created from detailed and precise elevation data with at least 10 lidar-derived elevation measurements per square meter. OpenTopography is providing access to version 4 of the AHN DEM which was created from data collected in 2020, 2021, and 2022

Switzerland 50 Centimeter Digital Elevation Models

The Switzerland Digital Elevation Model is a national high-resolution elevation dataset produced by swisstopo (the Federal Office of Topography of Switzerland). The dataset is derived from airborne lidar surveys and is available as both a Digital Terrain Model and a Digital Surface Model, each at 50 cm resolution covering Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein. Both the DTM and DSM derive from the same single nationwide lidar campaign conducted by swisstopo in six stages over approximately seven years (spring 2017 to late 2025)

Norway 1 Meter Digital Elevation Models

The Norway 1 meter Digital Elevation Model is a high-resolution national elevation dataset produced by the Norwegian Mapping Authority as part of Norway's National Detailed Elevation Model program. The dataset is derived from airborne lidar surveys and is available as both a Digital Terrain Model and a Digital Surface Model covering mainland Norway. It is a national mosaic compiled from surveys conducted between 2009 and present. The majority of coverage was acquired between 2014 and 2019 as part of the Nasjonal detaljert høydemodell (NDH) program, which completed full national coverage in 2022. These DEMs are updated as new surveys are added

Finland 2 Meter Digital Elevation Model

The Finland 2m Digital Elevation Model is a national high-resolution elevation dataset produced by the National Land Survey of Finland. The dataset is derived from airborne lidar surveys and is available as a Digital Terrain Model providing bare-earth surface representation at 2-meter resolution across the entirety of Finland. Lidar collection began in 2008 and is ongoing, with approximately 40,000 km² added into the model annually