Digital Terrain Modeling: Acquisition, Manipulation, and Applications

With its expanding array of applications in everything from biodiversity modeling to wireless communications, it's no wonder digital terrain modeling (DTM) - the electronic process of representing topography in three dimensions -- is a hot subject among engineers and geoscientists. This concise resource is the first truly complete guide to this growing field. It combines a mathematically rigorous treatment of DTM generation, manipulation, and analysis together with the full spectrum of real-world applications. The book describes the various data acquisition techniques and explains how to determine the most appropriate DTM generation method for any given project. This unique reference presents highly illustrative examples and real-world applications that highlight DTM's current capabilities and limitations in various environmental modeling, mapping, military, transportation, and engineering activities.