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Southern Louisiana 1/3 arc-second NAVD 88 Coastal Digital Elevation Model

Published by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Catalog Last Checked: May 05, 2026 at 11:26 PM | Dataset Last Updated: January 28, 2012 at 12:00 AM
Modeling and mapping of coastal processes (e.g. tsunamis, hurricane storm-surge, and sea-level rise) requires digital representations of Earth's solid surface, referred to as digital elevation models (DEMs). Some modeling utilizes structured, square-cell DEMs, while others utilize unstructured grids that have no regular cell size or pattern. Usually, these different DEM types are developed independently, even though they are built from the same source bathymetric and topographic datasets. The National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC), an office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has developed two bathymetric-topographic square-celled DEMs and one bathymetric-topographic unstructured DEM of southern Louisiana. The DEMs were developed for the Hurricane Forecast Improvement Project (HFIP), with the purpose of developing a new methodology for unstructured grid production from structured square-celled grids. The 1/3 arc-second DEM referenced to North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88) was carefully developed and evaluated. A NAVD 88 to mean high water (MHW) 1/3 arc-second conversion grid derived from VDatum project areas was created to model the relationship between NAVD 88 and MHW in the southern Louisiana region. NGDC combined the NAVD 88 DEM and the conversion grid to develop a 1/3 arc-second MHW DEM. The NAVD 88 DEM was generated from diverse digital datasets in the region. The DEMs were developed to be used for storm surge inundation and sea level rise modeling. The source bathymetric and topographic datasets used in the development of the NAVD 88 DEM were utilized along with the NAVD 88 DEM and derivative grids to develop the NAVD 88 unstructured DEM.

Resources

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  • DEM text search

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  • Bathymetric Data Viewer

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  • OPeNDAP Dataset Access Form

    TEXT/HTML
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  • Download NetCDF File

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  • Web Coverage Service GetCapabilities

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  • Web Map Service GetCapabilities

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  • Download a subset of the NetCDF

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  • NetCDF Markup Language file

    NETCDF
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  • Digital Elevation Models of Southern Louisiana: Procedures, Data Sources and Analysis

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  • GCMD Keyword Forum Page

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Earth Science > Oceans > Bathymetry/Seafloor Topography > Seafloor Topography Earth Science > Oceans > Bathymetry/Seafloor Topography > Bathymetry Earth Science > Oceans > Bathymetry/Seafloor Topography > Water Depth Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography > Terrain Elevation Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography > Terrain Elevation > Topographical Relief Maps Earth Science > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coastal Elevation Models/Analyses > DEM > Digital Elevation Model ICSU-WDS > International Council for Science - World Data System

Complete Metadata
@type dcat:Dataset
accessLevel non-public
contactPoint 
{
  "fn": "NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information",
  "@type": "vcard:Contact",
  "hasEmail": "mailto:dem.info@noaa.gov"
}
describedByType application/octet-steam
description Modeling and mapping of coastal processes (e.g. tsunamis, hurricane storm-surge, and sea-level rise) requires digital representations of Earth's solid surface, referred to as digital elevation models (DEMs). Some modeling utilizes structured, square-cell DEMs, while others utilize unstructured grids that have no regular cell size or pattern. Usually, these different DEM types are developed independently, even though they are built from the same source bathymetric and topographic datasets. The National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC), an office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has developed two bathymetric-topographic square-celled DEMs and one bathymetric-topographic unstructured DEM of southern Louisiana. The DEMs were developed for the Hurricane Forecast Improvement Project (HFIP), with the purpose of developing a new methodology for unstructured grid production from structured square-celled grids. The 1/3 arc-second DEM referenced to North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88) was carefully developed and evaluated. A NAVD 88 to mean high water (MHW) 1/3 arc-second conversion grid derived from VDatum project areas was created to model the relationship between NAVD 88 and MHW in the southern Louisiana region. NGDC combined the NAVD 88 DEM and the conversion grid to develop a 1/3 arc-second MHW DEM. The NAVD 88 DEM was generated from diverse digital datasets in the region. The DEMs were developed to be used for storm surge inundation and sea level rise modeling. The source bathymetric and topographic datasets used in the development of the NAVD 88 DEM were utilized along with the NAVD 88 DEM and derivative grids to develop the NAVD 88 unstructured DEM.
distribution 
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    "title": "DEM text search",
    "accessURL": "https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/coastal",
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    "description": "Text search for locating completed and planned DEMs.",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
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    "title": "Bathymetric Data Viewer",
    "accessURL": "https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/maps/bathymetry/",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "The Bathymetric Data Viewer is an interactive map providing discovery, descriptions, and download capability for bathymetric survey data and digital elevation models archived at NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
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    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "OPeNDAP Dataset Access Form",
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    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "OPeNDAP Dataset Access Form",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Download NetCDF File",
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    "mediaType": "application/x-netcdf",
    "description": "Download NetCDF File",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/thredds/fileServer/regional/southern_louisiana_13_navd88_2010.nc",
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    "description": "Web Coverage Service GetCapabilities",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/thredds/wcs/regional/southern_louisiana_13_navd88_2010.nc?service=WCS&version=1.0.0&request=GetCapabilities",
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    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
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    "downloadURL": "https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/thredds/ncml/regional/southern_louisiana_13_navd88_2010.nc?catalog=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ngdc.noaa.gov%2Fthredds%2Fcatalog%2Fregional%2Fcatalog.html&dataset=regionalDatasetScan%2Fsouthern_louisiana_13_navd88_2010.nc",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
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    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Digital Elevation Models of Southern Louisiana: Procedures, Data Sources and Analysis",
    "format": "PDF",
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    "description": "Report describing the development of the Southern Louisiana DEMs",
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    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
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    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2024. GCMD Keywords, Version 19. Greenbelt, MD: Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). URL (GCMD Keyword Forum Page): https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD+Keywords",
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identifier https://data.noaa.gov/waf/NOAA/NESDIS/NGDC/MGG/DEM/iso/xml/1521.xml
issued 2012-01-28T00:00:00.000+00:00
keyword 
[
  "Earth Science > Oceans > Bathymetry/Seafloor Topography > Seafloor Topography",
  "Earth Science > Oceans > Bathymetry/Seafloor Topography > Bathymetry",
  "Earth Science > Oceans > Bathymetry/Seafloor Topography > Water Depth",
  "Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography > Terrain Elevation",
  "Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography > Terrain Elevation > Topographical Relief Maps",
  "Earth Science > Oceans > Coastal Processes > Coastal Elevation",
  "Models/Analyses > DEM > Digital Elevation Model",
  "ICSU-WDS > International Council for Science - World Data System",
  "1 meter - < 30 meters",
  "< 1 meter",
  "Coastal Relief",
  "Gridded elevations",
  "Integrated bathymetry and topography",
  "Continent > North America > United States of America > Louisiana",
  "Ocean > Atlantic Ocean > North Atlantic Ocean > Gulf of Mexico",
  "Vertical Location > Land Surface",
  "Vertical Location > Sea Floor",
  "South Louisiana",
  "DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/NCEI > National Centers for Environmental Information, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce",
  "DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/NGDC > National Geophysical Data Center, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce"
]
language 
[]
license https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
modified 2012-01-28T00:00:00.000+00:00
publisher 
{
  "name": "NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information",
  "@type": "org:Organization"
}
references 
[
  "https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/mgg/dat/dems/regional_tr/southern_louisiana_13_navd88_2010.pdf"
]
rights otherRestrictions
spatial -89.8,28.6,-91.6,29.7
temporal 1888-01-01T00:00:00+00:00/1888-01-01T00:00:00+00:00
title Southern Louisiana 1/3 arc-second NAVD 88 Coastal Digital Elevation Model

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