Defra Marine Digital Elevation Model: UK Coastal Waters to 200m Depth

Defra's 1 arc-second resolution Digital Elevation Model covers UK coastal waters to a depth of 200 meters. The dataset is derived from UK Hydrographic Office data and is referenced to the ETRS89 datum horizontally and Chart Datum vertically. Last updated on 2026-06-29, it is currently only available via a large data request through an SFTP connection.

Use Cases

• Coastal flood risk modeling based on detailed seabed elevation data.
• Marine habitat mapping based on bathymetric features.
• Navigation and maritime safety planning based on chart datum referenced depths.
• Climate change impact studies on coastal erosion based on nearshore topography.

Strengths

• Covers UK waters to a depth of 200 meters, providing coastal and near-shore detail.
• Uses a high 1 arc-second spatial resolution suitable for detailed analysis.
• Based on authoritative source data from the UK Hydrographic Office.
• Georeferenced to the standard ETRS89 datum and Chart Datum.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Access is restricted to a large data request via SFTP, which may hinder immediate use.

Provenance

Source

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), using data licensed from the UK Hydrographic Office.

Collection Method

Created by Defra from UKHO data for the purpose of DEM creation.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-29 22:06:02.117893; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Waters surrounding the United Kingdom, primarily coastal areas.