MRDEM: Medium Resolution Digital Elevation Model for Canada at 30 Meters

30-meter resolution nationwide elevation data for Canada integrates satellite and airborne lidar sources. Natural Resources Canada produces this multi-source product, which includes Digital Terrain and Surface Models. The spatial coverage extends into the USA to support cross-border hydrological studies.

Use Cases

• Modeling hydrological flow and watersheds based on the 30-meter resolution Digital Terrain Model.
• Analyzing surface features and vegetation height using the integrated Digital Surface Model.
• Conducting cross-border environmental studies based on coverage extending into the USA.
• Creating base maps for national-scale planning and analysis using the Canada-wide coverage.

Strengths

• Nationwide coverage for Canada at a consistent 30-meter resolution.
• Integrates multiple high-quality sources: Copernicus DEM satellite data and 1-meter lidar-derived HRDEM data.
• Includes both Digital Terrain Model and Digital Surface Model derived products.
• Projected to a standard Canadian coordinate system (EPSG:3979) and referenced to the CGVD2013 height system.

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.
• The files are designed for streaming, not downloading, which may limit offline use cases.

Provenance

Source

Natural Resources Canada (NRCan)

Collection Method

Integration of Copernicus DEM (TanDEM-X Mission) and resampled High Resolution Digital Elevation Model (HRDEM) from airborne lidar.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-16 12:31:08.342917; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Nationwide coverage for Canada, extending into parts of the USA for cross-border watersheds.