New Orleans Coastal Digital Elevation Model at 1/3 Arc-Second Resolution

A 1/3 arc-second (~10 meter) resolution digital elevation model for the New Orleans, Louisiana coastal region, referenced to the NAVD 88 vertical datum. The DEM integrates bathymetric and topographic data compiled from multiple federal, state, and local sources. It was developed for NOAA through the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to support vertical datum transformation.

Use Cases

• Model coastal flooding and storm surge impacts using the integrated bathymetric-topographic elevation data.
• Assess shoreline change and coastal erosion by analyzing the high-resolution gridded elevation surface.
• Support nautical charting and marine navigation with bathymetry data referenced to tidal datums like MHW or MLLW.
• Evaluate the utility of NOAA's VDatum tool for vertical datum transformations across the Gulf of Mexico region.

Strengths

• High spatial resolution of 1/3 arc-second (~10 meters) provides detailed coastal terrain representation.
• Integrated dataset combines bathymetric and topographic data into a single, consistent elevation model.
• Data is referenced to authoritative geodetic standards including NAVD 88 and NAD 83.

Limitations

• Specific temporal coverage for the source data is not provided, limiting time-series analysis.
• The dataset's spatial extent is limited to a select coastal region in the Gulf of Mexico.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Compiled from bathymetric, topographic, and shoreline data obtained from NGDC, U.S. Coastal Services Center, U.S. Office of Coast Survey, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and other agencies.

Freshness

Metadata was last updated in October 2024.

Geography

New Orleans, Louisiana coastal region in the Gulf of Mexico.