Orange County Coastal Digital Elevation Model at 1/3 Arc-Second Resolution

NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information provides a high-resolution digital elevation model for the Orange County, California coastline. The DEM integrates bathymetric and topographic data at a 1/3 arc-second grid spacing, approximately 10 meters, referenced to the NAVD 88 vertical datum. It supports coastal hazard mitigation and preparedness efforts under the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program.

Use Cases

• Model tsunami inundation zones using integrated bathymetric-topographic elevation data for coastal Orange County.
• Analyze coastal erosion and sediment transport by comparing this DEM's shoreline data with historical datasets.
• Support coastal resilience planning by mapping flood risk areas with the NAVD 88 referenced elevation grid.
• Calibrate hydrodynamic models using the ~10-meter resolution grid spacing for nearshore wave and current simulations.

Strengths

• High-resolution grid spacing of 1/3 arc-second (~10 meters) for detailed coastal analysis.
• Integrated dataset combining bathymetric and topographic data from multiple authoritative sources like NOAA and USGS.
• Data is vertically referenced to the standard NAVD 88 datum, ensuring consistency for engineering and scientific applications.
• Specifically compiled to support the National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program's hazard mitigation objectives.

Limitations

• Limited geographic scope to the Orange County, California coastline, not suitable for regional or national-scale studies.
• The integration of data from multiple sources may introduce inconsistencies in data quality or resolution in some areas.
• The ~10-meter resolution may be insufficient for modeling very fine-scale coastal features or urban infrastructure.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce.

Collection Method

Compiled from bathymetric, topographic, and shoreline data obtained from NOAA, USGS, and other federal, state, local, academic, and private sources.

Freshness

Last updated on 2024-10-18.

Geography

Orange County, California coastline.