Digital Elevation Models: Basic Elements

This lecture introduces the basics of digital elevation models (DEM) in the context of geographic information systems. It covers the main methods of altitude acquisition, representation techniques, and the importance of altitude in spatial analysis. Various methods such as leveling, photogrammetry, and LiDAR are discussed, along with their applications in creating DEMs. The lecture also explores the use of shading and contour lines for representing relief, as well as irregular point distributions and regular grid models for accurate altitude representation.