Terrain - Hillshade

This layer provides a hillshaded surface (single band grayscale image) generated dynamically using the hillshade server-side function on the Terrain layer. The hillshading is based on a solar altitude angle of 45 degrees, and solar aspect angle of 315 degrees. The z factor is varied based on scale so that a suitable hillshade is visible at all scales. This layer is useful for simple visualization of the Terrain because it is easy to interpret and use as a base layer in applications and maps. Update Frequency: Quarterly Coverage: World/Global Data Sources: This layer is compiled from a variety of best available sources from several data providers. To see the coverage and extents of various datasets comprising this service in an interactive map, see World Elevation Coverage Map. What can you do with this layer? Use for Visualization: Yes. Hillshade provides a quick indication of the shape of the terrain at a range of map scales. The image service can be added to web applications or other maps to enhance contextual understanding. Use for Analysis: No. A hillshade is generally not used for analysis. For more details such as Data Sources, Mosaic method used in this layer, please see the Terrain layer. This layer allows query, identify, and export image requests. The layer is restricted to a 5,000 x 5,000 pixel limit in a single export image request. This layer is part of a larger collection of elevation layers that you can use to perform a variety of mapping and analysis tasks.