ERS Introduces Two New Measures Characterizing Rugged Terrain in the United States

For all its beauty, rugged terrain can have complex and contradictory effects on communities. Whether made up of mountains, canyons, or other landscape features, rugged terrain (defined here as any location with significant variation in elevation) is appreciated by long-term residents and may spur economic growth through tourism and migration. It may also be a barrier to settlement and travel, limiting the amount of land available for development and making it more time-consuming for residents living in or traveling through rugged terrain to access needed goods and services. However, the intersection of rugged terrain and economic activity remains understudied, in part because of the lack of a geographically detailed measure of ruggedness.