Topobathymetric Elevation Model of Chesapeake Bay

<p><b>Open the Data Resource:</b> <a href='https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/coastal-national-elevation-database-applications-project/science/hurricane-sandy-1' rel='nofollow ugc'>https://www.usgs.gov/special-topics/coastal-national-elevation-database-applications-project/science/hurricane-sandy-1</a></p>
<p>Hurricane Sandy had significant impacts throughout the Chesapeake Bay, altering the topography and ecosystems of this populous coastal region. In response to the storm, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Coastal and Marine Geology Program in collaboration with USGS National Geospatial Program and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) developed three-dimensional (3D) topobathymetric elevation models for the Chesapeake Bay area.</p>
<p>The Chesapeake Bay TBDEM integrates over 261 different data sources, including topographic and bathymetric LiDAR point clouds, hydrographic surveys, side-scan sonar surveys and multi-beam surveys obtained from USGS, NOAA, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and other state and local agencies. The LiDAR and bathymetry surveys were sorted and prioritized based on survey date, accuracy, spatial distribution and point density to develop a model based on the best available elevation data. Because bathymetric data are typically referenced to tidal referenced datums (such as Mean High Water or Mean Low Water), all tidally-referenced heights were transformed into orthometric heights that are normally used for mapping elevation on land (based on the North American Vertical Datum of 1988). The spatial resolution is 1 meter and includes the Chesapeake Bay region, District of Columbia, and States of Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia. The temporal range of the input topography and bathymetry is 1859 to 2015.</p>