Topography – Normalized Digital Surface Model – 2011

This data layer is a normalized Digital Surface Model (DSM) of the state of Minnesota at a 3 meter resolution. It was developed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. A DSM captures the height of both natural (trees) and artificial (buildings, infrastructure) features above the earth's surface. It was developed using Lidar data that was collected circa 2011 and National Agricultural Imagery Program stereo imagery from 2019. DSMs provide a better understanding of both the built and natural environments, with specific value in forest management applications.