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Encyclopedia of Remote Sensing pp 320–325Cite as

Land Surface Topography

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Part of the Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series book series (EESS)

Synonyms

Elevation; Landscape; Relief; Terrain

Definition

Topography of the Land Surface. The three-dimensional arrangement of physical attributes (such as shape, height, and depth) of a land surface in a place or region. Physical features that make up the topography of an area include mountains, valleys, plains, and bodies of water. Human-made features such as roads, railroads, and landfills are also often considered part of a region’s topography (American Heritage Science Dictionary, 2005).

Importance of topographic information

The topography of the land surface is one of the most fundamental geophysical measurements of the Earth, and it is a dominant controlling factor in virtually all physical processes that occur on the land surface. Topography of the land surface also significantly controls processes within the overlying atmosphere, and it reflects the processes within the underlying lithosphere. Consequently, topographic information is important across the full spectrum of earth...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science Center, 57198, Sioux Falls, SD, USA

    G. Bryan Bailey

Authors
  1. G. Bryan Bailey
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Correspondence to G. Bryan Bailey .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA

    Eni G. Njoku

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Bailey, G.B. (2014). Land Surface Topography. In: Njoku, E.G. (eds) Encyclopedia of Remote Sensing. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-36699-9_80

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