Geodata

Many datasets, related to Earth, environmental science and geography, are available around the World. You will find here a list of some of the most complete and usable ones for several type of works.

  1. Swiss 3D models
  2. Geodata catalogs
  3. Remote sensing, land cover & other geospatial data
  4. Natural hazards
  5. Data professionals

Swiss 3D models

In geosciences, 3D models are one of the most valuable data types, they are so versatile and can be used for many different applications. Below, a dataset with swiss 3D models: swissALTI3D, swissSURFACE3D, swissSURFACE3D Raster, swissBATHY3D, DHM 25 and DHM/200m. More information about the technical details for this dataset below.

  • swissALTI3D: swissALTI3D is an extremely precise digital elevation model which describes the surface of Switzerland without vegetation and development. Application includes: 1) Height data-set in a geographic information system, 2) 3D visualisations, simulations and visibility analyses, 3) Mapping small structures and forest paths, 4) Planning tool in the fields of spatial planning, telecommunications, natural hazards and forestry, and 5) Ortho-rectification of aerial and satellite images.
  • swissSURFACE3D: swissSURFACE3D models all natural and man-made objects of the surface of Switzerland in the form of a classified point cloud. These high-accuracy and high spatial density data are collected by airborne LiDAR. Application includes: 1) Automatic 3D modelling of buildings and other landscape objects, 2) Volumes calculation, 3) Study of the forest: map of cuts, calculation of biomass, planning of cuts, digital canopy models, 4) 3D modelling of ground-based elements under vegetation cover such as forest roads or watercourses, 5) Creation of digital terrain models and 6) Creation of digital surface models.
  • swissSURFACE3D Raster: swissSURFACE3D Raster is a digital surface model (DSM) which represents the earth’s surface including visible and permanent landscape elements such as soil, natural cover, and all sorts of constructive work with the exception of power lines and masts. Application includes: 1) Runoff and mass movement models under consideration of vegetation and buildings, 2) Production of (True)-Orthophotos, 3) Modelling of the solar energy potential for roofs, 4) Rendering of 3D-visulisations, 5) Line-of-sight calculations, 6) Biomass modelling for forestry, 7) Canopy height models with swissALTI3D as terrain model, and 8) Disaster analysis (e.g. rock fall or debris flow events).
  • swissBATHY3D: swissBATHY3D contains bathymetric data in the form of a very accurate digital elevation model that describes the topography of the Swiss lakebeds. Application includes: 1) Planning and implantation of underwater constructions, 2) Underwater navigation for divers and submarines, 3) Boat Navigation, and 4) Environmental studies relating to lakebeds.
  • DHM25 and DHM/200m: Digital height model DHM25 and DHM/200m are a set of data representing the 3D form of the earth’s surface without vegetation and buildings. It is essentially based on the 1:25,000 Swiss national map. DHM/200m can be used for larger scale processes as the grids are 200m big. The size of the grids for DHM25 are 25m big. DHM25 and DHM/200m can be used wherever computations of the topography of the earth’s surface are required. In other words, it is a basic dataset for geographic information systems. For example, it can be used for making calculations of terrain sections, simulating avalanches, constructing terrain models, carrying out visibility studies, planning telecommunication antennas or visualisations of landscapes. The range of potential uses is very broad.

Geodata catalogs

  • UNIL Geocatalog: Unil Geocatalog is a geospatial database for GIS operations. Data are freely available for UNIL staff and students. Information includes: topographic maps, digital terrain models (altitudes), aerial photographs, Satellite photographs, Hydrographic networks, Road networks, Land cover, census data (population, and buildings), etc.
  • Maps of Switzerland: Maps of Switzerland is a geospatial database for GIS data for Switzerland. It is freely available and very complete for everyone. Meanwhile, it has a great graphical interface to visualize where the data is available in Switzerland. Downloading is easy form this platform.
  • Geographic data catalogue of Switzerland: Geographic data catalogue of Switzerland is a detailed list of geodata and GIS datasets of several types covering the whole of Switzerland, which cover physical and human-based geographical data.
  • EnviDat: EnviDat is the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) data portal providing unified and managed access to environmental monitoring and research data. The portal has the capability to host and publish data sets. Through the sharing of unique and high-value data sets worldwide, EnviDat fosters research and contributes to advancing environmental science.
  • FreeGISData: FreeGISData is a categorised list of several GIS datasets, free of charges. They are either physical, human-related or country-specific, coming in a wide range of form and types, covering a large spectre of needs.
  • GISGeography: GISGeography is a catalog of 10 free to use geodatabases, known as accessible and available for any type of work requiring GIS data. Its diversity makes it useful in many ways. For example, the Esri open data hub listed in this catalog houses over 250’000 datasets from many organisations all over the world. Therefore, a lot of applications are possible thanks to this huge quantity of data available. Check out the catalog here to find the most suitable data adapted to your needs.
  • Library system, University of Pittsburgh: GIS databases catalog, belonging to the library systems at the University of Pittsburgh, redirects to various links containing geodatabases, GIS software and many other useful resources. As a catalog, it is a collection of many links to complete databases and datasets.
  • Heavy.ai: Heavy.ai is a GIS Software, a good alternative to free-to-use software like Qgis, contains a detailed database usable for various analysis. Although it is specialised in Telecom & Energy industries, applications of other domains are possible.

Remote sensing, land cover & other geospatial data

  • Planet: Planet provides daily Earth data to observe physical changes and make better decisions. Planet provides daily satellite data that helps businesses, governments, researchers, and journalists understand the physical world and take actions. As for the applications, it covers 1) Forestry monitoring, 2) Land-use analysis, 3) Crop management, i.e. stress identification, 4) Drought detection, 5) Defense & intel findings, 6) Illegal activities detection, and 7) Mining optimisation.
  • Landsat: Landsat Level-1 data, as well as Level-2 and Level-3 science products held in the USGS archive, have been available for download at no charge from a variety of data portals. This page provides information about searching and downloading Landsat data and science products. Many application possible, amongst the most probable are the calculation of indices such as the NDVI, the NDMI, the NDSI and many more, used to evaluate the physcial or ecological changes of the natural environment. Its range of usage varies a lot from agricultural management, forest health monitoring, wildfire risk assesment, coastal change analysis, glacier retreat quantification, urban development and many more. Landsat satellites are all equipped with several sensors (11 bands for Landsat 9, the most recent one) capturing and producing a large spectrum of data, thus their usability is very wide. USGS provides post-processed, cloudless data, useful for several types of needs.
  • Copernicus: Copernicus provides complete, free and open access to Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, Sentinel-3 and Sentinel-5P user products, starting from the In-Orbit Commissioning Review (IOCR). Many applications possibles, alongside providing a high resolution and cloudless imagery of the Earth, Sentinel satellites missions are also providing precious data of the emerged lands (Sentinel–2), vegetation surveillance and oceanographic management (Sentinel–3), atmospheric and climatic observations (Sentinel–4; should be launched in 2023), atmospheric composition (Sentinel–5) and precise altimetric data (Sentinel–6).
  • Global Land Cover Maps: Global Land Cover Maps consists of a free annual coverage imagery of the world, from 1992 to 2020. It can be used to 1) Land coverage observations and 2) Land-use analysis at lower resolution but wide coverage.
  • CORINE Land Cover: CORINE The Copernicus Global Land Service (CGLS) is a component of the Land Monitoring Core Service (LMCS) of Copernicus, the European flagship programme on Earth Observation. The Global Land Service systematically produces a series of qualified bio-geophysical products on the status and evolution of the land surface, at global scale and at mid to low spatial resolution, complemented by the constitution of long term time series. The products are used to monitor the vegetation, the water cycle, the energy budget and the terrestrial cryosphere. As for the applications, it can be used for 1) Land cover analysis, 2) Forestry monitoring, 3) Crop management, 4) Specialised map creation and 5) Heatwave monitoring.
  • EuroStat: EuroStat is the Statistical office of the European Union, produces free geostatistical data for anyone needing it.Depending on the needs, many basis are covered with the data provided in this list, check out the catalog here to find the most suitable data adapted to your needs. However, the most common application with this type of catalog is map-creation & human behaviour analysis over the EU.
  • OpenStreetMap: OpenStreetMap is a collaborative project to create a free editable geographic databases of the world. The geodata underlying the maps is considered the primary output of the project. As fro the application, it can be used for 1) High-resolution map production, 2) Street-level imagery accessiblity, and 3)Route planning.

Natural hazards

  • European Ground Motion Service: European Ground Motion Service provides consistent and reliable information regarding natural and anthropogenic ground motion over the Copernicus Participating States and across national borders, with millimetre accuracy. It provides an unprecedented opportunity to study geohazards and human-induced deformation such as slow-moving landslides, subsidence due to groundwater exploitation or underground mining, volcanic unrests and many more. It provides three level of products. The basic one, consisting of lines of sight velocity maps in ascending and descending orbits with annotated geolocalisation and quality measures per measurement point. The calibrated one, which consists of the same data but referenced to a model derived from global navigation satellite systems time-series data. And finally ortho one, which are components of motion (horizontal and vertical) anchored to the reference geodetic model.
  • EFFIS – Active Fire Detection: EFFIS uses the active fire detection provided by the NASA FIRMS (Fire Information for Resource Management System). Active fires are located on the basis of the so-called thermal anomalies produced by them. The algorithms compare the temperature of a potential fire with the temperature of the land cover around it; if the difference in temperature is above a given threshold, the potential fire is confirmed as an active fire or “hot spot.” As stated by its name, fire detection is the principal application of these data. However, this is very helpful as this can be used for hazard planning, population evacuation and several other early preparation measures instead of suffering harsher consequences later.
  • AlpArray: AlpArray is is an European initiative to advance our understanding of orogenesis and its relationship to mantle dynamics, plate reorganisations, surface processes and seismic hazard in the Alps-Apennines-Carpathians-Dinarides orogenic system. The initiative integrates present-day Earth observables with high-resolution geophysical imaging of 3D structure and physical properties. As for the applications, it covers 1) Seismic activities monitoring, 2) Seismic hazard planning and prevention, 3) Surface processes monitoring, 4) Orogenic system understanding, and 5) Advanced mantle dynamic understanding.

Data professionals

  • GeoDataSolutions: GeoDataSolutions is a company gathering GIS and data acquisition professionals. They are specialised in cartographic creations, data and flow modelling, spatial and spatio-temporal analyses, 2D, 3D, aggregation of several cartographic sources, cartographic dashboards, etc. They produce specialised data adapted to your needs, which makes it convenient for several types of jobs, such as 1) Map creation, 2) Flow modelling, 3) Spatial & spatio-temporal analysis, 4) 3D cartographic resources usage.
  • GEODATA: GEODATA is an Austrian company producing geodata on demand, covering several types of needs. Major applications are in mining, tunnelling and infrastructure building, such as 1) Mining optimisation, 2) Mining sites identification, 3) Tunnelling safety monitoring & optimisation, 4) Infrastructures building.
  • RaspberryShake: RaspberryShake produces low-cost seismometers, accessible to anyone from professionals to schools and hobby users. The global network has over 1500 stations running. The waveform images are available real-time.