Water risk intelligence firm Fathom has launched FathomDEM+, a global terrain dataset designed to provide a single, uniform, and independently benchmarked view of terrain worldwide, enhancing risk analysis.
The programme aims to underpin the next generation of Fathom’s global flood maps, starting with Fathom’s updated Global Flood Map.
It is also available as a standalone dataset for climate, risk and infrastructure analysis.
The dataset resolves inconsistencies in elevation data, enabling engineers and risk analysts to work from a single, consistent terrain view.
By combining enhanced machine-learning techniques with the world’s largest curated collection of LiDAR and other high-resolution datasets spanning over 10 million km2, FathomDEM+ delivers near-LiDAR-quality elevation data globally.
Where LiDAR is available, it is incorporated directly; elsewhere, machine learning trained on LiDAR terrain data corrects elevation bias and removes surface artefacts, improving consistency across regions.
The move aligns with Fathom’s glass-box approach, the methods are peer-reviewed and publicly documented.
Dr Oliver Wing, Chief Scientist & Product Officer, Fathom, commented, “Errors in terrain data don’t stay hidden – they show up directly in flood models, navigation, infrastructure planning and critical decision-making. FathomDEM+ addresses this by anchoring accuracy in LiDAR where it exists and extending it elsewhere using machine learning, so terrain behaves consistently when used in real-world analysis and planning.”
Earlier this month, Swiss Re integrated Fathom’s flood hazard and terrain data into its internal catastrophe model, enhancing the reinsurance giant’s understanding of global flood risk.
