korkeuskuva

Korkeuskuva is a Finnish term that translates to "altitude image" or "height map." It refers to a digital representation of a terrain's elevation, typically displayed as a grayscale image where lighter shades indicate higher altitudes and darker shades represent lower altitudes.

These images are crucial in various fields, including geography, cartography, and environmental science. They are generated from data acquired through different methods such as aerial photography with stereo pairs, satellite imagery, or ground-based surveying. Digital elevation models (DEMs) are the underlying data structure that often gives rise to korkeuskuva visualizations.

Korkeuskuva can be used to identify topographical features like mountains, valleys, and slopes, aiding in planning for construction, infrastructure development, and disaster management. They are also valuable for hydrological studies, understanding water flow, and for creating shaded relief maps that enhance the visual perception of terrain. In some contexts, korkeuskuva might be combined with other geospatial data to create more comprehensive maps. The interpretation of a korkeuskuva relies on understanding the relationship between pixel intensity and actual elevation values.