CAP-LTER Datasets

1:250000 scale Digital Elevation Model of Arizona. Digital Elevation Model (DEM) is the terminology adopted by the USGS to describe terrain elevation data sets in a digital raster form. The standard DEM consists of a regular array of elevations cast on a designated coordinate projection system. The DEM data are stored as a series of profiles in which the spacing of the elevations along and between each profile is in regular whole number intervals. The normal orientation of data is by columns and rows. Each column contains a series of elevations ordered from south to north with the order of the columns from west to east. The DEM is formatted as one ASCII header record (A-record), followed by a series of profile records (B-records) each of which include a short B-record header followed by a series of ASCII integer elevations per each profile. The last physical record of the DEM is an accuracy record (C-record). A 30-minute DEM (2- by 2-arc second data spacing) consists of four 15-by 15-minute DEM blocks. Two 30-minute DEM's provide the same coverage as a standard USGS 30- by 60-minute quadrangle. Saleable units are 30- by 30-minute blocks, that is, four 15- by 15-minute DEM's representing one half of a 1:100,000-scale map.