An interactive MapLibre GL JS web app for viewing high-resolution LiDAR, DEM, and elevation tile layers on an interactive map. Browse archaeological and geological sites with survey-grade terrain data from authoritative government sources worldwide.
Every dataset in LiDAR Explorer is sourced from official government agencies, peer-reviewed scientific institutions, or established open-data programmes. We do not use crowd-sourced or unverified elevation data for terrain layers.
| Quality Rating | Resolution | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ★★★★★ Excellent | ≤ 1 m | Survey-grade airborne LiDAR. Reveals individual earthworks, walls, and ditches. |
| ★★★★ High | 1–10 m | National LiDAR/IfSAR programmes. Shows hillforts, mounds, and large features clearly. |
| ★★★ Good | 5–10 m | National photogrammetry/LiDAR. Resolves major terrain features and landforms. |
| ★★ Moderate | 10–30 m | Satellite-derived (SRTM/ASTER). Broad terrain overview, not detail-level. |
| ★ Coarse | > 30 m | Low-resolution global composites. Regional context only. |
- Toggle LiDAR / DEM / hillshade layers from multiple countries
- 108 bookmarked archaeological and geological locations worldwide
- Heritage sites overlay (Historic England: 400,000+ scheduled monuments, listed buildings, battlefields)
- Raster adjustments (brightness, contrast, saturation, hue rotation)
- 3D terrain visualisation with adjustable exaggeration
- Hypsometric and X-Ray view modes for enhanced feature detection
- Altitude band selection — isolate terrain within a specific elevation range
- Sea level simulation — visualise coastlines from the Last Glacial Maximum to 2130 projections
- Geological time lapse — animate plate tectonics from 1 Ga to present
- Population density heatmap — UK historical demographics from Mesolithic to modern (12 eras)
- Global forest cover and deforestation monitoring
- Bedrock geology overlay (global)
- No build step — vanilla ES modules, no bundler
- No API keys — all tile services are publicly accessible
Open index.html in a browser, or serve locally:
npx serve .| Dataset | Region | Resolution | Source | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EA Hillshade DTM | England | 1 m | Environment Agency (OGL) | ★★★★★ |
| EA Elevation DTM | England | 1 m | Environment Agency (OGL) | ★★★★★ |
| EA Hillshade DSM | England | 1 m | Environment Agency (OGL) | ★★★★★ |
| EA Elevation DSM | England | 1 m | Environment Agency (OGL) | ★★★★★ |
| EA First Return DSM | England | 1 m | Environment Agency (OGL) | ★★★★★ |
| AHN4 DTM | Netherlands | 0.5 m | PDOK / Rijkswaterstaat (AHN4) | ★★★★★ |
| AHN4 DSM | Netherlands | 0.5 m | PDOK / Rijkswaterstaat (AHN4) | ★★★★★ |
| 3DEP Hillshade | Continental US | 1–10 m | USGS 3D Elevation Program | ★★★★ |
| 3DEP Slope | Continental US | 1–10 m | USGS 3D Elevation Program | ★★★★ |
| 3DEP Elevation | Continental US | 1–10 m | USGS 3D Elevation Program | ★★★★ |
| 3DEP Contour | Continental US | 1–10 m | USGS 3D Elevation Program | ★★★★ |
| GSI Hillshade | Japan | 5–10 m | Geospatial Information Authority of Japan | ★★★ |
| GSI Relief Map | Japan | 5–10 m | Geospatial Information Authority of Japan | ★★★ |
| World Hillshade | Global | ~10–30 m | Esri / USGS / NASA (SRTM) | ★★ |
| World Hillshade Dark | Global | ~10–30 m | Esri / USGS / NASA (SRTM) | ★★ |
| World Terrain | Global | ~30 m | Esri / USGS / NOAA | ★★ |
| OpenTopoMap Relief | Global | ~30 m | SRTM / OpenTopoMap (CC-BY-SA) | ★★ |
| Esri Topo Map | Global | ~10–30 m | Esri / HERE / Garmin | ★★ |
| Esri Imagery + Labels | Global | < 1 m | Esri / Maxar / Earthstar | ★★★★ |
| Dataset | Coverage | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Monuments | England | Historic England (NHLE) |
| Listed Buildings | England | Historic England (NHLE) |
| Parks & Gardens | England | Historic England (NHLE) |
| Battlefields | England | Historic England (NHLE) |
| World Heritage Sites | England | Historic England (NHLE) |
| Protected Wreck Sites | England waters | Historic England (NHLE) |
| Dataset | Coverage | Resolution | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bedrock Geology | Global | Regional | Macrostrat / UW-Madison (CC-BY) |
| Tree Cover Loss | Global | ~30 m | UMD / GLAD / Global Forest Watch |
| Deforestation Alerts | Pan-tropical | ~10 m | WRI / GLAD / Global Forest Watch |
| RADD Tropical Alerts | Pan-tropical | ~10 m | Wageningen University / GFW |
| Forest Carbon Emissions | Global | ~30 m | WRI / Global Forest Watch |
| Dataset | Coverage | Source |
|---|---|---|
| UK Population History | British Isles | UK Census (ONS), HYDE 3.3, Broadberry et al., Bevan et al. |
12 historical eras from Mesolithic (8000 BCE) to Modern (2021 CE) with regional density data.
| Model | Time Range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Müller 2022 | 0–1 Ga | GPlates / EarthByte |
| Merdith 2021 | 0–1 Ga | GPlates / EarthByte |
| Cao 2024 | 0–1.8 Ga | GPlates / EarthByte |
| Scotese PALEOMAP | 0–1.1 Ga | PALEOMAP Project |
LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) uses laser pulses fired from aircraft to measure the distance to the ground. Millions of return pulses create a dense 3D point cloud that is processed into:
- DTM (Digital Terrain Model) — Bare earth with vegetation and buildings removed. Best for archaeology.
- DSM (Digital Surface Model) — Top surface including trees and buildings. Best for urban and canopy analysis.
- Hillshade — Simulated sunlight cast across the elevation model to reveal slopes, ridges, and subtle earthworks.
At 1 m resolution, LiDAR can detect features as small as individual furrows, wall foundations, or burial mounds — features completely invisible in satellite imagery or even on the ground.
This project is released under the MIT License — see LICENSE for details.