Towards a More Realistic Depiction of the Earth's Surface on Maps

In 2000, the shuttle radar topography mission (SRTM) produced the most complete, highest resolution digital elevation model (DEM) of the Earth. These data were used to create global 3aEuro(3) DEM and to correct 30aEuro(3) DEM which are both available on the internet. After a careful survey in the Institute of Geodesy and Cartography, Poland, these elevation data were recognized as extremely valuable and worth developing a unique form of visualization. As a result, a new design of a physical map of Europe at scale of 1:10 million was developed. For depicting the shape of the terrain, an original modification of combined shaded relief was employed, to reveal all the nuances of elevation data. True colors of the Earth's surface represented on the map originated from MODIS satellite image. The combination of true colors and terrain features made a realistic map, showing the landscapes as if from a point above the Earth. The image of the terrain is extremely detailed as it is based on the abundance of data defining the elevation of each point of land.