Fathom launches FathomDEM+, setting a new global standard for consistent terrain data

Fathom today announced the launch of FathomDEM+, a next-generation global terrain dataset designed to provide a single, uniform and independently benchmarked¹ view of terrain worldwide. The dataset resolves the legacy issue of inconsistent elevation data, enabling engineers and risk analysts to work from a single, consistent terrain view from Seoul to São Paulo.

By combining bespoke machine-learning techniques with the world’s largest curated collection of LiDAR and other high-resolution datasets spanning over 10 million km 2, 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 artifacts, improving consistency across regions.

“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.”

– Dr Oliver Wing, Chief Science & Product Officer

In line with Fathom’s glass-box approach, the methods are peer-reviewed and publicly documented. FathomDEM has been evaluated by an independent team of researchers and benchmarked against six global DEMs in a study published in December 2025, which found that “FathomDEM consistently performs best”.

FathomDEM+ will underpin the next generation of Fathom’s global flood maps, beginning withFathom’s updated Global Flood Map, and is also available as a standalone dataset for climate, risk and infrastructure analysis.