CUDEM/GEBCO-Nippon Scholars Workshop 2026

All workshop materials are available on this website.

What: Generating Coastal DEMs: From Data Discovery to Validation When: Monday, July 20, 2026 and Tuesday, July 21, 2026, 8:30 AM–3:00 PM Where: NOAA/NCEI Boulder, CO. Virtual joining information will be shared by email.

Workshop abstract¶

This workshop introduces CUDEM workflows for building reproducible coastal digital elevation models from diverse topographic and bathymetric source datasets. Participants will learn how CUDEM tools can be used to discover source data, prepare and harmonize datasets, build recipe-based workflows, generate composite coastal DEMs, and inspect outputs.

The workshop focuses on the CUDEM toolchain, including fetchez for data discovery and source-data access, transformez for vertical datum harmonization, globato for connecting it into a reproducible YAML-based workflow, and ivert for validating output DEM results.

A test region encompassing Suva, Fiji will be used as the primary example. Participants will run example commands, inspect generated YAML recipes, review DEM outputs, and consider how the workflow can be adapted to other coastal regions.

Workshop goals¶

By the end of the workshop, participants should be able to:

• Set up and verify a working CUDEM software environment

• Use fetchez to discover and access source datasets

• Understand how CUDEM source modules, hooks, and YAML recipe blocks are structured

• Use transformez to understand vertical datum harmonization

• Use globato to generate, export, run, and modify CUDEM recipes

• Use ivert to validate DEM outputs

• Inspect DEM outputs using command-line tools

• Adapt a workflow to a new coastal region

Workshop structure¶

Day 1: Onboarding and Fiji test DEM¶

Day 1 focuses on software setup, environment checks, and running the Fiji/Suva-area test workflow. We will review the generated YAML recipe and discuss how source modules, hooks, source weights, global hooks, stacking, and interpolation are represented in a CUDEM recipe.

Day 2: Workflow modules and custom region exercise¶

Day 2 focuses on the individual workflow components. We will review fetchez, transformez, globato and ivert, then apply the same workflow concepts to a custom coastal region. The day will also include output inspection, data filtering, and discussion of workflow adaptation.

Main workflow sequence¶

fetchez      → discover, access, describe, and prepare source data
transformez  → harmonize vertical references
globato      → synthesize sources, hooks, transformations, stacking, interpolation, and outputs
ivert        → independently validate DEM outputs