NIMBO Terrain (Terrarium)

Elevation tiles using Mapzen-compatible Terrarium encoding for land and sea, including bathymetry. NIMBO copied the source data; the archive date and version are not identified. The observed service returns 256 × 256 PNG tiles.

Elevation can represent a digital terrain model (DTM) or a digital surface model (DSM), depending on the source. Some source heights can include surface features rather than bare ground. Accuracy depends on the source; a common harmonization process has not been confirmed.

Terrarium covers land and sea. Exact footprint boundaries and NoData areas have not been confirmed.

Catalogue and service settings · Terrain-RGB guide

Terrarium vs. Terrain-RGB

This endpoint uses the -32768 offset to handle deep ocean bathymetry. If your application expects the standard Mapbox format (-10000), please refer to our Terrain-RGB Documentation.

Example of terrarium encoding over Europe

Same area with RGB DEM encoding

Technical Specifications

Encoding Format

The elevation values are encoded into the Red, Green, and Blue channels of the image tile. This technique allows 3D software (like Blender, Unity, or Three.js) to read elevation data from a standard image texture.

Feature	Details
Service URL	https://prod-data.nimbo.earth/tiles/terrarium/{z}/{x}/{y}?kermap_token=<YOUR_TOKEN>
Format	PNG
Zoom Levels	0 to 13
Coordinate System	Web Mercator (EPSG:3857)
Coverage	Land and sea; exact footprint and NoData areas unconfirmed
Tile Size	256x256 px

Decoding Formula

To parse the altitude in meters from a pixel, apply the specific Mapzen / Terrarium decoding equation:

elevation = (red * 256 + green + blue / 256) - 32768

• Red (R) & Green (G): Encode the integer part of the elevation.
• Blue (B): Encodes the fractional part; encoding precision does not establish source accuracy.
• Offset (-32768): This significant negative offset allows the format to represent the deepest parts of the ocean (e.g., the Mariana Trench) without using negative pixel values.

In the Terrarium decoding formula, a one-unit change in the blue channel represents 1/256 m. This encoding step is not a vertical-accuracy guarantee.

Native source resolution, served pixel spacing, encoding step and vertical accuracy are different properties. Vertical accuracy depends on the source. Vertical references, resampling and source-specific accuracy measurements have not been confirmed. Hydrological and other demanding analytical uses require corresponding validation.

Zoom Levels & Resolution

The documented service range extends to Zoom Level 13. This is a tile-grid limit, not a native source resolution.

At z13, 256-pixel Web Mercator tiles have approximately 19 metres per pixel at the equator. Ground spacing changes with latitude and zoom; oversampling does not add source detail.

Handling High Zoom Levels (z14+)

The sampled z14 and z15 requests returned HTTP 204 with no image during the 2026-09-30 audit. Do not rely on an image at these levels. Instead, configure your mapping library (MapLibre, Leaflet, OpenLayers) to use oversampling. This technique automatically reuses and stretches z13 tiles to display terrain at higher zoom levels without loss of continuity.

Data Provenance & Sources

NIMBO copied the Terrarium source data. The imported archive date and version have not been supplied; no additional NIMBO processing, enrichment or exact upstream edition is confirmed. Terrarium and Terrain-RGB remain distinct products.

The identified Terrarium lineage is the Mapzen/Tilezen elevation archive. Upstream documentation names land, regional and bathymetry sources; it does not establish which editions are in the NIMBO copy. Source-specific attribution remains applicable, and a complete licence reference for the NIMBO dataset is not yet supplied.

Identified sources; integrated editions remain unknown

Source / area	Native grid	Publisher / attribution
Historic Mapzen elevation dataset Land and sea	Not established for this copy	Mapzen / Tilezen and upstream elevation providers Identify and credit the applicable upstream providers using the Tilezen attribution reference; the source editions in the NIMBO copy are not established. Source reference

The upstream source documentation identifies SRTM and GMTED land sources, regional references such as USGS NED/3DEP, CDEM, EU-DEM and ArcticDEM, and ETOPO1 bathymetry. These are lineage references, not an inventory of editions verified in the NIMBO copy. Follow the upstream attribution guidance for the applicable providers.

The following illustration describes upstream source-grid variation. It is not a NIMBO availability mask.

Data resolution per location

Terrarium spatial resolution over the world. Source:

Tilezen

Data sources by zoom level

The upstream sources by zoom describe the Mapzen ecosystem. Their version and zoom-dependent composition have not been validated for the NIMBO copy. Use the separately documented NIMBO service limits above.

Integration examples

MapLibre GL JS

Terrarium DEM encoding is not the default encoding expected by MapLibre GL JS. When defining your source, you must explicitly set encoding: "terrarium". Failing to do so will result in incorrect elevation values.

In addition, set maxzoom to 13. This allows the rendering engine to oversample the DEM tiles when users zoom further (z14+), ensuring smooth terrain rendering.

"sources": {
  "nimbo-terrain": {
    "type": "raster-dem",
    "tiles": [
      "https://prod-data.nimbo.earth/tiles/terrarium/{z}/{x}/{y}?kermap_token=<YOUR_TOKEN>"
    ],
    "tileSize": 256,
    "encoding": "terrarium",
    "maxzoom": 13
  }
}

Access and revisions

Compare access by plan

Layer	Discovery	Pro	Pro HD	Enterprise
Terrarium elevation	Evaluation	Included	Included	On agreement

• Terrarium elevation: XYZ.

Modes listed apply only to the documented combinations. “To confirm” includes missing rules. Evaluation, on-request and agreement conditions, delivery methods and any differences by mode are listed below.

Pro and Pro HD allow internal professional use, including work in a GIS.

Do not share full-resolution imagery or HD/4K image exports with third parties, including inside PDFs, presentations or videos.

Degraded imagery may be usable with NIMBO informed and credited, plus the applicable source credits. This is not automatic permission or a requirement for prior approval.

Pro and Pro HD allow statistics and vector outputs in client deliverables, with NIMBO and source credits. Raw imagery streams, accounts, tokens and service access are not included.

No numerical export threshold or automatic definition of degraded imagery is set. Contact NIMBO about ambiguous cases.

Keep the NIMBO and applicable source credits. Attribution alone does not authorize redistribution.

Full usage, sharing and attribution rules

This is a static product without a monthly archive. Source acquisition dates, the current dataset version, revision dates and the update schedule have not been supplied.

Service verification

Checked on 2026-09-30. The extensionless endpoint returned 256 × 256 PNG elevation tiles at the sampled locations. The .png URL variant returned 404. TileJSON is available at:

https://prod-data.nimbo.earth/tiles/terrarium?kermap_token=<YOUR_TOKEN>

The TileJSON supplies a tile URL but no zoom limits. Use the documented maxzoom: 13 and oversample at higher display zooms; the tested levels 14–15 returned no content.

A North Atlantic sample decoded to negative elevations, confirming bathymetry in that sample. The audit does not establish a complete land/ocean footprint, source acquisition dates, a common vertical reference, or the identity of every upstream DEM. Tile-grid spacing is not native elevation-data resolution.

TileJSON echoes the supplied token in its URLs. Redact it before sharing. See the catalogue record for checked settings.