Exaggerated Relief Maps

Exaggerated relief maps can be fun to make. However they can also be time consuming to create. They normally require some serious GIS software, a digital elevation model and a lot of patience. Unless you have an interactive map to do all the work for you.

The Relief Map Viewer is a fun interactive tool which allows you to view an exaggerated raised relief map for any location in the world. Just use the search box to navigate to a location and the Relief Map Viewer will show you the location with the elevation data slightly exaggerated. This is achieved by overlaying satellite imagery on top of an exaggerated digital elevation model.


The Relief Map Viewer includes a number of tools which allow you to adjust the map settings. In the 'Map Settings' menu you can adjust the height multiplier, which allows you to exaggerate the elevation to an even greater extent than the default setting. This menu also allows you to zoom in and out on the map. The 'Lighting' menu allows you to adjust the intensity and direction of the lighting effect.

The map was created using the Mapbox SDK for Unity. Mapbox's SDK for Unity includes a global digital elevation model encoded in raster tiles. This is what allows the Relief Map Viewer to show an exaggerated relief map and to allow users to adjust the height multiplier on the fly.