Generation of Random Ground Height

Surface ground height as a function of the horizontal position on the ground. (The height scale is exaggerated to emphasize the roughness and randomness.)

The ground height fluctuations about a local mean altitude is a sum of smoothly varying and random components. The parameters used to generate each component are randomly generated based on local terrain information. This page presents an example of the terrain profile generated using this technique.

Spatial cross section of smoothly varying fluctuations of ground height (red), random component (blue), and total (black)