Published

Terrain / Landform

vr.wm-plc-001 · wm-plc-001-terrain-landform

Describe the physical relief of a bounded territory through qualified elevation representations, derived terrain measures and delineated landforms.

World Models Physical world and living systems PHY.PLC.REL

Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Classifiers What it is Why it exists Distinguishing features What robots and AI may and may not do Moral aspects Owners Links to other meta-models Identity and identifiers Direct properties Recognition Capabilities and actions Hazards and failure modes Standards and interfaces Context of use Sources

Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled

6 bundles · 12 layers · 12 findings · 36 questions

Terrain identity and extent Local terrain context and its spatial scope.

Context identity

Proposed root identity binds an area and stewardship purpose. Surface products and physical features keep distinct identifiers; a renamed area does not silently replace them.

Bounded terrain subject

Proposed root identity binds an area and stewardship purpose. Surface products and physical features keep distinct identifiers; a renamed area does not silently replace them.

Which master identifier and subject boundary distinguish this terrain context from its component datasets? identity
Which steward maintains this context and what authority is explicitly excluded? ownership
Which surface and landform versions are members of this context? composition

Spatial extent

Proposed extent records distinguish study area, dataset envelope, valid observation support and landform geometry. Holes, tile overlap, clipping and scale remain explicit.

Coverage and spatial support

Proposed extent records distinguish study area, dataset envelope, valid observation support and landform geometry. Holes, tile overlap, clipping and scale remain explicit.

What exact area and coordinate reference system define the terrain context footprint? spatial
Where do nodata areas, excluded regions or overlapping tiles limit actual terrain coverage? constraint
At what scale and tolerance are containment or adjacency assertions evaluated? relationship

Reference frames and observations The frame and evidence through which terrain is observed.

Coordinate and height frame

Proposed height assertions preserve horizontal and vertical semantics, units and applicable epochs. Transformation records are evidence-bearing derivations, not unexplained changes to coordinates.

Qualified height reference

Proposed height assertions preserve horizontal and vertical semantics, units and applicable epochs. Transformation records are evidence-bearing derivations, not unexplained changes to coordinates.

Which height or depth quantity, unit, vertical reference and axis convention apply? measurement
Which coordinate epoch or reference realization applies, and which time values are unknown? temporal
What authorized transformation connects the input and output frames and where is it valid? interoperability

Observation lineage

Proposed recognition evidence connects surfaces to surveys, interpreted imagery, measured points or prior products. Mosaics can involve several acquisitions; missing lineage is explicit. An observation is distinct from an inference about bare ground.

Acquisition and recognition evidence

Which observations and processing activities support this surface revision? provenance
When was each area observed and when was its evidence ingested? temporal
What evidence supports treating the observed surface as ground rather than canopy, structure, snow or water? evidence

Elevation representation and quality Terrain representation and the limits of its use.

Surface representation

Proposed product descriptors distinguish grid, TIN, point, contour and breakline representations. Terrain, surface and mixed interpretations must be stated explicitly; a single-valued height field cannot describe every physical shape.

Representation and surface meaning

What representation and surface interpretation does the product actually provide? definition
What sampling, grid registration, interpolation and unit rules define its values? measurement
Which areas or shapes cannot be represented faithfully by the selected surface form? exception

Quality and fitness

Proposed fitness assessment records tested accuracy, completeness and intended use separately from sample spacing. Acceptance criteria must be supplied by the adopting profile; no universal engineering threshold is inferred.

Accuracy and fitness evidence

What horizontal and vertical accuracy evidence was measured and over which terrain conditions? quality
Which completeness, seam and consistency checks pass or fail for this revision? validation
Which intended uses are supported, restricted or unassessed by that evidence? requirement

Morphometry and change Derived shape measures and qualified differences through time.

Terrain derivatives

Proposed derived measures retain source versions and algorithm conventions. Slope, aspect, curvature, roughness and relative relief require named definitions and spatial support; parameters from one method are not universal.

Reproducible morphometry

What quantity, unit and convention define this terrain derivative? measurement
Which input version, algorithm, neighborhood and resolution produced the measure? process
How are edges, nodata, vertical scaling and unstable estimates handled? constraint

Surface comparison

Proposed change assertions separate observed differences from physical change and inferred cause. Co-registration, comparable surface meaning, uncertainty and temporal support precede interpretation; a lack of detectable difference is not proof of no change.

Qualified terrain change

Which two spatially qualified observation epochs and surface revisions are compared? temporal
How do alignment, bias and correlated errors affect the change detection criterion? quality
Is the result a supported change, an unresolved difference or insufficient evidence, and is any cause separately supported? decision

Landform inventory Delineated features, their interpretations and qualified names.

Geomorphic classification

Proposed assertions link a persistent feature to a versioned vocabulary and diagnostic evidence. Natural or anthropogenic origin is qualified; multiple schemes and disputed interpretations may coexist without forcing one global class.

Landform classification assertion

Which vocabulary revision and diagnostic criteria support each landform class assertion? classification
What confidence and review status distinguish accepted, provisional and disputed interpretations? state
Which scale, mixed origin or local terminology prevents a direct class mapping? exception

Feature identity and delineation

Proposed feature records separate persistent feature identity, geometry revisions and names. A summit point, a bounding box and a full landform extent have different roles. Local names do not acquire official status through inclusion.

Feature extent and names

Which master feature identity persists across alternative names and revised outlines? identity
What geometry role, delineation method and scale define the landform extent? spatial
Which name source, language, community attribution and approval status apply to each name? authority

Continuity and exchange Controlled revision and reuse of the terrain context.

Revision and retirement

Proposed local lifecycle separates an amended record from altered physical terrain. Supersession, feature split or merge and withdrawn evidence preserve directed lineage and do not mutate externally mastered products.

Terrain record continuity

What change created this context revision and how does it supersede or relate to earlier records? lifecycle
Which retention policy governs retired terrain artifacts and what may be deleted? retention
How are the exact bytes, producer and interpretation history of a terrain artifact preserved? provenance

Neighbor bindings and access

Proposed exports bind terrain versions to consumers with explicit limitations. They preserve uncertainty and lineage, enforce the adopting policy and report mapping loss. Publishing a terrain extract neither grants land access nor validates a downstream hazard decision.

Qualified reuse and access

Which neighboring model instances consume this terrain revision and for which bounded purpose? relationship
Which audience, license and resolution limits apply to the requested terrain extract? access
Which target profile, CRS mapping and lost semantics accompany the exported representation? interoperability

Classifiers Filled

Family: World Models
Category: Physical world and living systems
Entry kind: aggregate
Navigation path: NAV.PHY.PLC.REL
Domain: PHY.PLC.REL
Industry: Cross-industry
Tags: terrainlandformphy.plc.rel
Also called: P1

What it is Filled

A terrain context aggregate for one explicitly bounded area and adopting stewardship scope. It groups independently identified surface products, observations and landform assertions; it is not a land parcel, survey campaign, global gazetteer or a claim that a dataset is the physical ground. Root membership and revisions are local, while referenced products and features retain their master identities. All operations and field groups are proposed design, not an executable implementation.

In scope

Terrain context identity, coverage footprints and explicit reference frames
Ground relief representations, observation lineage, morphometry, uncertainty and qualified change assertions
Natural and anthropogenic landform delineation, classification assertions, external names and scale-dependent relationships
Local revisions, artifact integrity and controlled exchange with neighboring models

Out of scope

Land rights, cadastral boundaries, water dynamics, soil profiles, geological volumes, settlements, infrastructure assets and hazard evaluation
Raw survey instrument control, geodetic datum administration, official naming decisions and classifier governance
Operational engineering certification, earthworks, automatic causal attribution and safety decisions
Detailed marine hydrography, submerged relief validation, glacier mass balance and volumetric cave or overhang modelling; these require explicit extensions

Why it exists Filled

Describe the physical relief of a bounded territory through qualified elevation representations, derived terrain measures and delineated landforms.

Distinguishing features Derived, awaiting review

Unlike WM-PLC-002 Land Parcel: A terrain footprint may cross or intersect parcels. Terrain stewardship does not confer land ownership, cadastral authority or survey access rights.
Unlike WM-PLC-003 Water Body: Ground geometry and water-related masks may be linked; water level, flow, catchment simulation and hydrological enforcement rules are externally mastered. A water surface is not automatically the ground below it.
Unlike WM-EAR-003 Soil and WM-EAR-005 Natural Hazard: Terrain properties may inform these subjects without absorbing soil profiles, geotechnical stability, causal hazard assessment or consequence decisions.
Unlike WM-PLC-005 Settlement / Urban Form and WM-BLT-003 Infrastructure Network: Anthropogenic relief may be described without owning buildings, works, networks or their operation. Above-ground surfaces remain explicitly labelled contextual observations.
Unlike WM-XCT-010 Location Referencing / Address: Reference frame and location bindings are external references; local terrain records preserve CRS identifiers and transformation evidence, without governing addresses or geodetic registries.
Unlike External surveys, elevation products, landform vocabularies and gazetteers: This aggregate owns membership and terrain assertions only. No requirement that every product has one campaign, every feature has one class, every spot height is monumented, or every landform is officially named.

Note: Derived from boundary notes against neighbouring models.

What robots and AI may and may not do Derived, awaiting review

Must not

Never erase disputed local names or classifications merely to make an export appear definitive.
Deny access unless the adopting policy permits the subject, audience, purpose and requested resolution.

May

Register terrain context: Create a proposed local context revision and membership bindings. Proposed operation only; no runtime implementation is claimed.
Assess surface admission: Check a supplied product descriptor for terrain interpretation and evidence completeness. Proposed operation only; no runtime implementation is claimed.
Propose morphometry derivation: Prepare a reproducible local derivation specification and record a separately supplied result. Proposed operation only; no runtime implementation is claimed.
Assess terrain difference evidence: Evaluate supplied comparison evidence against an explicit detection rule. Proposed operation only; no runtime implementation is claimed.
Revise landform assertion: Propose a new delineation, classification or name assertion against the same feature identity. Proposed operation only; no runtime implementation is claimed.
Prepare governed terrain extract: Specify a permitted view with versioned dependencies and mapping losses. Proposed operation only; no runtime implementation is claimed.

Note: Derived from functions, policies, CRUD and access rules; prohibitions were not authored for agents as such.

Moral aspects Missing, in the backlog

Not described yet. This gap is in the card backlog.

Owners Filled

Steward

A role-based terrain steward with a bounded maintenance mandate, distinct from land ownership.

Roles

Terrain steward: Maintains scope, memberships, namespace and accountable review routes without owning land rights.
Survey evidence custodian: Provides acquisition references and explains known measurement limits; does not approve every downstream use.
Geomorphology reviewer: Reviews delineations, criteria and disputed landform interpretations at a stated scale.
Geospatial quality reviewer: Assesses frames, transformations, uncertainty, method compatibility and fitness evidence.
Access and records custodian: Applies licenses, release limits, retention and authorized disposal with audit references.
Consumer: Uses only qualified, permitted views and preserves limitations in downstream bindings.

Links to other meta-models Filled

references

WM-PLC-002 - Optional parcel binding for spatial context; rights and cadastral lifecycle remain external.
WM-PLC-003 - Optional water-body context and masks; no ownership of hydrological simulation or water level.
WM-EAR-003 - Optional soil consumer or contextual feature; only terrain metrics and version bindings are local.
WM-EAR-005 - Optional hazard assessment consumer; terrain evidence is not a hazard determination.
WM-PLC-005 - Optional settlement context; settlement identity and built form remain external.
WM-BLT-003 - Optional infrastructure context and terrain version binding; no network lifecycle or actuation.
WM-XCT-010 - Optional location binding; addresses and location master administration are external.

aligned

INSPIRE Elevation D2.8.II.1 2024-01-31 - Conceptual elevation representation and reference frame mapping only; no conformance certification.
OGC GeoSPARQL 1.1 - Conceptual feature, geometry and spatial predicate mapping; executable binding remains deferred.
PROV-O 2013-04-30 - Conceptual derivation and revision mapping; provenance does not establish measurement truth.

neighbor

WM-PLC-002 Land Parcel - A terrain footprint may cross or intersect parcels. Terrain stewardship does not confer land ownership, cadastral authority or survey access rights.
WM-PLC-003 Water Body - Ground geometry and water-related masks may be linked; water level, flow, catchment simulation and hydrological enforcement rules are externally mastered. A water surface is not automatically the ground below it.
WM-EAR-003 Soil and WM-EAR-005 Natural Hazard - Terrain properties may inform these subjects without absorbing soil profiles, geotechnical stability, causal hazard assessment or consequence decisions.
WM-PLC-005 Settlement / Urban Form and WM-BLT-003 Infrastructure Network - Anthropogenic relief may be described without owning buildings, works, networks or their operation. Above-ground surfaces remain explicitly labelled contextual observations.
WM-XCT-010 Location Referencing / Address - Reference frame and location bindings are external references; local terrain records preserve CRS identifiers and transformation evidence, without governing addresses or geodetic registries.
External surveys, elevation products, landform vocabularies and gazetteers - This aggregate owns membership and terrain assertions only. No requirement that every product has one campaign, every feature has one class, every spot height is monumented, or every landform is officially named.

What else AI and robots need to interact with it Incomplete

Sources Filled

INSPIRE Data Specification on Elevation - Technical Guidelines - European Commission, INSPIRE Maintenance and Implementation Group
Field Book for Describing and Sampling Soils, Version 4.0 - USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
r.slope.aspect manual - GRASS development team
OGC GeoSPARQL - A Geographic Query Language for RDF Data - Open Geospatial Consortium
PROV-O: The PROV Ontology - World Wide Web Consortium
Co-registration and bias corrections of satellite elevation data sets for quantifying glacier thickness change - University of Oslo, Department of Geosciences
Domestic Names - U.S. Board on Geographic Names

Open questions

Complete source HTTP, document-version, license and independent claim checks without equating a successful response to substantive verification.
Develop and validate regional CRS, classification, name and use profiles, with explicit decisions about submerged, ice and volumetric extensions.
Build executable nested schemas and fixtures covering unknown frames, mixed surfaces, mosaics, nodata, correlated errors, geometry revisions, disputed names and restricted exports.
Restore independent external review before any canonical or publishable-draft promotion.
No executable nested data schema, terrain calculation, coordinate transformation engine or numerical acceptance fixtures.
No exhaustive global landform vocabulary, disputed-name adjudication or tested cross-cultural naming profile.
Detailed bathymetry, dynamic ice surfaces and volumetric overhangs or caves require separate extensions and evidence.
No direct HTTP source status was measured in this run; no assertion of complete source currency or independent review.

Machine files

Card as JSON Specification AGENTS.md Source Card backlog vercy.card/1

Provenance

world-models research · reviewable-draft

Built from: models/wm-plc-001-terrain-landform/spec.yaml