Shaded relief, or hillshading, is a technique where a lighting effect is added to a map based on elevation variations within the landscape. It provides a clearer picture of the topography by mimicing the sun’s effects (illumination, shading and shadows) on hills and canyons.

Google Earth File

This layer depicts hillshades for the entire bay area.

Hillshades(6 kB)

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Google Earth software enables you to zoom in beyond the level of accuracy provided in these data layers.

Hillshades icon