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Opentopography

Query OpenTopography DEM datasets for point elevations and downloadable raster data using MCP.

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Install Opentopography

Pick your client, then add it in one click or paste the config.

STDIONode.js
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json
claude_desktop_config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "opentopography": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@pipeworx/mcp-opentopography"
      ],
      "env": {
        "PLATFORM_OPENTOPOGRAPHY_KEY": "YOUR_VALUE_HERE"
      }
    }
  }
}

Settings → Developer → Edit Config, merge this into mcpServers, then fully quit and reopen Claude Desktop.

Values are written into the snippet above so you can paste it as is. They never leave your browser.

We couldn’t confirm it starts correctly

The install command started, but didn't respond the way we expected when we tried to talk to it.

npx -y @pipeworx/mcp-opentopography

initialize succeeded but no response to tools/list.

This is an experimental automated check and can have false negatives — missing environment variables, a slow cold install, etc. It doesn’t necessarily mean something’s wrong. Last checked 4d ago.

Overview

The Opentopography MCP server connects AI agents to OpenTopography's digital elevation model datasets through point and bounding-box queries. It provides tools to find datasets, retrieve elevation at a coordinate, and request a raster download URL for a selected area. Use it for terrain lookup, elevation-aware analysis, or DEM acquisition when a free OpenTopography API key is available. It runs locally over stdio or through the Pipeworx gateway over MCP and HTTP.

Use cases

  • Look up elevation at geographic coordinates
  • Request DEM rasters for bounding boxes
  • Compare available elevation datasets
  • Retrieve terrain data for geographic analysis

Key features

  • Point elevation queries
  • Bounding-box DEM raster requests
  • Download URL responses
  • Dataset discovery
  • Local stdio operation
  • Pipeworx gateway and HTTP access

Security & health

What it can reach and how reliably it runs — from our own checks, not the maintainer’s claims.

ActiveLast checked 3d ago

Recent health check succeeded.

8/8 checks healthy over the last 50d

Supply-chain signal

No high-severity advisories surfaced by our automated scan.

Critical 0High 0Medium 0Low 0

Scanned 3d ago via OSV.dev · @pipeworx/mcp-opentopography (npm)

Adoption & maintenance

Factual signals from GitHub, npm, and our automated checks — not a rating.

GitHub stars1Stargazers on the source repository.
npm downloads453Package downloads in the last 30 days.
Last commit1mo agoMost recent push to the default branch.
Install checkInconclusiveStarted but did not complete the MCP handshake in our test.
Directory activity2 viewsConfig copies, upvotes, and views on AllMCPs.

How Opentopography works

What Opentopography does

The Opentopography MCP server exposes OpenTopography's global digital elevation model data to MCP-compatible applications. It supports both a single-coordinate elevation lookup and raster requests covering a geographic bounding box. The service also provides a dataset listing so an agent can inspect available DEM options before making a query.

The supported datasets are SRTMGL1, SRTMGL3, AW3D30, NASADEM, COP30, and COP90. SRTMGL1 is the default and provides 30 m data. COP30 represents the Copernicus 30 m dataset, while the other names identify additional DEM sources offered through OpenTopography.

How it works

The Opentopography MCP server defines three pack-specific tools:

  • point_elevation(lat, lon, dataset?) returns the elevation at one latitude and longitude. The implementation calls OpenTopography's point service as a convenience, even though the platform's main service is raster-oriented.
  • dem(dataset, south, north, west, east, format?) requests a DEM raster for a bounding box and returns a download URL.
  • datasets() lists the available DEM datasets.

The gateway endpoint is available at https://gateway.pipeworx.io/opentopography/mcp. A full Pipeworx gateway endpoint is also available. The pack endpoint includes the three OpenTopography tools plus shared Pipeworx meta-tools, while the local package exposes only the pack-specific tools. Gateway requests can also be made through the HTTP tools API, such as a JSON POST to the point_elevation endpoint.

Setup and configuration

A free OpenTopography API key is required. Through the Pipeworx platform, authentication uses the PLATFORM_OPENTOPOGRAPHY_KEY environment variable. The underlying API also accepts a key through the ?_apiKey=... query parameter.

For a remote MCP connection, configure the gateway URL in an MCP client. The README names Claude Desktop, Cursor, and Windsurf as examples. For a local connection, run npx -y @pipeworx/mcp-opentopography or configure the package as a stdio server with the @pipeworx/mcp-opentopography npm package. The local mode does not require a Pipeworx account or a gateway round trip.

Tools and capabilities

The Opentopography MCP server fits workflows that need terrain data tied to coordinates or regions. Agents can select a dataset, retrieve a point elevation, or obtain a URL for a raster covering south, north, west, and east bounds.

The remote gateway additionally supports Pipeworx-wide discovery and routing tools, including ask_pipeworx, discover_tools, search_within, remember, and recall. These are gateway capabilities rather than OpenTopography-specific tools.

Limitations and notes

Raster requests return a download URL rather than raster contents directly. Point elevation is a one-point convenience operation and is distinct from the raster service. A valid API key is needed for OpenTopography access. Gateway connections expose more tools than the standalone package, so clients may see roughly 30 shared tools alongside the pack tools; the connection's initialize response is authoritative for the exact list.

Read the full README View source on GitHub

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Frequently Asked Questions about Opentopography

Opentopography is an MCP server that connects AI agents to OpenTopography's digital elevation data services. Its main tools list available DEM datasets, return elevation for a latitude and longitude, and request a DEM raster for a geographic bounding box. It supports several global datasets, including SRTM, AW3D30, NASADEM, and Copernicus.

Run `npx -y @pipeworx/mcp-opentopography` or configure that command as a local stdio MCP server. This mode does not require a Pipeworx account, but OpenTopography access still requires a free API key.

Call `point_elevation` with `lat` and `lon`, and optionally provide a dataset such as `SRTMGL3`. Through the gateway HTTP API, send a JSON POST request to `/v1/tools/point_elevation`.

Configure the remote gateway URL in Cursor, or use the local stdio package configuration.

It requires a free OpenTopography API key. Gateway authentication uses `PLATFORM_OPENTOPOGRAPHY_KEY`; the underlying API can also receive the key through the `?_apiKey=...` query parameter.

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