Based on a LiDAR-derived Digital Elevation Model (DEM), I design a 3D-printed topographic model of the Fer-à-Cheval cirque (Haute-Savoie, France).
This model is complemented by printed IGN topographic maps, precisely matching the area represented in 3D.
Together, they form a teaching tool for geography educators, helping students understand terrain, map reading, and the relationship between 2D cartographic representations and real-world 3D landforms.
A DEM (Digital Elevation Model) is a digital representation of the ground surface, showing the terrain’s elevations. LiDAR HD provides high-resolution 3D measurements of the land using laser scanning from planes or drones. The LiDAR HD derived products download interface allows users to select areas and download DEMs, DSMs, and other terrain data for analysis or 3D modeling.
Download the tiles from Géoservice :
LIDAR - Interfaces de téléchargement
QGIS is a free and open-source Geographic Information System (GIS) software. It allows users to visualize, analyze, and manage spatial data such as maps, satellite images, and Lidar models. QGIS is widely used for cartography, spatial analysis, and creating custom geographic tools.
The following KML file can be imported in Géoportail and Google Earth to load/view the working zone
This is a natural cirque forming a limestone semicircle 4 to 5 kilometers in extent. With cliffs 500 to 700 meters high, crowned by peaks approaching 3,000 meters in altitude, the Cirque du Fer-à-Cheval is the largest mountain cirque in the Alps. Among the surrounding peaks are the Cornes du Chamois (2,562 m), the Pic de Tenneverge (2,989 m), the Pointe de la Finive (2,833 m), the Cheval Blanc (2,831 m), and the Grenier de Commune (2,775 m).
The rocks of the Cirque du Fer-à-Cheval are Jurassic limestones, highly fractured. The site’s heavy rainfall accelerates erosion and has caused numerous landslides throughout history. The most famous, in 1602, was a collapse of Tête Noire that buried several hamlets in the cirque. This event is commemorated by a chapel in the middle of the cirque. In 2003, 300,000 m³ of material collapsed in the area of the Nant des Pères stream. On September 6, 2025, a collapse occurred at a location called Pas Noir, near the Cascade de la Méridienne; approximately 35,000 cubic meters of rock are reported to have fallen.
Source
Laurent Moreau
MYP Design Teacher
FabLab Leader
Campus des Nations
Ecole Internationale de Genève
www.ecolint.ch