What type of Digital Elevation Model represents the Earth's surface without vegetation and structures?

A Digital Terrain Model (DTM) accurately represents the bare earth surface without any vegetation, buildings, or other structures. It is created by removing any features that might obstruct the view of the ground itself, allowing users to see the underlying terrain's elevation and geographical features. This is particularly useful for applications such as hydrology, earthworks, and land-use planning, where it's essential to understand the true shape of the landscape.

In contrast, a Digital Surface Model captures the Earth's surface including both the features on it and the underlying terrain. This means it would include vegetation and structures, which would distort the representation of the bare earth surface that a DTM provides. Topographic Models can also include a variety of features and may not specifically focus on showing a clear view of the terrain alone. A Vertical Terrain Model is less commonly referenced and may not specifically denote the purpose and clarity that a DTM provides in geospatial analysis and modeling. Therefore, the DTM is the appropriate choice when looking for a representation that distinctly shows the Earth’s surface absent of vegetative and man-made features.