Abstract: A computational methodology significantly enhances the prior art representation of terrain and terrain-related processes. This methodology allows for the representation of terrain as a smooth surface containing realistic terrain features with a variable amount of terrain detail. The design includes improved methodology for the generation of examples of a variety of general terrain types as well as the representation of existing geographical areas. The process of surface construction insures that the surface has characteristics that accurately reflect the terrain under consideration, whether the representation is of a general terrain type (generic) or of a specific geographical area. As a consequence of the smooth surface being defined at every point of the geographical area, this terrain representation has infinite resolution.