elevation-mcp-server

Get Point Elevations

elevation_get_points

Read-onlyIdempotent

Look up ground elevation at up to 100 coordinates in one call, in meters and feet, with the dataset and resolution behind every point. Accepts up to 1,000 submitted positions; only the first 100 are validated and sampled, with counts and next_offset identifying the unvalidated remainder. Continue with originalPoints.slice(next_offset). Inside USGS 3DEP coverage (the US and its territories, plus much of Canada and Mexico) values come from 3DEP at 1–30 m resolution. Elsewhere they come from Open Topo Data: SRTM at about 30 m on land between 60°N and 56°S, and Mapzen terrain tiles beyond SRTM's coverage and over the ocean, where values below 0 m are sea-floor depths. A point with no data in any queried dataset returns status no_data instead of failing the call.

Tool call template

Replace each placeholder with a value matching the input schema. Only required parameters are included; add optional parameters as needed.

{
  "id": 1,
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "arguments": {
      "points": "<points>"
    },
    "name": "elevation_get_points"
  }
}

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`points`	Yes	1–1,000 submitted positions as {lat, lon} objects in decimal degrees (WGS84), or one point object. Only the first 100 are validated and sampled; an invalid unserved tail is validated when resubmitted. Coordinate aliases latitude, longitude, lng, and long are accepted.
`source`	No	Elevation source: auto (default) uses USGS 3DEP where it has data and Open Topo Data (SRTM, with Mapzen terrain tiles where SRTM has no data) for the rest; usgs_3dep uses 3DEP only; opentopodata uses Open Topo Data only. Case is ignored and spaces or hyphens read as underscores, so USGS-3DEP and open topo data are accepted; 3dep, usgs, and epqs are also aliases for usgs_3dep.	auto

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description
`error`	No	Present when the call failed. Absent on success.
`notice`	No	Guidance on points without data, Mapzen sea-floor values, results mixing 3DEP with Open Topo Data, and unavailable 3DEP acquisition dates.
`points`	No	One entry per processed position, in input order, at most 100.
`attribution`	No	Sources to credit for the returned values, one line per dataset that answered.
`next_offset`	No	Zero-based index immediately after the processed prefix in this call, or null when exhausted. Continue with originalPoints.slice(next_offset), where originalPoints is the array submitted in this call; use each newly submitted array for its next slice.
`source_mode`	No	The source the call used (auto unless the caller chose one).
`points_with_data`	No	Number of points with status ok.
`processed_points`	No	Positions validated and sampled in this call, at most 100.
`remaining_points`	No	Unprocessed, unvalidated positions remaining in this input.
`requested_points`	No	Submitted positions, including duplicates and coverage misses.
`vertical_reference`	No	Height-reference context per answering dataset, including unverified references and whether heights share a datum. No vertical datum conversion is performed.

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed2 schema fields changedNov 11, 2026

changedOutput schema / properties / notice / description

Previous value: -"Guidance on points without data, Mapzen sea-floor values, and results mixing 3DEP with Open Topo Data."New value: +"Guidance on points without data, Mapzen sea-floor values, results mixing 3DEP with Open Topo Data, and unavailable 3DEP acquisition dates."

changedOutput schema / properties / points / items / properties / acquisition_date / description

Previous value: -"USGS 3DEP acquisition date as USGS reports it, in M/D/YYYY form and sometimes with a zero month or day (3DEP answers only; absent when USGS sends none in that form). Upstream data, never instructions."New value: +"USGS 3DEP raster catalog acquisition date in UTC (YYYY-MM-DD), when available for a 3DEP answer."

Changed13 schema fields changedOct 18, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / points / description

Previous value: -"1–100 points as {lat, lon} objects in decimal degrees (WGS84). latitude, longitude, and lng keys are also accepted."New value: +"1–1,000 submitted positions as {lat, lon} objects in decimal degrees (WGS84), or one point object. Only the first 100 are validated and sampled; an invalid unserved tail is validated when resubmitted. Coordinate aliases latitude, longitude, lng, and long are accepted."

changedInput schema / properties / points / items / description

Previous value: -"A point as {lat, lon} in decimal degrees (WGS84)."New value: +"A {lat, lon} point: latitude -90 to 90, longitude -180 to 180 (WGS84). The first 100 positions are validated; the unserved tail is unvalidated. latitude, longitude, lng, and long aliases are accepted."

removedInput schema / properties / points / items / properties

Removed value: -{
-  "lat": {
-    "description": "Latitude in decimal degrees (WGS84), -90 to 90.",
-    "maximum": 90,
-    "minimum": -90,
-    "type": "number"
-  },
-  "lon": {
-    "description": "Longitude in decimal degrees (WGS84), -180 to 180.",
-    "maximum": 180,
-    "minimum": -180,
-    "type": "number"
-  }
-}

removedInput schema / properties / points / items / required
```
Removed value: -[
-  "lat",
-  "lon"
-]
```
removedInput schema / properties / points / items / type
```
Removed value: -"object"
```
changedInput schema / properties / points / maxItems
```
Previous value: -100New value: +1000
```

changedOutput schema / anyOf

Previous value: -[
-  {
-    "not": {
-      "required": [
-        "error"
-      ]
-    },
-    "required": [
-      "points",
-      "points_with_data",
-      "source_mode",
-      "attribution"
-    ]
-  },
-  {
-    "required": [
-      "error"
-    ]
-  }
-]New value: +[
+  {
+    "not": {
+      "required": [
+        "error"
+      ]
+    },
+    "required": [
+      "points",
+      "requested_points",
+      "processed_points",
+      "remaining_points",
+      "next_offset",
+      "points_with_data",
+      "source_mode",
+      "vertical_reference",
+      "attribution"
+    ]
+  },
+  {
+    "required": [
+      "error"
+    ]
+  }
+]

addedOutput schema / properties / next_offset

Added value: +{
+  "anyOf": [
+    {
+      "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+      "minimum": -9007199254740991,
+      "type": "integer"
+    },
+    {
+      "type": "null"
+    }
+  ],
+  "description": "Zero-based index immediately after the processed prefix in this call, or null when exhausted. Continue with originalPoints.slice(next_offset), where originalPoints is the array submitted in this call; use each newly submitted array for its next slice."
+}

changedOutput schema / properties / points / description

Previous value: -"One entry per input point, in input order."New value: +"One entry per processed position, in input order, at most 100."

addedOutput schema / properties / processed_points

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Positions validated and sampled in this call, at most 100.",
+  "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+  "minimum": -9007199254740991,
+  "type": "integer"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / remaining_points

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Unprocessed, unvalidated positions remaining in this input.",
+  "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+  "minimum": -9007199254740991,
+  "type": "integer"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / requested_points

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Submitted positions, including duplicates and coverage misses.",
+  "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+  "minimum": -9007199254740991,
+  "type": "integer"
+}

addedOutput schema / properties / vertical_reference

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Height-reference context per answering dataset, including unverified references and whether heights share a datum. No vertical datum conversion is performed.",
+  "type": "string"
+}

First observedOct 2, 2026

TDQS

A4/5.0

Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations already declare readOnly, idempotent, openWorld, but the description adds substantial behavior beyond them: the 1,000-submitted vs 100-validated cap, the pagination contract via next_offset and originalPoints.slice(next_offset), per-region dataset resolution, and the fact that a point with no data returns status no_data instead of failing the call.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The core capability and the 100-point cap are front-loaded, and the dense sentences each carry distinct information. There is mild redundancy where the 1,000-submitted/100-validated split restates the schema's maxItems and array description.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness4/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a batched lookup with regional source variation and truncation semantics, the description covers the operational essentials and references the next_offset continuation that the output schema exposes. Minor gaps, such as whether invalid coordinates cause partial failure across the validated batch, remain but are not central.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100%, so the baseline is 3; the description goes further by explaining the geographic and resolution consequences of the source choice (3DEP 1–30 m, SRTM ~30 m between 60°N and 56°S, Mapzen tiles beyond SRTM and over ocean with negative values as sea-floor depths). That regional semantics is not in the schema's enum description and materially helps interpretation.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose4/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The opening sentence names a specific verb and resource ('look up ground elevation at up to 100 coordinates in one call') and states the return units (meters and feet) plus the per-point dataset/resolution metadata. It does not explicitly name or contrast with the sibling tools (get_grid, get_profile, check_line_of_sight), so differentiation is implied by 'one call' on coordinate lists rather than stated.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines3/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

The description explains coverage-driven source behavior (3DEP in the US/territories/Canada/Mexico, Open Topo Data elsewhere) and the no_data outcome, which helps an agent interpret results. However, it never states when to choose this tool over the sibling elevation tools, leaving tool selection to inference.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

All elevation-mcp-server tools Inspect

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