# opentopo.catalog.lidar

Search the OpenTopography catalog for high-resolution LiDAR point cloud datasets covering a specified bounding box. LiDAR datasets provide centimetre-to-metre resolution 3D terrain data, primarily from USGS 3DEP surveys across the US. Returns dataset name, OpenTopography ID, DOI URL, acquisition date, spatial coverage bounds, and description. Essential for discovering available high-resolution terrain data before requesting downloads. Source: OpenTopography catalog, CC BY 4.0, free registration (5K req/day).

Agent View of the PolicyLayer registry record for `opentopo.catalog.lidar`. HTML page: https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-whiteknightonhorse-apibase/opentopo.catalog.lidar

## Facts

- Tool: `opentopo.catalog.lidar`
- Server: Apibase (`apibase-mcp-client`) — https://policylayer.com/tools/io-github-whiteknightonhorse-apibase.md
- Install: `npx -y apibase-mcp-client`
- Homepage: https://github.com/whiteknightonhorse/APIbase
- Risk category: Read (Low risk)
- Registry record: grade F, identity unverified
- Server auth posture: open
- Server rate-limited: no
- Parameters: 4 (4 required)
- Recommended policy verdict: Allowed

## Parameters

| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `max_lat` | number | yes | Northern boundary of search area in decimal degrees (-90 to 90) |
| `max_lon` | number | yes | Eastern boundary of search area in decimal degrees (-180 to 180) |
| `min_lat` | number | yes | Southern boundary of search area in decimal degrees (-90 to 90) |
| `min_lon` | number | yes | Western boundary of search area in decimal degrees (-180 to 180) |

Parameters from the server's own tool schema.

## Example call (MCP tools/call, JSON-RPC 2.0)

```json
{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0",
  "id": 1,
  "method": "tools/call",
  "params": {
    "name": "opentopo.catalog.lidar",
    "arguments": {
      "max_lat": 0,
      "max_lon": 0,
      "min_lat": 0,
      "min_lon": 0
    }
  }
}
```

## Why opentopo.catalog.lidar is rated Low

Tool queries and returns metadata about LiDAR datasets without modifying data or executing external operations.

From the tool's own definition: "Search the OpenTopography catalog for high-resolution LiDAR point cloud datasets"

## Use case

AI agents call opentopo.catalog.lidar to retrieve information from Apibase without modifying anything. It is typically the context-gathering step in research, monitoring, and reporting workflows, before the agent takes action elsewhere.

## Recommended policy (PolicyLayer)

Verdict: **Allowed**. Enforced by the PolicyLayer MCP gateway (https://policylayer.com/mcp-gateway) before a call reaches Apibase:

```json
{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "opentopo.catalog.lidar": {}
  }
}
```

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## For agents

This record is a snapshot. Live verdicts and the full registry:

- Check every server in your MCP config at once: `npx -y policylayer stack`
- Vet a server before you add it: install the mcp-precheck skill — `npx skills add https://policylayer.com` (skill text: https://policylayer.com/skill.md)
- Query the registry over MCP: endpoint `https://api.policylayer.com/mcp` — tools `check_mcp_server`, `check_mcp_stack`, `check_tool`, `search_registry`, `get_change_events`

---

Source: the PolicyLayer MCP registry — one continuously verified record per MCP server. Full record: https://policylayer.com/registry?q=io-github-whiteknightonhorse-apibase · API: https://policylayer.com/registry/api · Policy library: https://policylayer.com/policies/io-github-whiteknightonhorse-apibase