A method for producing a depth map from a detection region of the Earth's surface, a detection region being arranged in an underground pipeline, wherein the method includes recording at least one image sequence via at least one camera, determining the position and orientation of the camera corresponding to each individual recording, determining a spatial position and orientation of the underground pipeline arranged in the detection region, producing the depth map of the detection region via a plane sweep method based on the individual recordings and the associated camera positions, where the maximum depth region of the plane sweep method is subdivided into a total of N sections in an adaptive manner, i.e., in accordance with a predetermined minimum layer thickness for the ground covering the underground pipeline, via a predetermined number of planes spaced differently from one another and extending parallel with respect to one another.