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Description

Goddard’s LiDAR, Hyperspectral, and Thermal Imager (G-LiHT) mission is a portable, airborne imaging system that aims to simultaneously map the composition, structure, and function of terrestrial ecosystems. G-LiHT primarily focuses on a broad diversity of forest communities and ecoregions in North America, mapping aerial swaths over the Conterminous United States (CONUS), Alaska, Puerto Rico, and Mexico.

The purpose of G-LiHT’s Metrics data product (GLMETRICS) is to provide extensive lidar height and density metrics and return statistics in more than 80 science data set layers. Included in the product are mean, standard deviation, and percentile information for ground, tree, and shrub data. Some flights also contain Canopy Height Model (CHM) and Digital Terrain Model (DTM) returns. The total number of metrics layers varies by flight or campaign.

GLMETRICS data are processed as a raster data product (GeoTIFF) at a 13 meter spatial resolution over locally defined areas.

Known Issues

  • Science Data Layers do not currently reflect valid Fill Value, No Data Value, Valid Range, or Scaling Factor. These will be updated when more information is available.

Version Description

This is version one of the G-LiHT dataset.

Product Summary

Platforms
G-LiHT
Instruments
Headwall,
Riegl Airborne Lidar
Spatial Extent
N: 73 S: 10 E: -50 W: -170
Spatial Resolution
13 Meters x 13 Meters
Geographic Region
PUERTO RICO,
MEXICO,
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Coordinate System
GEODETIC
Granule Spatial Representation
GEODETIC
Temporal Extent
2011-06-30 to Present
Temporal Resolution
Varies
Data Partner
Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (LP DAAC)
Earth Sciences Division, Science and Exploration Directorate, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA (NASA/GSFC/SED/ESD)
Concept ID
C2763264737-LPCLOUD
Data State
ACTIVE
Processing Level
3
Published
Updated
Science Keywords
Lidar,
Visible Radiance,
Infrared Radiance,
ULTRAVIOLET RADIANCE,
Microwave Radiance,
Canopy Characteristics,
Digital Elevation/Terrain Model (DEM)

Citation

Citation is critically important for dataset documentation and discovery. This dataset is openly shared, without restriction, in accordance with the EOSDIS Data Use and Citation Guidance.

Copy Citation

Cook, B., & Halota, A. (2022). G-LiHT Metrics V001 [Data set]. NASA Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center. https://doi.org/10.5067/COMMUNITY/GLIHT/GLMETRICS.001 Date Accessed: 2025-11-06

Documents

Variables

Variables are a set of physical properties whose values determine the characteristics or behavior of something. For example, temperature and pressure are variables of the atmosphere. Parameters and variables can be used interchangeably. Variable level attributes provide individual information for each variable.

The Name in this table is the variable name. Fill value indicates missing or undefined data points in a variable. Valid range is the range of values the variable can store. Scale factor is used to increase or decrease the size of an object and can be used to correct for distortion. For questions on a specific variable, please use the Earthdata Forum.

Name Description Units Data Type Fill Value Valid Range Scale Factor
all_d0 Density deciles (0% increment) of all returns Fraction float32 N/A N/A N/A
all_d1 Density deciles (10% increment) of all returns Fraction float32 N/A N/A N/A
all_d2 Density deciles (20% increment) of all returns Fraction float32 N/A N/A N/A
all_d3 Density deciles (30% increment) of all returns Fraction float32 N/A N/A N/A
all_d4 Density deciles (40% increment) of all returns Fraction float32 N/A N/A N/A
all_d5 Density deciles (50% increment) of all returns Fraction float32 N/A N/A N/A
all_d6 Density deciles (60% increment) of all returns Fraction float32 N/A N/A N/A
all_d7 Density deciles (70% increment) of all returns Fraction float32 N/A N/A N/A
all_d8 Density deciles (80% increment) of all returns Fraction float32 N/A N/A N/A
all_d9 Density deciles (90% increment) of all returns Fraction float32 N/A N/A N/A
all_kurt Kurtosis of all return height Meters float32 N/A N/A N/A
all_mean Mean of all return heights Meters float32 N/A N/A N/A
all_p10 Height percentiles (10% increment) of all returns Meters float32 N/A N/A N/A
all_p20 Height percentiles (20% increment) of all returns Meters float32 N/A N/A N/A
all_p30 Height percentiles (30% increment) of all returns Meters float32 N/A N/A N/A
all_p40 Height percentiles (40% increment) of all returns Meters float32 N/A N/A N/A
all_p50 Height percentiles (50% increment) of all returns Meters float32 N/A N/A N/A
all_p60 Height percentiles (60% increment) of all returns Meters float32 N/A N/A N/A
all_p70 Height percentiles (70% increment) of all returns Meters float32 N/A N/A N/A
all_p80 Height percentiles (80% increment) of all returns Meters float32 N/A N/A N/A
all_p90 Height percentiles (90% increment) of all returns Meters float32 N/A N/A N/A
all_p100 Height percentiles (100% increment) of all returns Meters float32 N/A N/A N/A
all_qmean Quadratic mean of all return heights Meters float32 N/A N/A N/A
all_refl_max Maximum relative reflectance of all single returns Fraction float32 N/A N/A N/A
all_refl_mean Mean relative reflectance of all single returns Fraction float32 N/A N/A N/A
all_skew Skewness of all return heights Meters float32 N/A N/A N/A
all_stdev Standard deviation of all return heights Meters float32 N/A N/A N/A
chm_mean Canopy Height Model Mean Meters float32 N/A N/A N/A
chm_rugosity Canopy Height Model Rugosity Meters float32 N/A N/A N/A
dsm_mean Digital Surface Model Mean Meters float32 N/A N/A N/A
dsm_rugosity Digital Surface Model Rugosity Meters float32 N/A N/A N/A
ground_aspect Aspect derived from gridded DTM Degree float32 N/A N/A N/A
ground_elev_mean Mean of ground return elevations Meters float32 N/A N/A N/A
ground_refl_max Maximum relative reflectance of ground single returns Fraction float32 N/A N/A N/A
ground_refl_mean Mean relative reflectance of ground single returns Fraction float32 N/A N/A N/A
ground_slope Mean slope derived from gridded DTM Degree float32 N/A N/A N/A
nmbu_tree_d0 Density deciles (0% increment) of tree return Fraction float32 N/A N/A N/A
nmbu_tree_d1 Density deciles (10% increment) of tree return Fraction float32 N/A N/A N/A
nmbu_tree_d2 Density deciles (20% increment) of tree return Fraction float32 N/A N/A N/A
nmbu_tree_d3 Density deciles (30% increment) of tree return Fraction float32 N/A N/A N/A
nmbu_tree_d4 Density deciles (40% increment) of tree return Fraction float32 N/A N/A N/A
nmbu_tree_d5 Density deciles (50% increment) of tree return Fraction float32 N/A N/A N/A
nmbu_tree_d6 Density deciles (60% increment) of tree return Fraction float32 N/A N/A N/A
nmbu_tree_d7 Density deciles (70% increment) of tree return Fraction float32 N/A N/A N/A
nmbu_tree_d8 Density deciles (80% increment) of tree return Fraction float32 N/A N/A N/A
nmbu_tree_d9 Density deciles (90% increment) of tree return Fraction float32 N/A N/A N/A
pulse_density Laser pulse density Number float32 N/A N/A N/A
pulse_scan_angle Mean laser pulse scan angle (from nadir) Degree float32 N/A N/A N/A
returns_per_pulse Mean number of returns per laser pulse Number float32 N/A N/A N/A
shrub_mean Mean of shrub return heights Meters float32 N/A N/A N/A
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