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Description

ATL08 contains along-track estimates of terrain height, canopy height, and canopy cover, as well as beam and reference parameters. Data were acquired by the Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS) instrument on board the ICESat-2 observatory.

Version Description

-Removed canopy finding flag in ATL08 regions 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 -Incorporated the CAB delineation of a ground surface to remove noise bands from the ATL03 data product prior to DRAGANN. -Aligned the weak beam to the strong beam from ATL09 based on along-track distance for CAB profile cloud filtering -Updated description for MSW flag -Incorporated a single surface search to improve ground finding -Updated parameters on the quality_ph flag to allow certain photons as input into ATL08 -Added a terrain and canopy quality score -Added steps for identifying whether photons are from a single surface or multi-surface -Added ground finding correction based on a priori DEM bias -Added extension of nighttime canopy photons, above FINALGROUND surface -Added steps to reject photons in the presence of fog or low-lying clouds

Product Summary

Platforms
ICESat-2
Instruments
ATLAS
Spatial Extent

N: 88 S: -88 E: 180 W: -180

Spatial Reference System(s)
WGS 84 (EPSG:4326)
Location
GLOBAL
Coordinate System
CARTESIAN
Granule Spatial Representation
GEODETIC
Temporal Extent
2018-10-14 to Present
Temporal Resolution
91 Day
Concept ID
C3565574177-NSIDC_CPRD
Data State
ACTIVE
Number of Files/Granules
409798
Processing Level
3
Published
Science Keywords
Terrain Elevation ,
Vegetation Height

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

Neuenschwander, A., Pitts, K., Jelley, B., Robbins, J., Markel, J., Popescu, S., Nelson, R., Harding, D., Pederson, D., Klotz, B., & Sheridan, R. (2025). ATLAS/ICESat-2 L3A Land and Vegetation Height, Version 7 [Dataset]. NASA National Snow and Ice Data Center Distributed Active Archive Center. https://doi.org/10.5067/ATLAS/ATL08.007 Date Accessed: 2026-06-10

Documents

Publications Citing This Dataset

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Title Year Author Topic
Improving ICESat-2 ATL08 land elevation accuracy in complex hilly terrain using Machine Learning Models and spatial analysis Zhang, Shengpeng, Zhang, Yongming, Zhang, Yongying, Hao, Guangjing, Li, Hanmei Terrain Elevation
Generation of High Resolution DEM and Orthoimage Using Cartosat-2S and Cartosat-3 Data Islam, Baharul, Singh, Sanjay K. Terrain Elevation
One-day repeat pass interferometry highlights the role of temporal baseline on digital elevation models retrieved from Sentinel-1 Braun, Andreas Terrain Elevation
SWOT Satellite Observations of the Kakhovka Dam Break Flood Highlight Limitations of Outburst Flood Models Lehnigk, K. E., Pavelsky, T. M., Lang, K. A. Terrain Elevation
Water level detection in coastal areas with spaceborne LiDAR: accuracy assessment of GEDI and ICESat-2 data Parra, Adriana, Belhadj-Aissa, S., Christensen, A., Fagherazzi, S., Simard, M. Terrain Elevation
Calibration of TanDEM-X DEM Scenes Using Icesat-2 Altimetry Data for Global DEM Change Maps Abdela, Nesredin Kenzu, Lachaise, Marie, Schweisshelm, Barbara Terrain Elevation
Characterizing ICESat-2 Snow Depths Over the Boreal Forests and Tundra Fair, Zachary, Vuyovich, Carrie, Neumann, Thomas, Larsen, Chrisopher F., Stuefer, Svetlana, Mason, Megan, May, Lora Digital Elevation/Terrain Model (DEM), Snow Depth, Vegetation Height, Forest Composition/Vegetation Structure, Liquid Water Content, Snow Density, Snow Depth, Snow Grain Size, Snow/Ice Temperature, Snow Stratigraphy, Snow Water Equivalent, WETNESS, Terrain Elevation
Comparison of Methods to Derive the Height-Area Relationship of Shallow Girard, F., Kergoat, L., Nikiema, H., Wubda, M., Yonaba, R., Fowe, T., Toure, A. Abdourhamane, Mainassara, I., de Fleury, M., Grippa, M. Terrain Elevation
Global 30-m annual median vegetation height maps (20002022) based on ICESat-2 data and Machine Learning Hunter, Maria O., Parente, Leandro, Ho, Yu-feng, Bonannella, Carmelo, Guimaraes Ferreira, Laerte, Morton, Douglas, Consoli, Davide, Sloat, Lindsey Aerosol Optical Depth/Thickness, Land Surface Temperature, Emissivity, Terrain Elevation
First demonstration of spaceborne L-band bistatic single-polarization Lei, Yang, Li, Weiliang, Yu, Yanghai, Liu, Xiaotong, Xu, Jie, Fu, Anmin, Wan, Jie, Wang, Changcheng, Huang, Wenli, Qiu, Zixuan, Li, Tao, Fu, Haiqiang, Liu, Yu, Shi, Jiancheng Plant Phenology, Canopy Characteristics, Vegetation Cover, Lidar, Topography, Vegetation Height, Digital Elevation/Terrain Model (DEM), LIDAR WAVEFORM, Terrain Elevation
Physical Model-Based Forest Height Inversion with Lutan-1 Spaceborne L-Band Bistatic Single-Baseline Single-Polarization SAR Interferometry Li, Weiliang, Lei, Yang Terrain Elevation
Multiple modes of shoreline change along the Alaskan Beaufort Sea observed using ICESat-2 altimetry and satellite imagery Bryant, Marnie B., Borsa, Adrian A., Anderson, Eric J., Masteller, Claire C., Michaelides, Roger J., Siegfried, Matthew R., Young, Adam P. Terrain Elevation, Surface Water Processes/Measurements, Glacier Elevation/Ice Sheet Elevation
River Avulsion Precursors Encoded in Alluvial Ridge Geometry Gearon, J. H., Edmonds, D. A. Terrain Elevation
Synergistic use of ICESat-2 lidar data and Sentinel-2 imagery for assessing hurricane-driven forest changes Gautam, Ajay, Narine, Lana L., Anderson, Christopher J., Cristan, Richard Terrain Elevation
Temporal and Spatial Assessment of Glacier Elevation Change in the Wang, Qihua, Yang, Yuande, Hu, Jiayu, Zhang, Jianglong, Li, Zuqiang, Wang, Yuechen Terrain Elevation
A fast and efficient method to estimate inland water levels using CYGNSS Ma, Zhongmin, Zhang, Shuangcheng, Camps, Adriano, Park, Hyuk, Liu, Qi, Tan, Pengyuan, Wang, Changyang Plant Phenology, Canopy Characteristics, Vegetation Cover, Lidar, Topography, Vegetation Height, Radar Cross-Section, Radar Reflectivity, Terrain Elevation
Accuracy fluctuations of ICESat-2 height measurements in time series Wang, Xu, Liang, Xinlian, Gong, Weishu, Hakli, Pasi, Wang, Yunsheng Terrain Elevation
An Efficient Technique for Rapid Estimation of Flood Water Levels: Combining CYGNSS GNSS-R L1 Data with DTMS Ma, Z., Zhang, S., Park, H., Camps, A. Radar Cross-Section, Radar Reflectivity, Terrain Elevation
DeltaDTM: A global coastal digital terrain model Pronk, Maarten, Hooijer, Aljosja, Eilander, Dirk, Haag, Arjen, de Jong, Tjalling, Vousdoukas, Michalis, Vernimmen, Ronald, Ledoux, Hugo, Eleveld, Marieke Plant Phenology, Canopy Characteristics, Vegetation Cover, Lidar, Topography, Vegetation Height, LIDAR WAVEFORM, Terrain Elevation
Rules of river avulsion change downstream Gearon, James H., Martin, Harrison K., DeLisle, Clarke, Barefoot, Eric A., Mohrig, David, Paola, Chris, Edmonds, Douglas A. Poverty Levels, Environmental Health Factors, Population Distribution, Sustainability, Terrain Elevation
Signal Photon Extraction Method for ICESat-2 Data Using Slope and Gu, Linyu, Fan, Dazhao, Ji, Song, Gong, Zhihui, Li, Dongzi, Dong, Yang Terrain Elevation
Stage-Slope-Discharge Relationships Upstream of River Confluences Liu, Jun, BauerGottwein, Peter, Frias, Monica Coppo, Musaeus, Aske Folkmann, Christoffersen, Linda, Jiang, Liguang Terrain Elevation, Surface Water Processes/Measurements
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