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Image of Eastern U.S. with colors from blue to green indicating estimated AGBD values
image of GEDI on the ISS
image of GEDI lidar data over the Washington DC/Baltimore area

GEDI

Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation

The Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) aims to characterize the effects of changing climate and land use on Earth. Specifically, GEDI helps researchers study ecosystem structure and dynamics to enable radically improved quantification and understanding of Earth's carbon cycle and variability of life. 

From its vantage point on the International Space Station (ISS), GEDI uses lidar to provide the first global, high-resolution observations of forest vertical structure. GEDI addresses three core science questions: What is the aboveground carbon balance of the land surface? What role will the land surface play in mitigating atmospheric carbon dioxide in the coming decades? How does ecosystem structure affect habitat quality and variability of life?

Principal Investigator

Ralph Dubayah

Partners

University of Maryland

Data Centers

ORNL DAAC

Funding Programs

EVI
The text GEDI - Ecosystem Lidar is superimposed over satellite imagery of Earth.

Specifications

Study DatesDec. 5, 2018 - present
Season of StudyYear round
RegionWorldwide
Focus Areas

Atmospheric and Water Cycling Processes

Biodiversity

Habitat

GEDI is a full-waveform lidar instrument that makes detailed measurements of the 3D structure of Earth’s surface.

PlatformInstrument(s)
ISSGEDI Lidar

Lower-level science data products (L1B, L2A, and L2B) are available from the Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (LP DAAC), and the higher-level products (L3, L4A, and L4B) are available from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory DAAC (ORNL DAAC). L3 provides gridded canopy and land surface metrics. L4A and L4B provide aboveground biomass density at footprint and grid levels.