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Description

The Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) mission aims to characterize ecosystem structure and dynamics to enable radically improved quantification and understanding of the Earth’s carbon cycle and biodiversity. The GEDI instrument produces high resolution laser ranging observations of the 3-dimensional structure of the Earth. GEDI is attached to the International Space Station (ISS) and collects data globally between 51.6° N and 51.6° S latitudes at the highest resolution and densest sampling of any light detection and ranging (lidar) instrument in orbit to date. Each GEDI Version 2 granule encompasses one-fourth of an ISS orbit and includes georeferenced metadata to allow for spatial querying and subsetting.

The GEDI instrument was removed from the ISS and placed into storage on March 17, 2023. No data were acquired during the hibernation period from March 17, 2023, to April 24, 2024. GEDI has since been reinstalled on the ISS and resumed operations as of April 26, 2024.

The purpose of the GEDI Level 2A Geolocated Elevation and Height Metrics product (GEDI02_A) is to provide waveform interpretation and extracted products from each GEDI01_B received waveform, including ground elevation, canopy top height, and relative height (RH) metrics. The methodology for generating the GEDI02_A product datasets is adapted from the Land, Vegetation, and Ice Sensor (LVIS) algorithm. The GEDI02_A product is provided in HDF5 format and has a spatial resolution (average footprint) of 25 meters.

The GEDI02_A data product contains 156 layers for each of the eight beams, including ground elevation, canopy top height, relative return energy metrics (e.g., canopy vertical structure), and many other interpreted products from the return waveforms. Additional information for the layers can be found in the GEDI Level 2A Dictionary.

Known Issues

  • Data acquisition gaps: GEDI data acquisitions were suspended on December 19, 2019 (2019 Day 353) and resumed on January 8, 2020 (2020 Day 8).
  • Incorrect Reference Ground Track (RGT) number in the filename for select GEDI files: GEDI Science Data Products for six orbits on August 7, 2020, and November 12, 2021, had the incorrect RGT number in the filename. There is no impact to the science data, but users should reference this document for the correct RGT numbers.
  • Known Issues: Section 8 of the User Guide provides additional information on known issues.

Version Description

The following changes and improvements were implemented for GEDI Version 2 data products: (1) Reduced granule size from one full ISS orbit (~7.99 GB) to four segments per orbit (~2.00 GB), (2) Modified file name to include segment number and dataset version, (3) Improved geolocation for orbital segments, (4) Added elevation from the SRTM digital elevation model for comparison, (5) Modified the method to predict an optimum algorithm setting group per laser shot, (6) Added additional land cover datasets related to phenology, urban infrastructure, and water persistence, (7) Added selected_mode_flag dataset to root beam group using selected algorithm, and (8) Removed shots when the laser is not firing.

Product Summary

Platforms
ISS
Instruments
GEDI
Spatial Extent

N: 54 S: -54 E: 180 W: -180

Spatial Resolution
25 Meters x 25 Meters
Location
GLOBAL LAND
Coordinate System
CARTESIAN
Granule Spatial Representation
GEODETIC
Temporal Extent
2019-04-04 to 2023-03-16 ,
2024-04-26 to Present
Temporal Resolution
Varies
Data Partner
Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (LP DAAC) ,
Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA (NASA/GSFC/GEDI)
Concept ID
C2142771958-LPCLOUD
Data State
ACTIVE
Number of Files/Granules
89664
Processing Level
2A
Published
Updated
Science Keywords
Plant Phenology ,
Canopy Characteristics ,
Vegetation Cover ,
Lidar ,
Topography ,
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

Dubayah, R., Hofton, M., Blair, J., Armston, J., Tang, H., & Luthcke, S. (2021). GEDI L2A Elevation and Height Metrics Data Global Footprint Level V002 [Data set]. NASA Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center. https://doi.org/10.5067/GEDI/GEDI02_A.002 Date Accessed: 2026-03-28

File Naming Convention

GEDI02_A_2024333190440_O33777_03_T03689_02_004_02_V002.h5

The file name begins with the Product Short Name (GEDI02_A), followed by the Julian Date and Time of Acquisition designated as YYYYDDDHHMMSS (2024333190440), the Orbit Number starting with the letter O (O33777), the Sub-Orbit Granule Number (03), Track Number (T03689), the Positioning and Pointing Determination System type where 00 is predict, 01 rapid, 02 and higher is final (02), the Product Generation Executables Version (004), the Granule Production Version (02), the Version Number (V002), and the Data Format (h5).

Documents

Publications Citing This Dataset

Filters
Title Year Author
A CNN-based approach for the estimation of canopy heights and wood volume from GEDI waveforms Fayad, I.
Mapping amazon forest productivity by fusing GEDI lidar waveforms with an individual-based forest model Bauer, L.
Combining GEDI and Sentinel-2 for wall-to-wall mapping of tall and short crops Di Tommaso, S.
Performance evaluation of GEDI and ICESat-2 laser altimeter data for terrain and canopy height retrievals Liu, A.
Sub-canopy topography estimation from TanDEM-X DEM by fusing ALOS-2 PARSAR-2 InSAR coherence and GEDI data Tan, P. Y.
Highly local model calibration with a new GEDI LiDAR asset on google earth engine reduces Landsat forest height signal saturation Healey, S. P.
SHOWING 6 OF 16

Variables

The table below lists the variables contained within a single granule for this dataset. Variables often contain observed or derived geophysical measurements collected from a variety of sources, including remote sensing instruments on satellite and airborne platforms, field campaigns, in situ measurements, and model outputs. The terms variable, parameter, scientific data set, layer, and band have been used across NASA’s Earth science disciplines; however, variable is the designated nomenclature in NASA’s Common Metadata Repository (CMR). Variable metadata attributes such as Name, Description, Units, Data Type, Fill Value, Valid Range, and Scale Factor allow users to efficiently process and analyze the data. The full range of attributes may not be applicable to all variables. Additional information on variable attributes is typically available in the data, user guide, and/or other product documentation.

For questions on a specific variable, please use the Earthdata Forum.

Name Description Units Data Type Fill Value Valid Range Scale Factor Offset
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lat_highestreturn_a1 Latitude of the highest return detected using algorithm N degrees float64 N/A -55 to 55 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lat_highestreturn_a2 Latitude of the highest return detected using algorithm N degrees float64 N/A -55 to 55 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lat_highestreturn_a3 Latitude of the highest return detected using algorithm N degrees float64 N/A -55 to 55 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lat_highestreturn_a4 Latitude of the highest return detected using algorithm N degrees float64 N/A -55 to 55 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lat_highestreturn_a5 Latitude of the highest return detected using algorithm N degrees float64 N/A -55 to 55 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lat_highestreturn_a6 Latitude of the highest return detected using algorithm N degrees float64 N/A -55 to 55 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lat_lowestmode_a1 Latitude of the center of the lowest mode detected using algorithm N degrees float64 N/A -55 to 55 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lat_lowestmode_a2 Latitude of the center of the lowest mode detected using algorithm N degrees float64 N/A -55 to 55 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lat_lowestmode_a3 Latitude of the center of the lowest mode detected using algorithm N degrees float64 N/A -55 to 55 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lat_lowestmode_a4 Latitude of the center of the lowest mode detected using algorithm N degrees float64 N/A -55 to 55 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lat_lowestmode_a5 Latitude of the center of the lowest mode detected using algorithm N degrees float64 N/A -55 to 55 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lat_lowestmode_a6 Latitude of the center of the lowest mode detected using algorithm N degrees float64 N/A -55 to 55 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lat_lowestreturn_a1 Latitude of the lowest return detected using algorithm N degrees float64 N/A -55 to 55 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lat_lowestreturn_a2 Latitude of the lowest return detected using algorithm N degrees float64 N/A -55 to 55 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lat_lowestreturn_a3 Latitude of the lowest return detected using algorithm N degrees float64 N/A -55 to 55 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lat_lowestreturn_a4 Latitude of the lowest return detected using algorithm N degrees float64 N/A -55 to 55 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lat_lowestreturn_a5 Latitude of the lowest return detected using algorithm N degrees float64 N/A -55 to 55 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lat_lowestreturn_a6 Latitude of the lowest return detected using algorithm N degrees float64 N/A -55 to 55 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/longitude_1gfit Longitude corresponding to the center of a single gaussian fit to the waveform degrees float64 N/A -180 to 180 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lons_allmodes_a1 Longitudes of all modes detected using algorithmN degrees float64 N/A -180 to 180 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lons_allmodes_a2 Longitudes of all modes detected using algorithmN degrees float64 N/A -180 to 180 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lons_allmodes_a3 Longitudes of all modes detected using algorithmN degrees float64 N/A -180 to 180 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lons_allmodes_a4 Longitudes of all modes detected using algorithmN degrees float64 N/A -180 to 180 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lons_allmodes_a5 Longitudes of all modes detected using algorithmN degrees float64 N/A -180 to 180 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lons_allmodes_a6 Longitudes of all modes detected using algorithmN degrees float64 N/A -180 to 180 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lon_highestreturn_a1 Longitude of the highest return detected using algorithm N degrees float64 N/A -180 to 180 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lon_highestreturn_a2 Longitude of the highest return detected using algorithm N degrees float64 N/A -180 to 180 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lon_highestreturn_a3 Longitude of the highest return detected using algorithm N degrees float64 N/A -180 to 180 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lon_highestreturn_a4 Longitude of the highest return detected using algorithm N degrees float64 N/A -180 to 180 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lon_highestreturn_a5 Longitude of the highest return detected using algorithm N degrees float64 N/A -180 to 180 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lon_highestreturn_a6 Longitude of the highest return detected using algorithm N degrees float64 N/A -180 to 180 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lon_lowestmode_a1 Longitude of the center of lowest mode detected using algorithm N degrees float64 N/A -180 to 180 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lon_lowestmode_a2 Longitude of the center of lowest mode detected using algorithm N degrees float64 N/A -180 to 180 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lon_lowestmode_a3 Longitude of the center of lowest mode detected using algorithm N degrees float64 N/A -180 to 180 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lon_lowestmode_a4 Longitude of the center of lowest mode detected using algorithm N degrees float64 N/A -180 to 180 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lon_lowestmode_a5 Longitude of the center of lowest mode detected using algorithm N degrees float64 N/A -180 to 180 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lon_lowestmode_a6 Longitude of the center of lowest mode detected using algorithm N degrees float64 N/A -180 to 180 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lon_lowestreturn_a1 Longitude of lowest return detected using algorithmN degrees float64 N/A -180 to 180 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lon_lowestreturn_a2 Longitude of lowest return detected using algorithmN degrees float64 N/A -180 to 180 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lon_lowestreturn_a3 Longitude of lowest return detected using algorithmN degrees float64 N/A -180 to 180 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lon_lowestreturn_a4 Longitude of lowest return detected using algorithmN degrees float64 N/A -180 to 180 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lon_lowestreturn_a5 Longitude of lowest return detected using algorithmN degrees float64 N/A -180 to 180 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/lon_lowestreturn_a6 Longitude of lowest return detected using algorithmN degrees float64 N/A -180 to 180 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/num_detectedmodes_a1 Number of detected modes detected using algorithm N N/A uint8 N/A 0 to 20 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/num_detectedmodes_a2 Number of detected modes detected using algorithm N N/A uint8 N/A 0 to 20 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/num_detectedmodes_a3 Number of detected modes detected using algorithm N N/A uint8 N/A 0 to 20 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/num_detectedmodes_a4 Number of detected modes detected using algorithm N N/A uint8 N/A 0 to 20 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/num_detectedmodes_a5 Number of detected modes detected using algorithm N N/A uint8 N/A 0 to 20 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/num_detectedmodes_a6 Number of detected modes detected using algorithm N N/A uint8 N/A 0 to 20 N/A N/A
/BEAM0000/geolocation/quality_flag_a1 Flag simpilfying selection of most useful data N/A uint8 N/A 0 to 1 N/A N/A
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