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Topography Data Access and Tools
NASA data detail topography across the land surface, ocean, cryosphere, terrestrial hydrosphere and within the context of climate change. Our datasets and tools help researchers translate these interconnected data points into actionable knowledge.
Topography Featured Observation Method: ICESat-2
NASA's Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) allows scientists to measure the elevation of ice sheets, glaciers, sea ice, and land across Earth's temperate and tropical regions, as well as take stock of the vegetation in forests worldwide. ICESat-2 carries the Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS), which sends 10,000 pulses of laser light to the ground per second and then measures how long it takes them be reflected back by the surface to determine the area's elevation.
Learn more about ICESat-2/ATLAS near real-time data provided by NASA's Land, Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for Earth observation (LANCE).
ICESat-2 carries the Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS), which sends pulses of laser light to the ground, collects the returning photons in a telescope, and records the photon travel time.
Learn more about ICESat-2/ATLAS near real-time data provided by NASA's Land, Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for Earth observation (LANCE).
ICESat-2 carries the Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS), which sends pulses of laser light to the ground, collects the returning photons in a telescope, and records the photon travel time.
Data from NASA’s ICESat-2 mission provide incredibly accurate measurements of Earth elevation change—and much more.
8 MIN READ
The five new datasets are the result of a joint effort by NASA’s Satellite Needs Working Group Management Office (SNWG MO), ICESat-2 team, and Land, Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for EOS (LANCE).
3 MIN READ
This is the first in a four-part webinar series to introduce NASA's Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation-2 (ICESat-2) platform and the platform's data, tools, and applications.
This ACCESS 2015 project focused on OpenAltimetry, a cloud-ready web-based application for discovery, access, and visualization of ICESat and ICESat-2 data.
Topography Datasets
| Dataset | Platforms | Instruments | Temporal Extent | Location Keywords | Spatial Extent | Data Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABoVE: Active Layer and Soil Moisture Properties from AirMOSS P-band SAR in Alaska | G-III, MODELS | RADAR, Computer | 2014-08-16 to 2017-10-10 | ARCTIC, ALASKA | N: 70.8774 S: 64.7127 E: -150.249 W: -167.944 | netCDF-4 classic |
| ABoVE: AirSWOT Ka-band Radar over Surface Waters of Alaska and Canada, 2017 | B-200 | AirSWOT | 2017-07-08 to 2017-08-17 | ALASKA, CANADA, ARCTIC, NORTHERN HEMISPHERE | N: 70.4944 S: 46.8451 E: -98.629 W: -149.834 | multiple |
| ABoVE: AirSWOT Radar, Orthomosaic, and Water Masks, Yukon Flats Basin, Alaska, 2015 | B-200 | AirSWOT, CAMERA | 2015-06-15 to 2015-06-15 | ALASKA, ARCTIC | N: 66.8978 S: 65.9282 E: -145 W: -148 | multiple |
| ABoVE: Characterization of Burned and Unburned Boreal Forest Stands, SK, Canada, 2016 | FIELD SURVEYS, MODELS | STEEL MEASURING TAPE, SOIL SAMPLER, CLINOMETERS, GPS, Computer | 2016-05-30 to 2016-06-16 | SASKATCHEWAN | N: 57.3646 S: 54.091 E: -104.693 W: -109.173 | CSV |
| ABoVE: Characterization of Burned and Unburned Spruce Forest Sites, Tanana, AK, 2017 | FIELD SURVEYS, LANDSAT | PROBES, SOIL MOISTURE PROBE, TM | 2017-07-26 to 2017-07-28 | ALASKA | N: 65.2315 S: 65.0968 E: -151.951 W: -152.416 | CSV |
| ABoVE: Dall Sheep Response to Snow and Landscape Covariates, Alaska, 2005-2008 | MODELS, Terra, Aqua | Computer, MODIS | 2005-09-01 to 2008-08-31 | ALASKA | N: 61.0517 S: 59.976 E: -153.033 W: -154.526 | netCDF-4 classic |
| ABoVE: LVIS L3 Gridded Vegetation Structure across North America, 2017 and 2019 | G-V | LVIS | 2017-06-29 to 2019-08-08 | UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, CANADA, CENTRAL AMERICA | N: 78.1366 S: 7.126 E: -28.8244 W: -167.324 | multiple |
| ABoVE: Permafrost Measurements and Distribution Across the Y-K Delta, Alaska, 2016 | IKONOS, FIELD SURVEYS, Airplane | Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope, SOIL DEPTH PROBE, LIDAR | 2009-06-27 to 2016-07-17 | N: 61.2881 S: 61.1694 E: -165.03 W: -165.69 | multiple | |
| ABoVE: Synthesis of Burned and Unburned Forest Site Data, AK and Canada, 1983-2016 | MODELS, FIELD INVESTIGATION | Computer, PROBES, SOIL SAMPLER | 1983-01-01 to 2016-08-08 | ALASKA, NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, SASKATCHEWAN | N: 67.2297 S: 53.1911 E: -88.612 W: -150.902 | CSV |
| ABoVE: Terrestrial Lidar Scanning Forest-Tundra Ecotone, Brooks Range, Alaska, 2016 | FIELD SURVEYS | LIDAR | 2016-06-14 to 2016-06-25 | ALASKA | N: 68.0204 S: 67.9704 E: -149.715 W: -149.765 | multiple |
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