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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 Datasets
| Dataset | Version Sort ascending | Platforms | Instruments | Temporal Extent | Spatial Extent | Spatial Resolution | Data Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASTER Global Emissivity Dataset, 1 kilometer, HDF5 V003 | 003 | Terra | ASTER | 2000-01-01 to 2008-12-31 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
1000 Meters x 1000 Meters | HDF5 |
| NASA Shuttle Radar Topography Mission Global 30 arc second V002 | 002 | STS-99 | SRTM | 2000-02-11 to 2000-02-21 |
N: 60 S: -56 E: 180 W: -180 |
1000 Meters x 1000 Meters | DEM |
| MODIS/Aqua Geolocation Fields 1km 5-Min 1A Swath Subset along MLS V002 (MAM03S0) at GES DISC | 002 | Aqua | MODIS | 2004-08-08 to 2008-01-11 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
||
| GEDI L2A Elevation and Height Metrics Data Global Footprint Level V002 | 002 | ISS | GEDI | 2019-04-04 to 2023-03-16, 2024-04-26 to Present |
N: 54 S: -54 E: 180 W: -180 |
25 Meters x 25 Meters | HDF5 |
| MODIS/Aqua Geolocation Fields 1km 5-Min 1A Narrow Swath Subset along CloudSat V002 (MAC03S0) at GES DISC | 002 | Aqua | MODIS | 2006-06-02 to 2018-03-01 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
||
| GEDI L2B Canopy Cover and Vertical Profile Metrics Data Global Footprint Level V002 | 002 | ISS | GEDI | 2019-04-04 to 2023-03-16, 2024-04-26 to Present |
N: 54 S: -54 E: 180 W: -180 |
25 Meters x 25 Meters | HDF5 |
| MODIS/Aqua Geolocation Fields 1km 5-Min 1A Wide Swath Subset along CloudSat V002 (MAC03S1) at GES DISC | 002 | Aqua | MODIS | 2006-06-02 to 2018-03-01 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
||
| GEDI L1B Geolocated Waveform Data Global Footprint Level V002 | 002 | ISS | GEDI | 2019-04-04 to 2023-03-16, 2024-04-26 to Present |
N: 54 S: -54 E: 180 W: -180 |
25 Meters x 25 Meters | HDF5 |
| ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model V002 | 002 | Terra | ASTER | 1999-12-18 to 2011-02-28 |
N: 82 S: -83 E: 180 W: -180 |
GeoTIFF | |
| GEDI L1B Geolocated Waveform Data Global Footprint Level V001 | 001 | ISS | GEDI | 2019-04-18 to 2020-09-03 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
25 Meters x 25 Meters | HDF5 |
SHOWING 10 OF 257
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 five-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.
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