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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 Sort descending | Version | Platform | Instrument | Temporal Extent | Spatial Extent | Spatial Resolution | Data Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global Forest Ecosystem Structure and Function Data For Carbon Balance Research | 1 | NOAA-14 | AVHRR | 1897-01-01 to 2006-12-31 |
N: 67.36 S: -42.87 E: 172.75 W: -159.5 |
Shapefile | |
| Global Soil Profile Data (ISRIC-WISE) | 1 | NOT APPLICABLE | NOT APPLICABLE | 1950-01-01 to 1995-12-31 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
multiple | |
| GPM Ground Validation Airborne Snow Observatory (ASO) OLYMPEX V1 | 1 | UND CITATION II | LIDAR, VISIBLE SPECTROMETER | 2014-09-04 to 2016-03-30 |
N: 48.0909 S: 47.493 E: -123.129 W: -124.185 |
GeoTIFF | |
| GPM Ground Validation Duke Soil Moisture IPHEx | 1 | GROUND STATIONS | INFRARED THERMOMETERS, TEMPERATURE PROBES, THERMOMETERS | 2014-02-27 to 2014-10-17 |
N: 36.5193 S: 35.3731 E: -81.1315 W: -83.5905 |
ASCII, Binary, Excel, PDF, Word | |
| High Mountain Asia 2 m DEM, Surface Velocity, and Lagrangian Surface Mass Balance for Select Debris Covered Glaciers V001 | 1 | GEOEYE-1, WORLDVIEW-1, WORLDVIEW-2, WORLDVIEW-3 | GIS, WV60, WV110 | 2012-12-23 to 2017-12-22 |
N: 28.39 S: 28.2 E: 85.77 W: 85.51 N: 28.12 S: 27.85 E: 87 W: 86.64 |
2 Meters x 2 Meters | GeoTIFF |
| High Mountain Asia 8-meter DEM Mosaics Derived from Optical Imagery V001 | 1 | GEOEYE-1, QUICKBIRD-2, WORLDVIEW-1, WORLDVIEW-2, WORLDVIEW-3 | CAMERAS, QUICKBIRD/BHRC-60 | 2002-01-28 to 2016-11-24 |
N: 46 S: 26 E: 103 W: 67 |
8 Meters x 8 Meters | PNG, GeoTIFF |
| High Mountain Asia 8-meter DEMs Derived from Along-track Optical Imagery V001 | 1 | GEOEYE-1, QUICKBIRD-2, WORLDVIEW-1, WORLDVIEW-2, WORLDVIEW-3 | CAMERAS, QUICKBIRD/BHRC-60 | 2002-01-28 to 2016-11-24 |
N: 46 S: 26 E: 103 W: 67 |
8 Meters x 8 Meters | PNG, GeoTIFF |
| High Mountain Asia 8-meter DEMs Derived from Cross-track Optical Imagery V001 | 1 | GEOEYE-1, QUICKBIRD-2, WORLDVIEW-1, WORLDVIEW-2, WORLDVIEW-3 | CAMERAS, QUICKBIRD/BHRC-60 | 2002-01-28 to 2016-11-24 |
N: 46 S: 26 E: 103 W: 67 |
8 Meters x 8 Meters | PNG, GeoTIFF |
| IceBridge ATM L4 Surface Elevation Rate of Change V001 | 1 | C-130, DC-8, DHC-6, P-3A, P-3A ORION, P-3B, WP-3D ORION | ATM, ACORDS | 1993-06-23 to 2018-05-01 |
N: 90 S: 60 E: 180 W: -180 N: -53 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
250 Meters x 250 Meters | PNG, CSV |
| IceBridge BedMachine Greenland V006 | 6 | NASA DC-8, P-3B | MCoRDS | 1993-01-01 to 2021-12-31 |
N: 84 S: 59 E: 9 W: -90 |
150 Meters x 150 Meters | netCDF-4, GeoTIFF |
| IceBridge HiCARS 1 L2 Geolocated Ice Thickness V001 | 1 | BT-67, DHC-6 | HiCARS1 | 2009-01-02 to 2010-12-21 |
N: -53 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
XML, ASCII | |
| IceBridge HiCARS 2 L2 Geolocated Ice Thickness V001 | 1 | BT-67, DHC-6 | HiCARS2 | 2010-12-05 to 2013-01-20 |
N: -53 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
XML, ASCII | |
| IceBridge LVIS L1B Geolocated Return Energy Waveforms V002 | 2 | Airplane, B-200, C-130, DC-8, G-V, HU-25C, P-3B, RQ-4 | ALTIMETERS, LASERS, LVIS | 2009-04-14 to 2017-09-20 |
N: -53 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 N: 90 S: 60 E: 180 W: -180 |
HDF5 | |
| IceBridge LVIS L2 Geolocated Surface Elevation Product V001 | 1 | AIRCRAFT, B-200, C-130, DC-8, G-V, HU-25C, P-3B, RQ-4 | ALTIMETERS, LASERS, LVIS | 2009-04-14 to 2015-10-31 |
N: -53 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 N: 90 S: 60 E: 180 W: -180 |
ASCII | |
| IceBridge LVIS L2 Geolocated Surface Elevation Product V002 | 2 | AIRCRAFT, B-200, C-130, DC-8, G-V, HU-25C, P-3B, RQ-4 | ALTIMETERS, LASERS, LVIS | 2017-08-25 to 2017-09-20 |
N: 90 S: 60 E: 180 W: -180 |
ASCII | |
| IceBridge LVIS-GH L1B Geolocated Return Energy Waveforms V001 | 1 | C-130 | LVIS-GH | 2013-10-30 to 2013-11-14 |
N: 90 S: 60 E: 180 W: -180 N: -53 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
HDF5 | |
| IceBridge LVIS-GH L2 Geolocated Surface Elevation Product V001 | 1 | C-130 | LVIS-GH | 2013-10-26 to 2013-11-14 |
N: -53 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 N: 90 S: 60 E: 180 W: -180 |
ASCII | |
| IceBridge Radar L3 Tomographic Ice Thickness V002 | 2 | DC-8, P-3B | MCoRDS | 2010-11-20 to 2013-04-20 |
N: 83 S: 59 E: -12 W: -74 N: -63 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
25 Meters x 25 Meters | netCDF-4 |
| IceBridge Riegl Laser Altimeter L2 Geolocated Surface Elevation Triplets V001 | 1 | BT-67 | UTIG Riegl | 2008-12-29 to 2013-01-22 |
N: 90 S: 60 E: 180 W: -180 N: -53 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
ASCII | |
| ICESat/ICESat-2 Traverse: Monthly GPS Surface Elevation Data at Summit Station, Greenland V001 | 1 | GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS | GPS | 2006-08-24 to 2025-04-02 |
N: 72.648222 S: 72.578616 E: -38.474193 W: -38.585667 |
RINEX, CSV | |
| ISLSCP II Climate Research Unit CRU05 Monthly Climate Data | 1 | NOT APPLICABLE | NOT APPLICABLE | 1986-01-01 to 1995-12-31 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
multiple | |
| ISLSCP II CRU05 Climate Time Series for Global Land Areas, 1986-1995 | 1 | NOT APPLICABLE | NOT APPLICABLE | 1986-01-01 to 1995-12-31 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
multiple | |
| ISLSCP II HYDRO1k Elevation-derived Products | 1 | NOT APPLICABLE | NOT APPLICABLE | 1986-01-01 to 1995-12-31 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
Shapefile | |
| ISLSCP II Reanalysis Near-Surface Meteorology Data | 1 | NOT APPLICABLE | NOT APPLICABLE | 1986-01-01 to 1995-12-31 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
ASCII Grid | |
| ISLSCP II River Routing Data (STN-30p) | 1 | NOT APPLICABLE | NOT APPLICABLE | 1986-01-01 to 1995-12-31 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
Shapefile |
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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