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Description

Goddard’s LiDAR, Hyperspectral, and Thermal Imagery (G-LiHT) mission is a portable, airborne imaging system that aims to simultaneously map the composition, structure, and function of terrestrial ecosystems. G-LiHT primarily focuses on a broad diversity of forest communities and ecoregions in North America, mapping aerial swaths over the Conterminous United States (CONUS), Alaska, Puerto Rico, and Mexico.

The purpose of G-LiHT’s Digital Surface Model data product (GLDSMT) is to provide LiDAR-derived visualizations of elevation above bare earth. GLDSMT data is offered in multiple formats, including Digital Surface Model, Mean, Aspect, Rugosity, and Slope.

GLDSMT data are processed as multiple raster data products (GeoTIFFs) at a nominal 1 meter spatial resolution over locally defined areas. A low resolution browse is also provided showing the digital surface model with a color map applied in PNG format.

Version Description

This is version one of the G-LiHT dataset.

Product Summary

Platforms
G-LiHT
Instruments
Headwall ,
Riegl Airborne Lidar
Spatial Extent

N: 73 S: 10 E: -50 W: -170

Spatial Resolution
1 Meters x 1 Meters
Geographic Region
PUERTO RICO ,
MEXICO ,
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Coordinate System
GEODETIC
Granule Spatial Representation
GEODETIC
Temporal Extent
2011-06-30 to Present
Temporal Resolution
Varies
Data Partner
Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (LP DAAC) ,
Earth Sciences Division, Science and Exploration Directorate, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA (NASA/GSFC/SED/ESD)
Concept ID
C2763264710-LPCLOUD
Data State
ACTIVE
Number of Files/Granules
22070
Processing Level
3
Published
Updated
Science Keywords
Topography ,
Terrain Elevation ,
Surface Roughness ,
Canopy Characteristics

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

Cook, B., & Halota, A. (2021). G-LiHT Digital Surface Model V001 [Data set]. NASA Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center. https://doi.org/10.5067/COMMUNITY/GLIHT/GLDSMT.001 Date Accessed: 2025-12-15

Documents

Variables

Variables are a set of physical properties whose values determine the characteristics or behavior of something. For example, temperature and pressure are variables of the atmosphere. Parameters and variables can be used interchangeably. Variable level attributes provide individual information for each variable.

The Name in this table is the variable name. Fill value indicates missing or undefined data points in a variable. Valid range is the range of values the variable can store. Scale factor is used to increase or decrease the size of an object and can be used to correct for distortion. For questions on a specific variable, please use the Earthdata Forum.

Name Description Units Data Type Fill Value Valid Range Scale Factor
Digital Surface Aspect Digital Surface Aspect, No Data Value = NaN Meters float32 N/A 0 to 360 N/A
Digital Surface Mean Digital Surface Mean, No Data Value = NaN Meters float32 N/A N/A N/A
Digital Surface Model Digital Surface Model, No Data Value = NaN Meters float32 N/A N/A N/A
Digital Surface Rugosity Digital Surface Rugosity, No Data Value = NaN Meters float32 N/A 0 to 17 N/A
Digital Surface Slope Digital Surface Slope, No Data Value = NaN Meters float32 N/A 0 to 90 N/A
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