Update Oct. 2025: The ATL07QL and ATL10QL ATLAS/ICESat-2 expedited “Quick Look” data sets have been experiencing a data outage since September 30, 2025, due to the lapse in federal government funding. This is the result of a disruption to SSMIS (DMSP) data which is an input to these data sets. There is no current estimate for when normal operations will resume. We apologize for any inconvenience.
The Advanced Topographic Altimeter System (ATLAS) aboard the Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) collects elevation data over all surfaces spanning the world’s frozen regions, forests, lakes, urban areas, and more. Subsets of ATLAS/ICESat-2 data such as sea ice height, land and vegetation height, atmospheric layer characteristics, sea ice freeboard, and inland water surface heights are now available at an expedited latency. These ATLAS/ICESat-2 quick look data with expedited latency will support a variety of users and applications, including sea ice forecasting and supporting decision-makers looking at vegetation height, surface water and flooding, and land surface deformation from landslides and volcanoes.
NASA's Land, Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for Earth observation (LANCE) generally provides ICESat-2 quick look data within 3 days of satellite observation in comparison to an average latency of 45 days for the standard dataset.
To download ATLAS/ICESat-2 quick look data, register for an Earthdata Login. Use the table below to access specific LANCE datasets.
Note: On Wednesdays, NSIDC DAAC systems typically undergo system maintenance and access to the ICESat-2 quick look data might not be available during these planned maintenance events. More precise maintenance times are available on the dataset landing pages on the day of the event.
ATLAS/ICESat-2 - Version 6
| Data Set Download | Description | Volume (GB/day) | Browse |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATL07QL | ATLAS/ICESat-2 L3A Sea Ice Height Quick Look | 3.81 | Available in download directory |
| ATL08QL | ATLAS/ICESat-2 L3A Land and Vegetation Height Quick Look | 34.48 | Available in download directory |
| ATL09QL | ATLAS/ICESat-2 L3A Calibrated Backscatter Profiles and Atmospheric Layer Characteristics Quick Look | 13.78 | Available in download directory |
| ATL10QL | ATLAS/ICESat-2 L3A Sea Ice Freeboard Quick Look | 2.17 | Available in download directory |
| ATL13QL | ATLAS/ICESat-2 L3A Along Track Inland Surface Water Data Quick Look | 0.20 | Available in download directory |
- ATLAS/ICESat-2 quick look datasets have a latency of 3 days from acquisition
- The quick look data files will be archived and distributed from NSIDC DAAC until the standard data files are ingested
- ATLAS/ICESat-2 standard datasets have an average latency of 45 days from acquisition
ICESat-2 Quick Look Data and Information
- Download ICESat-2 quick look data directly from:
- NASA's National Snow and Ice Data Center DAAC (NSIDC DAAC)
- ICESat-2 landing page at NSIDC DAAC
- Subscription to mailing lists by data set are available on the data set landing pages