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Glaciers/Ice Sheets Data Access and Tools
Glaciers and ice sheets data from NASA range from frequently updated high-resolution instrument imagery to radar altimeter measurements. Our datasets and tools help users find and integrate the data they need to measure the location, size, and other characteristics of glaciers and ice sheets.
Glaciers/Ice Sheets Datasets
| Dataset | Platforms | Instruments | Temporal Extent | Location Keywords | Spatial Extent | Data Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sentinel-1C Single Polarization Medium Resolution Ground Range Detected Product | Sentinel-1C | C-SAR | 2025-04-19 to Present | N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 | SAFE | |
| Sentinel-1C Single Polarization Medium Resolution Ground Range Detected Product Metadata | Sentinel-1C | C-SAR | 2025-04-19 to Present | N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 | XML | |
| SnowEx17 Community Snow Pit Measurements V001 | GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS | SNOW DENSITY CUTTER, STEEL MEASURING TAPE, THERMOMETERS, VISUAL OBSERVATIONS | 2017-02-06 to 2017-02-25 | COLORADO | N: 38 S: 37.8 E: -107.65 W: -107.8 | CSV |
| SnowEx17 Laser Snow Microstructure Specific Surface Area Data V001 | GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS | IRIS, IceCube | 2017-02-07 to 2017-02-25 | GRAND MESA | N: 39.10595 S: 39.00035 E: -107.86944 W: -108.21907 | PNG, CSV |
| SnowEx20 Grand Mesa Intensive Observation Period Snow Pit Measurements V001 | GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS | A2 Photonic_WISe, MICROSCOPES, SNOW DENSITY CUTTER, THERMOMETERS | 2020-01-27 to 2020-02-12 | GRAND MESA | N: 39.065321 S: 39.005111 E: -108.110485 W: -108.228389 | PDF, JPEG, CSV, Excel |
| SnowEx20 Laser Snow Microstructure Specific Surface Area Data V001 | GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS | IRIS, IceCube | 2020-01-27 to 2020-02-12 | GRAND MESA | N: 39.06417 S: 39.0087 E: -108.00312 W: -108.22143 | PNG, CSV |
| SnowEx20 Time Series Snow Pit Measurements V002 | GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS | A2 Photonic_WISe, GPS, MICROSCOPES, SNOW DENSITY CUTTER, THERMOMETERS | 2019-10-24 to 2020-05-20 | UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | N: 44.30455 S: 35.85794 E: -105.54616 W: -120.29897 | PDF, JPEG, CSV, Excel |
| SnowEx21 Time Series Snow Pits V001 | GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS | A2 Photonic_WISe, GPS, SNOW DENSITY CUTTER, THERMOMETERS | 2020-11-16 to 2021-05-27 | COLORADO, UTAH, MONTANA, IDAHO | N: 47.0607 S: 37.9071 E: -105.86093 W: -116.12351 | CSV, Excel, JPEG |
| SnowEx23 Apr23 IOP Snow Pit Measurements V001 | GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS | A2 Photonic_WISe, GPS, MICROSCOPES, SNOW DENSITY CUTTER, THERMOMETERS | 2023-04-01 to 2023-04-18 | ALASKA | N: 65.16124 S: 63.8631 E: -145.72673 W: -147.72499 | CSV |
| SnowEx23 Mar23 Snow Pit Measurements V001 | GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS | A2 Photonic_WISe, GPS, MICROSCOPES, SNOW DENSITY CUTTER, THERMOMETERS | 2022-03-07 to 2023-03-16 | ALASKA | N: 70.08434 S: 64.69925 E: -147.48583 W: -149.59716 | CSV, Excel, JPEG, PDF |
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Featured Observation Glaciers/Ice Sheets Method: ASTER
The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) is a high spatial resolution instrument aboard the Terra satellite. ASTER captures images of Earth in 14 different wavelengths from visible to thermal infrared light as well as provides a Global Digital Elevation Model (GDEM) of the planet's land surface with 30-meter resolution. ASTER data can be used to create detailed visualizations and maps of land surface temperature, emissivity, reflectance, and elevation including images of glaciers.
The final processing of Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) data will make its archive more accessible to users.
8 MIN READ
The Global Land Ice Measurements from Space (GLIMS) initiative uses satellite data to track glacier changes, providing vital data for climate and hazard studies.
See ASTER instrument images revealing the transformation of South Korea's Mount Gariwang for the 2018 Winter Olympics.
Version 3 of the ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model (GDEM) provides new features and sharper imagery.
Glaciers/Ice Sheets Data Tools
| Tool Sort descending | Description | Services | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLIMS Glacier Database | Visualize and download data from the GLIMS Glacier Database using the map-based GLIMS Glacier Viewer or search and download data using custom parameters in the GLIMS Text Search Interface. | Downloading, Search and Discovery, Visualization | |
| RTC Stack Processor | The radiometric terrain correction (RTC) stack processor tool facilitates time-series analysis of such phenomena as flooding events, deforestation, or glacier retreat. | Analysis, Processing, Search and Discovery, Visualization | |
| Vertex | Vertex is a graphical search interface for finding synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data. | Search and Discovery, Access, Downloading, Processing, Subsetting |
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Frequently Asked Questions
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