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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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LVIS Classic L2 Geolocated Surface Elevation and Canopy Height Product V001 | B-200, C-130, G-III, G-V | LVIS | 1998-03-20 to Present | CANADA, ALASKA, AFRICA | N: 72 S: -3 E: 17 W: -168 | ASCII |
| LVIS Facility L2 Geolocated Surface Elevation and Canopy Height Product V001 | B-200, G-III, G-V, P-3B | LVIS | 2018-11-07 to Present | ALASKA, CANADA, GREENLAND, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, COSTA RICA | N: 88 S: -35 E: 27 W: -167 | ASCII |
| MEaSUREs Annual Greenland Outlet Glacier Terminus Positions from SAR Mosaics V002 | LANDSAT-1, LANDSAT-2, LANDSAT-3, LANDSAT-4, LANDSAT-5, LANDSAT-7, LANDSAT-8, RADARSAT-1, Sentinel-1A, Sentinel-1B | MSS, TM, ETM+, OLI, SAR, C-SAR | 1972-09-16 to 2021-03-25 | GREENLAND | N: 83 S: 60 E: -14 W: -75 | Shapefile |
| MEaSUREs Antarctic Boundaries for IPY 2007-2009 from Satellite Radar V002 | ALOS, Aqua, COSMO-SKYMED, ENVISAT, ERS-1, ERS-2, LANDSAT-8, RADARSAT-1, RADARSAT-2, Sentinel-1A, Terra | PALSAR, MODIS, SAR, ASAR, OLI, C-SAR | 1992-02-07 to 2015-12-31 | ANTARCTICA | N: -60 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 | GeoTIFF, BMP, Shapefile |
| MEaSUREs Antarctic Grounding Line from Differential Satellite Radar Interferometry V002 | ALOS, COSMO-SKYMED, ERS-1, ERS-2, RADARSAT-1, RADARSAT-2, Sentinel-1A | PALSAR, SAR, C-SAR | 1992-02-07 to 2014-12-17 | ANTARCTICA | N: -60 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 | Shapefile |
| MEaSUREs BedMachine Antarctica V003 | MODELS | NOT APPLICABLE | 1970-01-01 to 2019-10-01 | ANTARCTICA | N: -53 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 | netCDF-4 |
| MEaSUREs Greenland Ice Mapping Project (GIMP) 2000 Image Mosaic V001 | LANDSAT-7, RADARSAT-1 | ETM+, SAR | 1999-06-30 to 2002-09-04 | GREENLAND | N: 82 S: 60 E: -20 W: -70 | GeoTIFF, ASCII |
| MEaSUREs Greenland Ice Mapping Project (GIMP) Digital Elevation Model V001 | ICESat, NOAA-14, SPOT-5, Terra | GLAS, AVHRR-2, HRS, ASTER | 2003-02-20 to 2009-10-11 | GREENLAND | N: 83 S: 60 E: -14 W: -75 | GeoTIFF |
| MEaSUREs Greenland Ice Mapping Project (GrIMP) Digital Elevation Model from GeoEye and WorldView Imagery V002 | GEOEYE-1, WORLDVIEW-1, WORLDVIEW-2, WORLDVIEW-3 | CAMERAS | 2008-05-15 to 2020-11-19 | GREENLAND | N: 83 S: 60 E: -14 W: -75 | GeoTIFF |
| MEaSUREs Greenland Monthly Image Mosaics from MODIS V001 | Aqua, Terra | MODIS | 2008-03-01 to 2016-09-30 | NORTH AMERICA | N: 85 S: 57 E: 11 W: -109 | GeoTIFF |
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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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