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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 Sort descending | Version | Platform | Instrument | Temporal Extent | Spatial Extent | Spatial Resolution | Data Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 Average Glacier Thickness Change from Multi-Sensor DEMs V001 | 1 | HEXAGON KH-9, Terra | CAMERA, ASTER | 1974-01-01 to 2017-12-31 |
N: 34.4 S: 27.4 E: 92.9 W: 75.4 |
30 Meters x 30 Meters | Shapefile, KML |
| High Mountain Asia Glacier Thickness Change Mosaics from Multi-Sensor DEMs V001 | 1 | HEXAGON KH-9, Terra | CAMERA, ASTER | 1974-01-01 to 2017-12-31 |
N: 34.4 S: 27.4 E: 92.9 W: 75.4 |
30 Meters x 30 Meters | PNG, GeoTIFF |
| High Mountain Asia Gridded Glacier Thickness Change from Multi-Sensor DEMs V001 | 1 | HEXAGON KH-9, Terra | CAMERA, ASTER | 1974-01-01 to 2017-12-31 |
N: 34.4 S: 27.4 E: 92.9 W: 75.4 |
30 Meters x 30 Meters | netCDF-4, GeoTIFF |
| High Mountain Asia Near-Global Multi-Decadal Glacial Lake Inventory V001 | 1 | LANDSAT-4, LANDSAT-5, LANDSAT-7, LANDSAT-8 | MSS, TM, ETM+, OLI, TIRS | 1990-01-01 to 2018-12-31 |
N: 82.6 S: -55.4 E: 180 W: -180 |
30 Meters x 30 Meters | Shapefile |
| High Mountain Asia PyGEM Glacier Projections with RCP Scenarios V001 | 1 | MODELS | NOT APPLICABLE | 2000-10-01 to 2100-09-30 |
N: 45 S: 25 E: 105 W: 65 |
netCDF-4 | |
| High Mountain Asia Rasterized PyGEM Glacier Projections with RCP Scenarios V001 | 1 | MODELS | NOT APPLICABLE | 2000-10-01 to 2100-10-15 |
N: 51.8 S: 7.4 E: 135.1 W: 56.5 |
netCDF-4, GeoTIFF | |
| High Mountain Asia Supraglacial Lake Extents on Debris Covered Glaciers, 1988-2023 V001 | 1 | LANDSAT-5, LANDSAT-7, LANDSAT-8, LANDSAT-9 | MSS, ETM+, OLI, OLI-2 | 1988-01-01 to 2023-12-31 |
N: 42.45 S: 22.57 E: 101.99 W: 70.03 |
30 Meters x 30 Meters | Shapefile |
| IceBridge Accumulation Radar L1B Geolocated Radar Echo Strength Profiles V002 | 2 | DC-8, P-3B | Accumulation Radar | 2013-03-21 to 2018-05-01 |
N: 90 S: 60 E: 180 W: -180 N: -53 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
netCDF-4, XML, JPEG | |
| IceBridge ATM L1B Elevation and Return Strength with Waveforms V001 | 1 | C-130, DC-8, G-V, HU-25A, HU-25C, P-3B, WP-3D ORION | ATM | 2017-07-17 to 2019-11-20 |
N: 90 S: 60 E: 180 W: -180 N: -53 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
HDF5 | |
| IceBridge ATM L1B Qfit Elevation and Return Strength V001 | 1 | AIRCRAFT, DC-8, P-3B | ATM | 2009-03-31 to 2012-11-08 |
N: 90 S: 60 E: 180 W: -180 N: -53 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
Binary | |
| IceBridge ATM Waveform Derived Snow Effective Grain Radius V001 | 1 | NASA DC-8, NASA P-3 | ATM | 2017-07-17 to 2019-09-11 |
N: 90 S: 60 E: 180 W: -180 |
0.5 Meters x 0.5 Meters | netCDF-4 |
| IceBridge DMS L3 Ames Stereo Pipeline Photogrammetric DEM V001 | 1 | B-200, BT-67, C-130, DC-8, DHC-3, G-V, HU-25A, HU-25C, P-3B, WP-3D ORION | DMS | 2009-10-16 to 2017-07-25 |
N: 90 S: 60 E: 180 W: -180 N: -53 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
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 MCoRDS L2 Ice Thickness V001 | 1 | BT-67, C-130, DC-8, G-V, NASA DC-8, NOAA Twin Otter, P-3B, WP-3D ORION | MCoRDS | 2009-10-16 to 2019-11-20 |
N: -57 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 N: 83.1 S: 59 E: 28.5 W: -100.2 |
CSV | |
| IceBridge MCoRDS L3 Gridded Ice Thickness, Surface, and Bottom V002 | 2 | AIRCRAFT, DC-8, P-3B | RADAR ECHO SOUNDERS, ATM, MCoRDS | 2006-01-01 to 2012-12-31 |
N: -53 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 N: 90 S: 60 E: 180 W: -180 |
PNG, ASCII, Shapefile, MAT, CSV | |
| IceBridge Merged Photon Counting Lidar/Profiler L4 Surface Slope and Elevations V001 | 1 | BT-67 | Sigma Space Lidar | 2010-11-25 to 2012-12-04 |
N: -53 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
10 Meters x 10 Meters | HDF5 |
| IceBridge Photon Counting Lidar L1B Subset Geolocated Photon Elevations V001 | 1 | BT-67 | Sigma Space Lidar | 2010-11-25 to 2012-12-11 |
N: -53 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
HDF5 | |
| IceBridge Photon Counting Lidar L1B Unclassified Geolocated Photon Elevations V001 | 1 | BT-67 | Sigma Space Lidar | 2011-11-29 to 2011-12-23 |
N: -53 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
HDF5 | |
| IceBridge Snow Radar L1B Geolocated Radar Echo Strength Profiles V002 | 2 | C-130, DC-8, DHC-3, G-V, P-3B, WP-3D ORION | SNOW RADAR | 2009-03-31 to 2021-05-13 |
N: -53 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 N: 90 S: 60 E: 180 W: -180 |
netCDF-4, XML, JPEG | |
| IceBridge UAF Lidar Profiler L1B Geolocated Surface Elevation Triplets V001 | 1 | DHC-3 | UAF Profiler | 2009-05-22 to 2009-06-02 |
N: 59.3 S: 56.94611 E: -132.32944 W: -137.52667 |
LAS | |
| IceBridge UAF Lidar Scanner L1B Geolocated Surface Elevation Triplets V001 | 1 | BT-67, DHC-3 | UAF Scanner | 2009-08-19 to 2020-06-05 |
N: -53 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 N: 72 S: 55 E: -130 W: -156 |
LAS | |
| ICESat-2 L4 Grounding Zone for Antarctic Ice Shelves V001 | 1 | ICESat-2 | ATLAS | 2019-03-30 to 2020-09-30 |
N: -60 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
HDF5, JPEG | |
| JPL GRACE and GRACE-FO Mascon Ocean, Ice, and Hydrology Equivalent Water Height Coastal Resolution Improvement (CRI) Filtered Release 06.3 Version 04 | RL06.3Mv04 | GRACE-FO, GRACE | GRACE-FO MWI, GRACE-FO LRI, GRACE-FO ACC, GRACE-FO SCA, KBR, GRACE LRR, GRACE ACC, GRACE SCA | 2002-04-04 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
0.5 Decimal Degrees x 0.5 Decimal Degrees | netCDF-4 |
| JPL GRACE and GRACE-FO Mascon Ocean, Ice, and Hydrology Equivalent Water Height JPL Release 06.3 Version 04 | RL06.3Mv04 | GRACE-FO, GRACE | GRACE-FO MWI, GRACE-FO LRI, GRACE-FO ACC, GRACE-FO SCA, KBR, GRACE LRR, GRACE ACC, GRACE SCA | 2002-04-04 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
0.5 Decimal Degrees x 0.5 Decimal Degrees | netCDF-4 |
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
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