We are in the process of migrating all NASA Earth science data sites into Earthdata from now until end of 2026. Not all NASA Earth science data and resources will appear here until then. Thank you for your patience as we make this transition.
Read about the Web Unification Project
Terrain Elevation Data Access and Tools
NASA's data include global radar measurements from the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission and ongoing interferograms generated from European Sentinel-1 satellite scans. Our datasets and tools help researchers translate these interconnected data points into actionable knowledge.
Table of contents
Featured Terrain Elevation Observation Method: ASTER
The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) is a high spatial resolution instrument aboard the Terra satellite. ASTER provides a Global Digital Elevation Model (GDEM) of Earth's land surface at approximately 30-meter spatial resolution.
Version 3 of the ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model (GDEM) provides new features and sharper imagery.
These products are available globally at their full resolution of 30 meters per pixel.
As of 1 April 2016, all Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) data products are available at no charge from LP DAAC.
Looking for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data? Learn how to discover, access and manipulate SAR data with the newly revamped NASA ASF DAAC Vertex tool. We'll showcase common data access methods and some of the advanced features of this data discovery and data access tool.
Terrain Elevation Datasets
Dataset | Platforms | Instruments | Temporal Extent | Location Keywords | Spatial Extent | Data Format |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ABoVE: AirSWOT Ka-band Radar over Surface Waters of Alaska and Canada, 2017 | B-200 | AirSWOT | 2017-07-08 to 2017-08-17 | ALASKA, CANADA, ARCTIC, NORTHERN HEMISPHERE | N: 70.4944 S: 46.8451 E: -98.629 W: -149.834 | multiple |
ABoVE: AirSWOT Radar, Orthomosaic, and Water Masks, Yukon Flats Basin, Alaska, 2015 | B-200 | AirSWOT, CAMERA | 2015-06-15 to 2015-06-15 | ALASKA, ARCTIC | N: 66.8978 S: 65.9282 E: -145 W: -148 | multiple |
ABoVE: Characterization of Burned and Unburned Boreal Forest Stands, SK, Canada, 2016 | FIELD SURVEYS, MODELS | STEEL MEASURING TAPE, SOIL SAMPLER, CLINOMETERS, GPS, Computer | 2016-05-30 to 2016-06-16 | SASKATCHEWAN | N: 57.3646 S: 54.091 E: -104.693 W: -109.173 | CSV |
ABoVE: Characterization of Burned and Unburned Spruce Forest Sites, Tanana, AK, 2017 | FIELD SURVEYS, LANDSAT | PROBES, SOIL MOISTURE PROBE, TM | 2017-07-26 to 2017-07-28 | ALASKA | N: 65.2315 S: 65.0968 E: -151.951 W: -152.416 | CSV |
ABoVE: Dall Sheep Response to Snow and Landscape Covariates, Alaska, 2005-2008 | MODELS, Terra, Aqua | Computer, MODIS | 2005-09-01 to 2008-08-31 | ALASKA | N: 61.0517 S: 59.976 E: -153.033 W: -154.526 | netCDF-4 classic |
ABoVE: LVIS L3 Gridded Vegetation Structure across North America, 2017 and 2019 | G-V | LVIS | 2017-06-29 to 2019-08-08 | UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, CANADA, CENTRAL AMERICA | N: 78.1366 S: 7.126 E: -28.8244 W: -167.324 | multiple |
ABoVE: Permafrost Measurements and Distribution Across the Y-K Delta, Alaska, 2016 | IKONOS, FIELD SURVEYS, Airplane | Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope, SOIL DEPTH PROBE, LIDAR | 2009-06-27 to 2016-07-17 | N: 61.2881 S: 61.1694 E: -165.03 W: -165.69 | multiple | |
ABoVE: Tundra Plant Functional Type Continuous-Cover, North Slope, Alaska, 2010-2015 | LANDSAT-5, LANDSAT-7, LANDSAT-8 | TM, ETM+, OLI | 2010-07-01 to 2015-08-31 | ALASKA | N: 73.8004 S: 65.5858 E: -143.978 W: -167.476 | multiple |
AfriSAR: Gridded Forest Biomass and Canopy Metrics Derived from LVIS, Gabon, 2016 | MODELS, B-200 | Computer, LVIS | 2016-02-20 to 2016-03-08 | GABON | N: 0.631722 S: -2.29494 E: 12.0244 W: 9.17929 | multiple |
AfriSAR: Polarimetric Height Profiles by TomoSAR, Lope and Rabi Forests, Gabon, 2016 | UAV | UAVSAR | 2016-02-25 to 2016-02-28 | N: 0.100091 S: -2.08153 E: 11.859 W: 9.67202 | HDF5 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Earthdata Forum
Our online forum provides a space for users to browse thousands of FAQs about research needs, data, and data applications. You can also submit new questions for our experts to answer.
Submit Questions to Earthdata Forumand View Expert Responses