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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.
Terrain Elevation Datasets
| Dataset | Platforms | Instruments | Temporal Extent | Location Keywords | Spatial Extent | Data Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATLAS/ICESat-2 L2A Global Geolocated Photon Data V007 | ICESat-2 | ATLAS | 2018-10-13 to Present | GLOBAL | N: 88 S: -88 E: 180 W: -180 | HDF5 |
| ATLAS/ICESat-2 L3A Land and Vegetation Height Quick Look V007 | ICESat-2 | ATLAS | 2025-06-08 to Present | GLOBAL | N: 88 S: -88 E: 180 W: -180 | HDF5 |
| ATLAS/ICESat-2 L3A Land and Vegetation Height Quick Look V007 | ICESat-2 | ATLAS | 2025-06-08 to Present | GLOBAL | N: 88 S: -88 E: 180 W: -180 | HDF5 |
| ATLAS/ICESat-2 L3A Land and Vegetation Height V006 | ICESat-2 | ATLAS | 2018-10-14 to 2025-03-02 | GLOBAL | N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 | HDF5 |
| ATLAS/ICESat-2 L3A Land and Vegetation Height V007 | ICESat-2 | ATLAS | 2018-10-14 to Present | GLOBAL | N: 88 S: -88 E: 180 W: -180 | HDF5 |
| BOREAS DEM Data over the NSA-MSA and SSA-MSA in AEAC Projection | MAPS | DIGITIZER | 1970-01-01 to 1989-12-31 | N: 56.14 S: 53.65 E: -97.98 W: -105.23 | Binary | |
| BOREAS Elevation Contours over the NSA and SSA ARC/Info Generate Format | MAPS | DIGITIZER | 1970-01-01 to 1989-12-31 | N: 56.06 S: 53.69 E: -98.09 W: -105.23 | multiple | |
| BOREAS HYD-08 DEM Data over the NSA-MSA and SSA-MSA in UTM Projection | MAPS | DIGITIZER | 1970-01-01 to 1989-12-31 | N: 56.06 S: 53.69 E: -98.09 W: -105.23 | Binary | |
| BOREAS Regional DEM in Raster Format and AEAC Projection | DEM | DIGITIZER | 1993-08-01 to 1996-12-31 | N: 58.98 S: 50.09 E: -93.5 W: -111 | Binary | |
| BOREAS Scanning Lidar Imager of Canopies by Echo Recovery (SLICER): Level-3 Data | C-130 | BACKSCATTER LIDAR, LIDAR ALTIMETERS, ASAS | 1996-07-18 to 1996-07-30 | N: 55.9284 S: 53.6289 E: -98.0275 W: -106.198 | multiple |
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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.
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