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Topography Data Access and Tools
NASA data detail topography across the land surface, ocean, cryosphere, terrestrial hydrosphere and within the context of climate change. Our datasets and tools help researchers translate these interconnected data points into actionable knowledge.
Topography Featured Observation Method: ICESat-2
NASA's Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) allows scientists to measure the elevation of ice sheets, glaciers, sea ice, and land across Earth's temperate and tropical regions, as well as take stock of the vegetation in forests worldwide. ICESat-2 carries the Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS), which sends 10,000 pulses of laser light to the ground per second and then measures how long it takes them be reflected back by the surface to determine the area's elevation.
Learn more about ICESat-2/ATLAS near real-time data provided by NASA's Land, Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for Earth observation (LANCE).
ICESat-2 carries the Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS), which sends pulses of laser light to the ground, collects the returning photons in a telescope, and records the photon travel time.
Learn more about ICESat-2/ATLAS near real-time data provided by NASA's Land, Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for Earth observation (LANCE).
ICESat-2 carries the Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS), which sends pulses of laser light to the ground, collects the returning photons in a telescope, and records the photon travel time.
Data from NASA’s ICESat-2 mission provide incredibly accurate measurements of Earth elevation change—and much more.
8 MIN READ
The five new datasets are the result of a joint effort by NASA’s Satellite Needs Working Group Management Office (SNWG MO), ICESat-2 team, and Land, Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for EOS (LANCE).
3 MIN READ
This is the first in a four-part webinar series to introduce NASA's Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation-2 (ICESat-2) platform and the platform's data, tools, and applications.
This ACCESS 2015 project focused on OpenAltimetry, a cloud-ready web-based application for discovery, access, and visualization of ICESat and ICESat-2 data.
Topography Datasets
| Dataset | Platforms | Instruments | Temporal Extent | Location Keywords | Spatial Extent | Data Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ASTER Global Emissivity Dataset, Monthly, 0.05 deg, HDF5 V041 | Terra | ASTER | 2000-03-01 to 2015-12-31 | GLOBAL | N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 | HDF5 |
| ASTER Global Emissivity Dataset, Monthly, 0.05 deg, netCDF4 | Terra | ASTER | 2000-03-01 to 2015-12-31 | GLOBAL | N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 | netCDF-4 |
| ASTER Global Water Bodies Database V001 | Terra | ASTER | 2000-03-01 to 2013-11-30 | GLOBAL LAND | N: 82 S: -83 E: 180 W: -180 | GeoTIFF |
| ASTER Orthorectified Digital Elevation Model (DEM) V003 | Terra | ASTER | 2000-03-06 to Present | GLOBAL LAND | N: 83 S: -83 E: 180 W: -180 | GeoTIFF |
| ATLAS/ICESat-2 L3A Land and Vegetation Height Quick Look V007 | ICESat-2 | ATLAS | 2025-06-01 | 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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