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Data Set ID:
ATL08
ATLAS/ICESat-2 L3A Land and Vegetation Height, Version 5
This data set (ATL08) contains along-track heights above the WGS84 ellipsoid (ITRF2014 reference frame) for the ground and canopy surfaces. The canopy and ground surfaces are processed in fixed 100 m data segments, which typically contain more than 100 signal photons. The data were acquired by the Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS) instrument on board the Ice, Cloud and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) observatory.
This is the most recent version of these data.
Version Summary:
Changes for this version include:
- Added terrain_best_fit_geosegment parameter at the 20 m (geosegment) rate. This represents the best estimate of terrain at the 20 m along-track resolution.
- Added h_canopy_geosegment which represents the 20 m estimate of the 98% relative canopy height.
- Added latitude_20 and longitude_20 to the data product for geolocation of the 20 m terrain and canopy height estimates
- Added a segment_woody_vegetation_fractional cover to the ATL08 data product. This product is derived from the Copernicus fractional forest and fraction shrub data products
- Updated the segment_landcover with the 2019 Copernicus landcover. This update replaces the MODIS landcover value which was derived from the 2014 MODIS product. See the version section in the user guide for more information.
- Updated the urban_flag parameter with the DLR Global Urban Footprint (GUF) as a potential indicator of man-made/built structures. See the version section in the user guide for more information.
COMPREHENSIVE Level of Service
Data: Data integrity and usability verified; data customization services available for select data
Documentation: Key metadata and comprehensive user guide available
User Support: Assistance with data access and usage; guidance on use of data in tools and data customization services
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Geographic Coverage |
Other Access Options
Other Access Options
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Once you have logged in, you will be able to click and download files via a Web browser. There are also options for downloading via a command line or client. For more detailed instructions, please see Options Available for Bulk Downloading Data from HTTPS with Earthdata Login. Earthdata Search: This application allows you to search, visualize, and access data across thousands of Earth science data sets. Additional customization services are available for select data sets, including subsetting, reformatting, and reprojection. OpenAltimetry: This application allows users to quickly visualize and access ICESat and ICESat-2 data using a map-based interface. Create and inspect elevation profiles for an area of interest and download the data. |
As a condition of using these data, you must cite the use of this data set using the following citation. For more information, see our Use and Copyright Web page.
Neuenschwander, A. L., K. L. Pitts, B. P. Jelley, J. Robbins, B. Klotz, S. C. Popescu, R. F. Nelson, D. Harding, D. Pederson, and R. Sheridan. 2021. ATLAS/ICESat-2 L3A Land and Vegetation Height, Version 5. [Indicate subset used]. Boulder, Colorado USA. NASA National Snow and Ice Data Center Distributed Active Archive Center. doi: https://doi.org/10.5067/ATLAS/ATL08.005. [Date Accessed].How To
Programmatic Data Access Guide
Data from the NASA National Snow and Ice Data Center Distributed Active Archive Center (NSIDC DAAC) can be accessed directly from our HTTPS file system or through our Application Programming Interface (API). Our API offers you the ability to order data using specific temporal and spatial filters... read more
ICESat, IceBridge, and ICESat-2: A primer on data access across the three missions
This guide will provide an overview of the altimetry measurements and data sets across the missions, as well as a guide for accessing the data through NASA Earthdata Search and programmatically using an Application Programming Interface (API).
Overview
The NASA ICESat, Operation IceBridge, and... read more
Explore, Access, and Customize ICESat-2 data at the NASA NSIDC DAAC
This webinar introduces the ICESat-2 mission and shows you how to explore, access and customize ICESat-2 data with the OpenAltimetry application, using NSIDC DAAC tools, and shows you how to subset, reformat and analyze the data using Python. This webinar was originally presented on July 23, 2019... read more
Search, order, and customize NSIDC DAAC data with NASA Earthdata Search
NASA Earthdata Search is a map-based interface where a user can search for Earth science data, filter results based on spatial and temporal constraints, and order data with customizations including re-formatting, re-projecting, and spatial and parameter subsetting. Thousands of Earth science data... read more
Filter and order from a data set web page
Many NSIDC data set web pages provide the ability to search and filter data with spatial and temporal contstraints using a map-based interface. This article outlines how to order NSIDC DAAC data using advanced searching and filtering.
Step 1: Go to a data set web page
This article will use the... read more
How do I convert an HDF5/HDF-EOS5 file into binary format?
FAQ
What subsetting and reformatting services are available for ICESat-2 data?
The following table describes the subsetting and reformatting services that are currently available for ICESat-2 data via the NASA Earthdata Search tool, along with ... read more
