• The NSIDC DAAC is retiring access to its legacy, on-premises data archive and transitioning to the NASA Earthdata Cloud as the primary data archive. View planned retirement dates here.

ICESat/GLAS

Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation / Geoscience Laser Altimeter System
In this section

Documentation

ATBDs

The Algorithm Basis Document for GLAS Atmospheric Data Products
The Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document for Level 1A Processing
The Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document for the Atmospheric Delay Correction to GLAS Laser Altimeter Ranges
The Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document for the Derivation of Range and Range Distributions from Laser Pulse Waveform Analysis for Surface Elevations, Roughness, Slope, and Vegetation Heights
The Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document for Tidal Corrections
The GLAS Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document for Laser Footprint Location (Geolocation) and Surface Profiles
The GLAS Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document for Precision Attitude Determination (PAD)
The GLAS Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document for Precision Orbit Determination (POD)

General Resources

Correction to ICESat Data Product Surface Elevations
GLAS Altimetry HDF5 Product Usage Guide
GLAS Altimetry Product Usage Guidance
GLAS Atmospheric Product User Guide - Release 33
ICESat/GLAS Surface-Type Mask
Improving GLAS data using GRACE
Version History: Format Changes Release 19
Version History: Format Changes Release 22
Version History: Format Changes Release 24
Version History: Format Changes Release 26
Version History: Format Changes Release 28
Version History: Format Changes Release 29
Version History: Format Changes Release 31
Version History: Format Changes Release 33
Version History: GSAS V6.0 Release Notes
Version History: GSAS V6.1 Release Notes
Version History: I-SIPS Release Information Table
Version History: Revised Alternate Waveform Fitting Release 19
Version History: YXX Release Numbers

Product Specification Documents

Altimetry Header Descriptions
Description of Special Request ICESat/GLAS Files
GLA01 Records Release 33
GLA02 Records Release 33
GLA05 Records Release 34
GLA06 Records Release 34
GLA07 Records Release 33
GLA08 Records Release 33
GLA09 Records Release 33
GLA10 Records Release 33
GLA11 Records Release 33
GLA12 Records Release 34
GLA13 Records Release 34
GLA14 Records Release 34
GLA15 Records Release 34
GLAH01 Product Data Dictionary
GLAH02 Product Data Dictionary
GLAH03 Product Data Dictionary
GLAH04 Product Data Dictionary
GLAH05 Product Data Dictionary
GLAH06 Product Data Dictionary
GLAH07 Product Data Dictionary
GLAH08 Product Data Dictionary
GLAH09 Product Data Dictionary
GLAH10 Product Data Dictionary
GLAH11 Product Data Dictionary
GLAH12 Product Data Dictionary
GLAH13 Product Data Dictionary
GLAH14 Product Data Dictionary
GLAH15 Product Data Dictionary
GLAS Altimetry Data Dictionary
GLAS Atmosphere Data Dictionary

Sensor and Instrument Information

CSR SCF Release Notes for Orbit and Attitude Determination
ICESat GLAS Inter-campaign Bias Corrections (ICGs)
ICESat Reference Orbit Ground Tracks
Laser Operational Periods
Saturation Correction Guidance