GLAS/ICESat 1 km Laser Altimetry Digital Elevation Model of Greenland

Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Metadata:

• Identification_Information
• Data_Quality_Information
• Spatial_Reference_Information
• Distribution_Information
• Metadata_Reference_Information

Identification_Information:

Citation:

Citation_Information:

Originator: John P. DiMarzio

Publication_Date: 20070622

Title: GLAS/ICESat 1 km Laser Altimetry Digital Elevation Model of Greenland

Edition:

Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: Digital media

Series_Information:

Series_Name:

Issue_Identification:

Publication_Information:

Publication_Place: Boulder, Colorado USA

Publisher: National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC)

Other_Citation_Details:

Online_Linkage: http://nsidc.org/data/nsidc-0305.html

Description:

Abstract:

The Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) instrument on the Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) provides global measurements of elevation, and repeats measurements along nearly-identical tracks; its primary mission is to measure changes in ice volume (mass balance) over time. This digital elevation model (DEM) of Greenland is derived from GLAS/ICESat laser altimetry profile data and provides new surface elevation grids of the ice sheets and coastal areas, with greater latitudinal extent and fewer slope-related effects than radar altimetry. This DEM is generated from the first seven operational periods (from February 2003 through June 2005) of the GLAS instrument. It is provided on polar stereographic grids at 1 km grid spacing. The grid covers all of Greenland south of 83° N. Elevations are reported as centimeters above the datums, relative to both the WGS 84 ellipsoid and the EGM96 geoid, in two separate elevation data files. A data quality map of the interpolation distance is distributed in addition to the elevation data. ENVI header files are also provided. The data are in 4-byte (long) signed integer binary files (big endian byte order) and are available via FTP.

Purpose:

Not Available

Supplemental_Information:

REFERENCE: Abshire, J., and 8 others. 2005. Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) on the ICESat mission: on-orbit measurement performance. Geophysical Research Letters v. 32, L21S02, doi:10.1029/2005GL1024028. Brenner, A., and 11 others. 2003. Derivation of range and range distributions from laser pulse waveform analysis for surface elevations, roughness, slope, and vegetations heights, Algorithm Theoretical Basis Document (ATBD) v.4.1, available at http://www.csr.utexas.edu/glas/atbd.html. DiMarzio, J. P., A. C. Brenner, and H. J. Zwally. 2004. Comparison of Envisat and ERS radar altimetry for ice –sheet elevation change studies. ESA Envisat Sympsium, Salzburg, Austria, September 9, 2004. Krabill, W., W. Abdalati, and 7 others. 2002. Aircraft laser altimetry measurement of elevation changes of the Greenland Ice Sheet: technique and accuracy assessment. J. Geodynamics 34, 357-376. Shuman, C., J. Zwally, B. Schutz, A. Brenner, J. DiMarzio, V. Schuedo, and H. Fricker. 2006. ICESat Antarctic elevation data: preliminary precision and accuracy assessment. Geophysical Research Letters 33, L07501, doi:10.1029/2005GL025227. Zwally, H. J., A. C. Brenner, J. A. Major, T. V. Martin, and R. A. Bindschadler. 1990. Satellite radar altimetry over ice, Vol. 1. Processing and corrections of Seasat data over Greenland. NASA Reference Publication 1233.

Time_Period_of_Content:

Time_Period_Information:

Range_of_Dates/Times:

Beginning_Date: 20030201

Ending_Date: 20050630

Currentness_Reference:Unknown

Status:

Progress: Complete

Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: As needed

Spatial_Domain:

Description_of_Geographic_Extent:

Bounding_Coordinates:

West_Bounding_Coordinate: -73.0

East_Bounding_Coordinate: -11.0

North_Bounding_Coordinate: 83.0

South_Bounding_Coordinate: 60.0

Keywords:

Theme:

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: GCMD SCIENCE PARAMETERS

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: GCMD PLATFORM

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: GCMD INSTRUMENT

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: PROJECT

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ANCILLARY KEYWORDS

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: ISO TOPIC CATEGORY

Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: DATA SET LANGUAGE

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > CRYOSPHERE > GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS > GLACIER ELEVATION/ICE SHEET ELEVATION

Theme_Keyword: EARTH SCIENCE > TERRESTRIAL HYDROSPHERE > GLACIERS/ICE SHEETS > GLACIER ELEVATION/ICE SHEET ELEVATION

Theme_Keyword: ICESAT > ICE, CLOUD AND LAND ELEVATION SATELLITE

Theme_Keyword: GLAS > GEOSCIENCE LASER ALTIMETER SYSTEM

Theme_Keyword: EOSDIS > EARTH OBSERVING SYSTEM DATA INFORMATION SYSTEM

Theme_Keyword: ICESAT > ICE, CLOUD AND LAND ELEVATION SATELLITE

Theme_Keyword: ESIP > EARTH SCIENCE INFORMATION PARTNERS PROGRAM

Theme_Keyword: Altimetry

Theme_Keyword: Dem

Theme_Keyword: Digital Elevation Model

Theme_Keyword: Elevation

Theme_Keyword: Greenland

Theme_Keyword: Ice Sheet

Theme_Keyword: Ice Sheet Elevation

Theme_Keyword: Polar

Theme_Keyword: Polar Stereographic

Theme_Keyword: ELEVATION

Theme_Keyword: ENGLISH

Place:

Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: GCMD

Place_Keyword: CONTINENT > NORTH AMERICA > GREENLAND

Place_Keyword: GEOGRAPHIC REGION > ARCTIC

Place_Keyword: GEOGRAPHIC REGION > POLAR

Access_Constraints: Not Available

Use_Constraints:

Not Available

Point_of_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: NSIDC USER SERVICES

Contact_Position: TECHNICAL CONTACT

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing and Physical Address

Address: National Snow and Ice Data Center

Address: CIRES, 449 UCB

Address: University of Colorado

City: Boulder

State_or_Province: CO

Postal_Code: 80309-0449

Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: +1 (303) 492-6199

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: +1 (303) 492-2468

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: nsidc@nsidc.org

Data_Quality_Information:

Attribute_Accuracy:

Attribute_Accuracy_Report:

Slope and elevation accuracy of the DEMs is best near the latitudinal limit of satellite coverage (±86°), and provides a good representation of the ice sheet and mountain areas (based on comparison with satellite images). DEM accuracy decreases as track spacing between ICESat profiles increases equatorward. As a quality and accuracy indicator, the mean distance of all contributing GLAS surface spot data to the grid cell center was recorded in a separate identical grid for each ice sheet. These mean distance files are provided with the elevation data.

Logical_Consistency_Report:

Not Available

Completeness_Report:

Not Available

Lineage:

Process_Step:

Process_Description:

Not Available

Process_Date: Unknown

Spatial_Reference_Information:

Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:

Geographic:

Latitude_Resolution: 1 km

Longitude_Resolution: 1 km

Geographic_Coordinate_Units: Decimal degrees

Distribution_Information:

Distributor:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization: NSIDC_DAAC > NSIDC Distributed Active Archive Center

Contact_Person: NSIDC USER SERVICES

Contact_Position: DATA CENTER CONTACT

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing and Physical Address

Address: National Snow and Ice Data Center

Address: CIRES, 449 UCB

Address: University of Colorado

City: Boulder

State_or_Province: CO

Postal_Code: 80309-0449

Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: +1 (303) 492-6199

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: +1 (303) 492-2468

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: nsidc@nsidc.org

Distributor:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Organization_Primary:

Contact_Organization: NSIDC > National Snow and Ice Data Center

Contact_Person: NSIDC USER SERVICES

Contact_Position: DATA CENTER CONTACT

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing and Physical Address

Address: National Snow and Ice Data Center

Address: CIRES, 449 UCB

Address: University of Colorado

City: Boulder

State_or_Province: CO

Postal_Code: 80309-0449

Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: +1 (303) 492-6199

Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: +1 (303) 492-2468

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: nsidc@nsidc.org

Resource_Description: NSIDC-0305

Distribution_Liability:

Not Available

Standard_Order_Process:

Digital_Form:

Digital_Transfer_Information:

Format_Name: binary

Transfer_Size: 25,141,042 bytes compressed

Digital_Transfer_Option:

Online_Option:

Computer_Contact_Information:

Network_Address:

Network_Resource_Name:

http://nsidc.org/daac/index.html

Access_Instructions:

DATA CENTER URL

Online_Option:

Computer_Contact_Information:

Network_Address:

Network_Resource_Name:

http://nsidc.org

Access_Instructions:

DATA CENTER URL

Digital_Transfer_Option:

Online_Option:

Computer_Contact_Information:

Network_Address:

Network_Resource_Name:

http://nsidc.org/data/icesat/

Access_Instructions:

Digital_Transfer_Option:

Online_Option:

Computer_Contact_Information:

Network_Address:

Network_Resource_Name:

http://nsidc.org/data/dems/

Access_Instructions:

Fees: Not Available

Metadata_Reference_Information:

Metadata_Date: 20070621

Metadata_Review_Date: 20120514

Metadata_Contact:

Contact_Information:

Contact_Person_Primary:

Contact_Person: GCMD User Support Office

Contact_Organization: NASA Global Change Master Directory

Contact_Address:

Address_Type: Mailing and Physical Address

Address: Not Available

City: Lanham

State_or_Province: MD

Postal_Code: 20706

Country: USA

Contact_Voice_Telephone: Not Available

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: gcmduso@gcmd.gsfc.nasa.gov

Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata

Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998

Metadata_Time_Convention: local time