| Instrument: ATM : Airborne Topographic Mapper |
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Associated Platforms AIRCRAFT Related Data Sets View all records related to this instrument Description The Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM) measures topography to an accuracy of ten to twenty centimeters by combining measurements from an airborne laser altimeter and GPS (global positioning system) receivers. The ATM has demonstrated this accuracy at distances as great as a thousand kilometers from any base station. The current ATM instruments (ATM2 and ATM3) and their predecessors have a history going back to the mid 1970's. The instruments commonly fly aboard the NASA P3-B based at Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia. ATM2 has also flown aboard several twin-otter (DH-6) aircraft. A major task of the ATM over recent years has been the measurement of the Greenland ice sheet with the goal of determining changes in the ice sheet elevation. Other uses have included verification of satellite altimeters , and the measurement of sea-ice thickness. The altimeter often flies in conjunction with other instruments, and has been used to measure sea-surface elevation and ocean wave characteristics. New applications are always being investigated. Measurement of coastal beach dynamics and monitoring of beach erosion was begun in 1995 with an initial airborne survey of northern Assateague Island in conjunction with the National Park Service's ground-based monitoring effort. Also, in 1994 an aerial survey was compared against the FAA regulations to determine airfield obstruction clearances at the Wallops Flight Facility. [Summary provided by NASA] Online Resources http://atm.wff.nasa.gov/ |
