ATLAS/ICESat-2 L3A Ocean Surface Height V006 provides along-track sea surface height data for the global open ocean, including seasonal ice zones and near-coast regions. The dataset contains estimates for height distributions, significant wave height, sea state bias, and 10 m heights. Data was acquired by the ATLAS instrument on the ICESat-2 satellite and is distributed by the NSIDC, with a last update recorded in March 2025.
Use Cases
- Modeling global sea level rise by analyzing long-term trends in the along-track sea surface height data.
- Estimating ocean wave energy and conditions using the provided significant wave height feature.
- Correcting satellite altimeter bias in other datasets by applying the included sea state bias estimates.
- Studying coastal and near-ice ocean processes using height data from seasonal ice zones and near-coast regions.
- Validating numerical ocean wave models against the observed 10 m heights and height distribution statistics.
Strengths
- Global spatial coverage includes open ocean, seasonal ice zones, and near-coast regions.
- Provides multiple derived estimates per observation, including significant wave height and sea state bias.
- Data is sourced from the advanced ATLAS instrument on the dedicated ICESat-2 satellite observatory.
Limitations
- Specific row count, column details, and temporal coverage range are not provided in the input.
- The dataset's utility for fine-scale coastal studies may be limited by the along-track sampling nature of satellite data.
Provenance
- Source
- NSIDC_CPRD (NASA's National Snow and Ice Data Center Distributed Active Archive Center).
- Collection Method
- Acquired by the Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS) on the ICESat-2 satellite.
- Time Range
- null
- Freshness
- Last updated in March 2025, indicating recent maintenance.
- Geography
- Global open ocean, including ice-free seasonal ice zones and near-coast regions.