G-LiHT: High-Density LiDAR Point Clouds for North American Forests

G-LiHT airborne LiDAR point cloud data provides high-density individual return information for terrestrial ecosystems. The data includes 3D coordinates, ground classifications, height, and reflectance, with a density exceeding 10 points per square meter. NASA produced this data, last updated in March 2026.

Use Cases

• Forest canopy height and structure modeling based on 3D coordinates and AGL heights
• Terrain and ground surface analysis based on classified ground returns
• Vegetation reflectance studies based on LiDAR apparent reflectance data
• Generating high-resolution topographic maps based on the dense point cloud

Strengths

• Point density exceeds 10 points per square meter
• Data adheres to the ASPRS LAS Version 1.1 binary format standard
• Includes multiple derived products: 3D coordinates, ground classification, heights, and reflectance

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Collected by the portable G-LiHT airborne imaging system.

Time Range

null

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03 13 02:37:02.572714; freshness should be verified

Geography

Conterminous United States, Alaska, Puerto Rico, and Mexico