Terrestrial Laser Scan of Buried Ice in Garwood Valley

Garwood Valley in Antarctica contains a ground-based laser scan of buried ice deposits. The dataset was created by SCIOPS and last updated on November 16, 2013. The specific volume and row count of the point cloud data are not provided.

Use Cases

• Model subsurface ice geometry and volume from point cloud elevation data.
• Analyze terrain roughness and sediment cover over buried ice using laser return intensity values.
• Monitor cryospheric change by comparing this 2013 scan with subsequent surveys of the same valley.
• Validate airborne or satellite-derived elevation models against high-resolution ground-based point cloud data.

Strengths

• Data provides a high-resolution 3D snapshot of a specific Antarctic valley on a known date (2013-11-16).
• Focuses on a scientifically significant feature: buried ice deposits in the McMurdo Dry Valleys.

Limitations

• Dataset is over a decade old, limiting its use for contemporary change detection without newer data.
• Unknown point density, coverage area, and accuracy metrics for the laser scan.
• Sample data and file formats are unavailable, hindering initial assessment of data structure.

Provenance

Source

SCIOPS via NASA Earthdata.

Collection Method

Ground-based terrestrial laser scanning.

Time Range

2013-11-16

Freshness

Single snapshot from 2013-11-16; no update frequency.

Geography

Garwood Valley, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica.