GLAS/ICESat: Antarctic Ice Sheet Elevation Model

From February 2003 to June 2005, the GLAS instrument on the ICESat satellite collected laser altimetry data used to create this digital elevation model. It provides surface elevation grids for Antarctica north of 86° S at a 500-meter resolution, with measurements relative to both the WGS 84 ellipsoid and EGM96 geoid. The dataset includes a quality map of interpolation distance and is distributed as binary raster files.

Use Cases

• Modeling ice sheet mass balance changes based on precise surface elevation measurements.
• Creating topographic basemaps for Antarctic regions using the 500-meter polar stereographic grid.
• Comparing laser altimetry elevation data with radar-derived products to assess slope-related effects.
• Analyzing coastal ice dynamics and grounding line position using the extended latitudinal coverage.

Strengths

• Derived from the first seven operational periods of the GLAS instrument, providing a consistent multi-year snapshot from 2003-2005.
• Offers greater latitudinal extent and fewer slope-related effects than radar altimetry for Antarctic topography.
• Includes a separate data quality map quantifying interpolation distance for error assessment.

Limitations

• Metadata completeness is low, with no explicit row/column counts, file size, or detailed column descriptions provided.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates exist between sources (2005-06-30 vs. 2026-04-10), creating uncertainty about provenance maintenance.
• Spatial coverage is limited to areas north of 86° S, excluding the most central polar region.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Collection Method

Derived from GLAS/ICESat laser altimetry profile data.

Time Range

February 2003 to June 2005

Freshness

2026-04-10 03:07:21.620821

Geography

Antarctica (north of 86° S)