Global 1-km Gridded Thickness of Soil and Regolith Layers

NASA's dataset provides high-resolution global estimates for the thickness of permeable layers above bedrock, including soil, regolith, and sedimentary deposits. The model uses a 30-arcsecond (~1-kilometer) grid and integrates data on topography, climate, and geology to represent the geological present. This dataset is available on multiple platforms, including Data.gov and NASA Earthdata.

Use Cases

• Modeling soil depth and erosion potential across different landform types.
• Analyzing the spatial distribution of regolith and sedimentary deposits for geological studies.
• Integrating subsurface layer thickness with climate and topographic data for environmental simulations.
• Providing a foundational layer for global digital elevation and terrain models.

Strengths

• Provides a global, high-resolution 30-arcsecond (~1-kilometer) grid for consistent analysis.
• Model integrates multiple data sources, including topography, climate, and geology.
• Dataset is hosted and maintained by NASA, a leading authority in earth science.

Limitations

• Key metadata conflicts exist: the last updated date differs significantly between Data.gov (2026-03-13) and NASA Earthdata (2015-12-31).
• Specific column names, row counts, and file sizes are not provided by any source.
• Data represents modeled estimates for the geological present, not direct measurements.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Modeled estimates using best available data for topography, climate, and geology as input.

Time Range

Geological present

Freshness

2026-03-13 02:28:37.562777

Geography

Global