Imaging · collection · 2026
GEDI L2A Elevation and Height Metrics Data Global Footprint Level V003
Listed in NASA Earthdata CMR and NASA Data Portal — shown once because both records carry DOI 10.5067/gedi/gedi02_a.003
Description
The Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) mission aims to characterize ecosystem structure and dynamics to enable radically improved quantification and understanding of the Earth’s carbon cycle and biodiversity. The GEDI instrument produces high resolution laser ranging observations of the 3-dimensional structure of the Earth. GEDI is attached to the International Space Station (ISS) and collects data globally between 51.6° N and 51.6° S latitudes at the highest resolution and densest sampling of any light detection and ranging (lidar) instrument in orbit to date.
Each GEDI Version 3 granule encompasses one-fourth of an ISS orbit and includes georeferenced metadata to allow for spatial querying and subsetting. The GEDI instrument was removed from the ISS and placed into storage on March 17, 2023. No data were acquired during the hibernation period from March 17, 2023, to April 24, 2024.
Read the rest (6 more)
GEDI was re-instated on the ISS and resumed operations as of April 26, 2024. The GEDI Level 2A Geolocated Elevation and Height Metrics product (GEDI02_A) provides waveform interpretation and extracted products from each GEDI01_B received waveform, including ground elevation, canopy top height, and relative height (RH) metrics. The methodology for generating the GEDI02_A product datasets is adapted from the Land, Vegetation, and Ice Sensor (LVIS) algorithm.
The GEDI02_A product is provided in HDF5 format and has a spatial resolution (average footprint) of 25 meters. The GEDI02_A data product contains 417 layers/variables for each of the eight beams, including ground elevation, canopy top height, relative return energy metrics (e.g., canopy vertical structure), and many other interpreted products from the return waveforms. Additional information for the layers can be found in the GEDI Level 2A Dictionary.
Known Issues
* Data acquisition gaps: GEDI data acquisitions were suspended on December 19, 2019 (2019 Day 353) and resumed on January 8, 2020 (2020 Day 8). *
Known Issues
Section 8 of the User Guide provides additional information on known issues.
Links
Get the data
- Resource doi.org/10.5067/gedi/gedi02_a.003 ↗
The product page provides information on Science Data Set layers and links for user guides, ATBDs, data access, tools, customer support, etc.
landing page · download · DOI / persistent id · from NASA CMR, data nasa gov
- Resource doi.org/10.5067/doc/gedi/gedi_wfgeo_atbd.001 ↗
The Geolocation ATBD provides physical theory and mathematical procedures for the calculations used to produce the data products.
documentation · download · from NASA CMR, data nasa gov
- PDF lpdaac.usgs.gov/documents/2442/GEDI02_User_Guide_V3.pdf ↗
The technical information in the User's Guide enables users to interpret and use the data products.
documentation · download · from NASA CMR, data nasa gov
- Resource earthdata.nasa.gov/learn/trainings/spaceborne-lidar-monitoring-vegetation-structu… ↗
The Spaceborne Lidar for Monitoring Vegetation Structure and Biomass using GEDI tutorial walks through the theoretical background of GEDI lidar capabilities and demonstrates how to access and plot GED
documentation · download · from NASA CMR, data nasa gov
- Resource github.com/nasa/GEDI-Data-Resources ↗
The GEDI Data Resources repository provides guides, short how-tos, and tutorials to help users access and work with data from the GEDI mission.
documentation · download · from NASA CMR, data nasa gov
- PDF lpdaac.usgs.gov/documents/2511/GEDI_Quick_Guide_V3.pdf ↗
The GEDI Spatial Querying and Subsetting Quick Guide demonstrates how to find and subset GEDI granules using Earthdata Search.
documentation · download · from NASA CMR, data nasa gov
- Resource lpdaac.usgs.gov/documents/2439/gedi_l2a_v3_product_data_dictionary.html ↗
The data dictionary provides additional information on the Science Dataset (SDS) layers.
documentation · download · from NASA CMR, data nasa gov
- Resource doi.org/10.5067/doc/gedi/gedi_wf_atbd.001 ↗
The Waveform Processing ATBD provides physical theory and mathematical procedures for the calculations used to produce the data products.
documentation · download · from NASA CMR, data nasa gov
- Original Metadata cmr.earthdata.nasa.gov/search/concepts/C3974616071-LPCLOUD.iso19115 ↗
download · from data nasa gov
- PNG data.lpdaac.earthdatacloud.nasa.gov/lp-prod-public/GEDI02_A.003/GEDI02_A_2025190223019_O37238_01_T… ↗
download · preview image · from data nasa gov, NASA CMR
- search.earthdata.nasa.gov /search/granules?p=C3974616071-LPCLOUD ↗
Earthdata Search allows users to search, discover, visualize, refine, access, and subset NASA Earth Observation data.
download · from NASA CMR
- Resource earthdata.nasa.gov/centers/lp-daac ↗
The LP DAAC website provides detailed information on discovery, distribution, access, and support of land data products.
download · project · from data nasa gov, NASA CMR
- Resource gedi.umd.edu ↗
The GEDI website provides detailed information on the GEDI mission, instrument, science, applications, and data.
download · project · from data nasa gov, NASA CMR
Where it is published
- NASA Data Portal dataset page data.nasa.gov/dataset/gedi-l2a-elevation-and-height-metrics-data-global-foot… ↗
landing page · from data nasa gov
Catalogue records · 3
- CKAN API data.nasa.gov/api/3/action/package_show?id=9077c18c-8602-4e1d-8bd8-79599083d… ↗
metadata API · from data nasa gov
- CMR UMM-JSON cmr.earthdata.nasa.gov/search/concepts/C3974616071-LPCLOUD.umm_json ↗
metadata API · from NASA CMR
- CMR record cmr.earthdata.nasa.gov/search/concepts/C3974616071-LPCLOUD.html ↗
catalogue entry · from NASA CMR
Topics
- Stated by source
- Canopy Characteristics · Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation · International Space Station · Lidar · Plant Phenology · Topography · Vegetation Cover · Vegetation Height
- From keywords
- Astronomy & Astrophysics · Earth & Environmental Science · Engineering · Life Sciences · Ocean & Atmospheric Science · Physics
- Inferred from text
- Forestry sciences 69%
Provenance · 2 source records, 25 field assertions
| Source | Key | Last seen | Raw |
|---|---|---|---|
| NASA Earthdata CMR | C3974616071-LPCLOUD | 8 d ago | JSON v1 |
| NASA Data Portal | 9077c18c-8602-4e1d-8bd8-79599083d8e4 | 5 d ago | JSON v1 |
| Field | Assertion | Extractor | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| access_level | source · NASA CMR | connector:nasa_cmr@1.0.0 | |
| concepts[field].anzsrc:group:3007 | enrichment · NASA CMR | taxonomy-embedding@1.0.0 | title+keywords+description (69%) |
| concepts[field].local:field:astronomy | mapping · data nasa gov | connector:data_nasa_gov@1.0.0 | |
| concepts[field].local:field:earth-environmental | mapping · data nasa gov | connector:data_nasa_gov@1.0.0 | |
| concepts[field].local:field:engineering | mapping · data nasa gov | connector:data_nasa_gov@1.0.0 | |
| concepts[field].local:field:life-sciences | mapping · data nasa gov | connector:data_nasa_gov@1.0.0 | |
| concepts[field].local:field:ocean-atmospheric | mapping · data nasa gov | connector:data_nasa_gov@1.0.0 | |
| concepts[field].local:field:physics | mapping · data nasa gov | connector:data_nasa_gov@1.0.0 | |
| concepts[instrument].gcmd_instrument:gedi | source · NASA CMR | connector:nasa_cmr@1.0.0 | |
| concepts[measured_variable].gcmd:earth-science/biosphere/vegetation/canopy-characteristics | source · NASA CMR | connector:nasa_cmr@1.0.0 | |
| concepts[measured_variable].gcmd:earth-science/biosphere/vegetation/canopy-characteristics/vegetation-height | source · NASA CMR | connector:nasa_cmr@1.0.0 | |
| concepts[measured_variable].gcmd:earth-science/biosphere/vegetation/plant-phenology | source · NASA CMR | connector:nasa_cmr@1.0.0 | |
| concepts[measured_variable].gcmd:earth-science/biosphere/vegetation/vegetation-cover | source · NASA CMR | connector:nasa_cmr@1.0.0 | |
| concepts[measured_variable].gcmd:earth-science/land-surface/topography | source · NASA CMR | connector:nasa_cmr@1.0.0 | |
| concepts[measured_variable].gcmd:earth-science/spectral-engineering/lidar | source · NASA CMR | connector:nasa_cmr@1.0.0 | |
| concepts[platform].gcmd_platform:iss | source · NASA CMR | connector:nasa_cmr@1.0.0 | |
| created_date | source · NASA CMR | connector:nasa_cmr@1.0.0 | |
| description | source · NASA CMR | connector:nasa_cmr@1.0.0 | /umm/Abstract |
| license_text | source · data nasa gov | connector:data_nasa_gov@1.0.0 | |
| publication_date | source · NASA CMR | connector:nasa_cmr@1.0.0 | |
| spatial | source · NASA CMR | connector:nasa_cmr@1.0.0 | /umm/SpatialExtent |
| temporal | source · NASA CMR | connector:nasa_cmr@1.0.0 | /umm/TemporalExtents |
| title | source · NASA CMR | connector:nasa_cmr@1.0.0 | /umm/EntryTitle |
| updated_date | source · NASA CMR | connector:nasa_cmr@1.0.0 | |
| version_label | source · NASA CMR | connector:nasa_cmr@1.0.0 |