Goddard’s LiDAR, Hyperspectral, and Thermal Imagery (G-LiHT) mission is a portable, airborne imaging system that aims to simultaneously map the composition, structure, and function of terrestrial ecosystems. G-LiHT primarily focuses on a broad diversity of forest communities and ecoregions in North America, mapping aerial swaths over the Conterminous United States (CONUS), Alaska, Puerto Rico, and Mexico.

The purpose of G-LiHT’s Digital Surface Model data product (GLDSMT) is to provide LiDAR-derived visualizations of elevation above bare earth. GLDSMT data is offered in multiple formats, including Digital Surface Model, Mean, Aspect, Rugosity, and Slope.

GLDSMT data are processed as multiple raster data products (GeoTIFFs) at a nominal 1 meter spatial resolution over locally defined areas. A low resolution browse is also provided showing the digital surface model with a color map applied in PNG format.