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The Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) flew aboard the Ice, Clouds, and Land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) spacecraft and provided elevation data for determining ice sheet mass balance, with polar-specific coverage over the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets. It also provided global topography and vegetation data as well as cloud property information, especially for stratospheric clouds common over polar regions.

Instrument Type

Altimeter

Instrument Subtype

Lidar/Laser Altimeter

Specifications

Resolution

Spatial

60-70 m x 60-70 m

Spectral

Infrared light (1064 nanometers wavelength) and visible green light (532 nanometers)

Temporal

1,288 minute

Platforms

Frequently Asked Questions

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