ICESat-2: Measuring the Height of the Earth One Photon at A Time
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Dr. Thomas Neumann
NASA Goddard Flight Space Center
Monday April 29, 2019, 12:00-1:00 PM
ESSIC Conference Room 4102, 5825 University Research Ct, College Park, MD 20740
Abstract:
The Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite – 2 (ICESat-2) observatory was launched on 15 September 2018 to measure ice sheet and glacier elevation change, sea ice freeboard, and enable the determination of the heights of Earth’s forests. ICESat-2 current orbit inclination allows data collection between 88 degrees north latitude and 88 degrees south latitude from nominally 500km elevation above Earth’s surface. ICESat-2’s laser altimeter, the Advanced Topographic Laser Altimetry System (ATLAS) uses green (532 nm) laser light and single-photon sensitive detection to measure elevation along each of its six beams ten thousand times per second. In this presentation, I describe the major components of the observatory and the ATLAS instrument. I summarize the first six months of on orbit data collection and present the status of the observatory and the ATLAS instrument. I’ll present on the status of the lower-level data products including the Level-2A data product (ATL03), which provides the geodetic location (i.e. the latitude, longitude and elevation) of the ground bounce point of photons detected by ATLAS. The ATL03 data product is the primary product used for higher-level (Level 3A) surface-specific data products such as glacier and ice sheet elevation, sea ice freeboard, vegetation canopy height, ocean surface topography, and inland water body elevation. This presentation will also present the plans for future data collection, the geolocation uncertainty of the ATL03 global geolocated photon data product, the status of data product availability, and plans for data reprocessing.
Bio-sketch:
Tom Neumann is a cryospheric scientist who focuses on the development of ICESat-2, the next-generation laser altimeter scheduled for launch in 2018. His research includes both theoretical and experimental studies of the chemical, physical, and thermodynamic properties of polar snow and ice. He has been involved extensively in field work on the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, leading four expeditions and participating in five others between the two poles. Recent work has involved studies of snow chemistry on the East Antarctic plateau and calibrating ICESat altimetry data using ground-based GPS surveys in Antarctica.
Tom joined NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in October 2008. Prior to that, he was an assistant professor in the Geology Department at the University of Vermont. He remains an Affiliate Assistant Professor in Earth and Space Sciences at the University of Washington. He earned a B.A. in geophysical science from the University of Chicago, and a Ph.D. in geophysics from the University of Washington.
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