NASA’s Operation IceBridge was a large-scale airborne investigation designed to fill the gap in polar observations between the ICESat and ICESat-2 satellite missions. IceBridge involved multiple deployments from 2009 to 2021 across Greenland, Alaska, Antarctica, and the Arctic Sea. More than 1,000 aircraft surveys were carried out using various remote sensors, such as the Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM), the Digital Mapping System (DMS), and the Land Vegetation and Ice Sensor (LVIS), to map sea ice and topography in polar coastal regions. IceBridge was funded through NASA’s Cryospheric Sciences Program.
The Multichannel Coherent Radar Depth Sounder (MCoRDS) is an airborne radar developed by the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) at the University of Kansas. It is a multichannel radar sounder that is used to measure ice sheet thickness and map ice subsurface layers to depths exceeding 4km. It operates across the 150 to 450 MHz frequency range and has a sampling frequency of up to 1.6 GHz. MCoRDS has a vertical resolution ranging from about 60 cm to about 20 m, depending on the frequency range and flight altitude.
The Whole Air Sampler (WAS) is an airborne in-situ instrument that collects air samples for analyzing trace gases, such as nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHCs), halocarbons, alkyl nitrates, and various sulfur compounds found in the troposphere. Air samples collected by the WAS are then analyzed using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to identify the gases present. The WAS collects samples every minute, allowing scientists to get a clear picture of the environment's chemical composition as research aircraft pass through.
The Continuous Airborne Mapping By Optical Translator (CAMBOT) is an airborne digital camera system. CAMBOT is a three-channel digital camera that collects visible imagery to support data analysis from the Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM). It has a spatial resolution of about 9 cm at a nominal flight altitude of 1,500 ft above ground level. It acquires raw images at an acquisition rate of 2 Hz.
The Airborne Inertially Referenced Gravimeter (AIRGrav) is an airborne gravimeter developed by Sanders Geophysics Limited. It uses three orthogonal accelerometers mounted on an inertially stabilized platform to measure gravity and gravity anomalies. AIRGrav is primarily used for gravity surveys in gas and oil-producing regions, but it has also been employed in surveys over polar and coastal areas. AIRGrav offers a typical spatial resolution of 2 km and collects data at a rate of 128 Hz.
Earth Science > Solid Earth > Gravity/gravitational Field
Earth Science > Solid Earth > Gravity/gravitational Field > Gravity
The Atmospheric Vertical Observations of CO2 in the Earth’s Troposphere (AVOCET) is an airborne in situ spectrometer built by NASA’s Langley Research Center (LaRC). AVOCET uses a differential, non-dispersive infrared spectrometer to provide high-resolution measurements of carbon dioxide (CO2). It operates at the 4.26 μm CO2 absorption band and has a measurement frequency of 5 Hz. Since the early 1990s, AVOCET has been used in multiple field studies and has taken part in over 450 science flights.
The Snow Radar is an airborne ultra-wideband radar system operated by the Center for Remote Sensing and Integrated Systems (CReSIS) at Kansas University. It is a frequency-modulated, continuous wave (FMCW) system that collects radar echograms for measurements of snow thickness over sea ice and snow layering over land ice. The Snow Radar operates across the 2-18 GHz and can measure snow layers up to 100 meters in depth. It has a vertical resolution ranging from 1.5 to 12 centimeters and typically operates at 4 kHz pulse repetition frequency.
The Land, Vegetation, and Ice Sensor (LVIS) is an airborne imaging lidar developed and operated by Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). It is used to create topographical maps and examine the vertical structure of vegetation and ice. It has an operating wavelength of 1064 nm and pulse repetition rates up to 500 Hz. LVIS features a swath width of 2 km and a horizontal resolution of 20 m at a flight altitude of 10 km.
The Digital Mapping System (DMS) is an airborne camera system operated and maintained by the Airborne Sensor Facility (ASF) at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC). It captures high-resolution natural color and panchromatic images of terrain, which can be used to create mosaics and topographic maps. DMS has a cross-track spatial resolution of 10 cm at nadir and a swath width of about 570 meters at an altitude of 1,500 feet. The DMS is ideal for various scientific programs that monitor environmental variations, assess global change, and respond to natural disasters.
The Diode Laser Hygrometer (DLH) is an in situ airborne hygrometer developed by NASA’s Langley Research Center (LaRC). It uses tunable diode laser absorption to detect water vapor in the atmosphere. DLH operates in the near-infrared range at about 1.4 μm and has a measurement frequency of 100 Hz. It can deliver precise measurements of water vapor even when flying through clouds.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Water Vapor
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Humidity > Relative Humidity
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Humidity
The Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM) was an airborne scanning lidar developed at NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF). ATM measured the changes in surface elevation to map topography and was typically used for surveying glaciers and icecaps. ATM typically flew at an altitude of 400 to 800 m and had a horizontal resolution of 10 to 20 cm. It operated at a 532 nm wavelength.
Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography
Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography > Terrain Elevation
Magnetometers are passive instruments that measure the variations in Earth’s magnetic field. There are two types of magnetometers: a vector magnetometer, which measures the vector components of a magnetic field, and a total field magnetometer, which measures the magnitude. Magnetometers are used for geophysical surveys and ocean exploration. They can be used for airborne, ground-based, or water-based operations.
Earth Science > Solid Earth > Geomagnetism > Magnetic Field
The High Capability Airborne Radar Sounder (HiCARS) is an airborne ice-penetrating radar operated by the University of Texas Institute of Geophysics (UTIG). It is a very high-frequency (VHF) radar that records radar returns phase-coherently to produce profiles of ice sheets to identify the ice surface, internal layers, and bedrock. It has twin flat dipole antennas mounted under each aircraft wing, 19 meters apart horizontally, providing about 10 dB of antenna gain. HiCARS operates in the 52.5 to 67.5 MHz frequency range and has a sampling rate of 50 MHz.
Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography > Terrain Elevation > Bed Elevation
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Radar > Return Power
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Radar
Gravimeters are passive sensors that measure the strength of Earth’s gravitational field. These measurements are used for determining density variations in rocks, oil and mineral prospecting, the monitoring of glacier changes, and the study of volcanic activity. Gravimeters can be used for airborne and ground-based operations.
Earth Science > Solid Earth > Gravity/gravitational Field
Earth Science > Solid Earth > Gravity/gravitational Field > Gravitational Field
Earth Science > Solid Earth > Gravity/gravitational Field > Gravity
The Warm Ice Sounding Explorer (WISE) is an airborne radar developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the University of California Irvine (UCI). It is a low-frequency radar (2.5 MHz) used to penetrate temperate ice to measure glacier and ice sheet thickness. It was designed based on the satellite instrument Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding (MARSIS). WISE can operate at an altitude range of 250-1000 meters and has a sampling frequency of 20 MHz. It has a vertical resolution of 30 meters in the air and 17 meters in the ice.
The UAF Lidar Scanner is an airborne lidar system operated by the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). Its design was based on the Riegl LMS-1240i scanner. It detects lidar backscatter at 905 nm and is used for mapping glaciers typically across Alaska. The UAF Scanner has a footprint of 20 cm and a grid spacing of about 1 m, both along-track and across-track. It has a scan angle of 30 degrees from nadir and can operate at a maximum of about 500 m above ground level (AGL).
The Snow Radar is an airborne ultra-wideband radar system operated by the Center for Remote Sensing and Integrated Systems (CReSIS) at Kansas University. It is a frequency-modulated, continuous wave (FMCW) system that collects radar echograms for measurements of snow thickness over sea ice and snow layering over land ice. The Snow Radar operates across the 2-18 GHz and can measure snow layers up to 100 meters in depth. It has a vertical resolution ranging from 1.5 to 12 centimeters and typically operates at 4 kHz pulse repetition frequency.
The Continuous Airborne Mapping By Optical Translator (CAMBOT) is an airborne digital camera system. CAMBOT is a three-channel digital camera that collects visible imagery to support data analysis from the Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM). It has a spatial resolution of about 9 cm at a nominal flight altitude of 1,500 ft above ground level. It acquires raw images at an acquisition rate of 2 Hz.
The Pathfinder Advanced Radar Ice Sounder (PARIS) is an airborne radar sounder developed at the Applied Physics Laboratory at Johns Hopkins University. It uses the Delay-Doppler (DD) technique to collect radar soundings of ice sheet layering and bottom topography to determine ice sheet thickness. PARIS operates at the center frequency of 150 MHz and has a bandwidth of 6 MHz. It has a range resolution of 17 meters in ice.
The Land, Vegetation, and Ice Sensor (LVIS) is an airborne imaging lidar developed and operated by Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). It is used to create topographical maps and examine the vertical structure of vegetation and ice. It has an operating wavelength of 1064 nm and pulse repetition rates up to 500 Hz. LVIS features a swath width of 2 km and a horizontal resolution of 20 m at a flight altitude of 10 km.
The Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM) was an airborne scanning lidar developed at NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF). ATM measured the changes in surface elevation to map topography and was typically used for surveying glaciers and icecaps. ATM typically flew at an altitude of 400 to 800 m and had a horizontal resolution of 10 to 20 cm. It operated at a 532 nm wavelength.
Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography
Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography > Terrain Elevation
The Multichannel Coherent Radar Depth Sounder (MCoRDS) is an airborne radar developed by the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) at the University of Kansas. It is a multichannel radar sounder that is used to measure ice sheet thickness and map ice subsurface layers to depths exceeding 4km. It operates across the 150 to 450 MHz frequency range and has a sampling frequency of up to 1.6 GHz. MCoRDS has a vertical resolution ranging from about 60 cm to about 20 m, depending on the frequency range and flight altitude.
The Snow Radar is an airborne ultra-wideband radar system operated by the Center for Remote Sensing and Integrated Systems (CReSIS) at Kansas University. It is a frequency-modulated, continuous wave (FMCW) system that collects radar echograms for measurements of snow thickness over sea ice and snow layering over land ice. The Snow Radar operates across the 2-18 GHz and can measure snow layers up to 100 meters in depth. It has a vertical resolution ranging from 1.5 to 12 centimeters and typically operates at 4 kHz pulse repetition frequency.
The Continuous Airborne Mapping By Optical Translator (CAMBOT) is an airborne digital camera system. CAMBOT is a three-channel digital camera that collects visible imagery to support data analysis from the Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM). It has a spatial resolution of about 9 cm at a nominal flight altitude of 1,500 ft above ground level. It acquires raw images at an acquisition rate of 2 Hz.
The Airborne Inertially Referenced Gravimeter (AIRGrav) is an airborne gravimeter developed by Sanders Geophysics Limited. It uses three orthogonal accelerometers mounted on an inertially stabilized platform to measure gravity and gravity anomalies. AIRGrav is primarily used for gravity surveys in gas and oil-producing regions, but it has also been employed in surveys over polar and coastal areas. AIRGrav offers a typical spatial resolution of 2 km and collects data at a rate of 128 Hz.
Earth Science > Solid Earth > Gravity/gravitational Field
Earth Science > Solid Earth > Gravity/gravitational Field > Gravity
The Land, Vegetation, and Ice Sensor (LVIS) is an airborne imaging lidar developed and operated by Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). It is used to create topographical maps and examine the vertical structure of vegetation and ice. It has an operating wavelength of 1064 nm and pulse repetition rates up to 500 Hz. LVIS features a swath width of 2 km and a horizontal resolution of 20 m at a flight altitude of 10 km.
The Digital Mapping System (DMS) is an airborne camera system operated and maintained by the Airborne Sensor Facility (ASF) at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC). It captures high-resolution natural color and panchromatic images of terrain, which can be used to create mosaics and topographic maps. DMS has a cross-track spatial resolution of 10 cm at nadir and a swath width of about 570 meters at an altitude of 1,500 feet. The DMS is ideal for various scientific programs that monitor environmental variations, assess global change, and respond to natural disasters.
The Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM) was an airborne scanning lidar developed at NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF). ATM measured the changes in surface elevation to map topography and was typically used for surveying glaciers and icecaps. ATM typically flew at an altitude of 400 to 800 m and had a horizontal resolution of 10 to 20 cm. It operated at a 532 nm wavelength.
Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography
Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography > Terrain Elevation
The Multichannel Coherent Radar Depth Sounder (MCoRDS) is an airborne radar developed by the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) at the University of Kansas. It is a multichannel radar sounder that is used to measure ice sheet thickness and map ice subsurface layers to depths exceeding 4km. It operates across the 150 to 450 MHz frequency range and has a sampling frequency of up to 1.6 GHz. MCoRDS has a vertical resolution ranging from about 60 cm to about 20 m, depending on the frequency range and flight altitude.
The Snow Radar is an airborne ultra-wideband radar system operated by the Center for Remote Sensing and Integrated Systems (CReSIS) at Kansas University. It is a frequency-modulated, continuous wave (FMCW) system that collects radar echograms for measurements of snow thickness over sea ice and snow layering over land ice. The Snow Radar operates across the 2-18 GHz and can measure snow layers up to 100 meters in depth. It has a vertical resolution ranging from 1.5 to 12 centimeters and typically operates at 4 kHz pulse repetition frequency.
The Continuous Airborne Mapping By Optical Translator (CAMBOT) is an airborne digital camera system. CAMBOT is a three-channel digital camera that collects visible imagery to support data analysis from the Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM). It has a spatial resolution of about 9 cm at a nominal flight altitude of 1,500 ft above ground level. It acquires raw images at an acquisition rate of 2 Hz.
The Airborne Inertially Referenced Gravimeter (AIRGrav) is an airborne gravimeter developed by Sanders Geophysics Limited. It uses three orthogonal accelerometers mounted on an inertially stabilized platform to measure gravity and gravity anomalies. AIRGrav is primarily used for gravity surveys in gas and oil-producing regions, but it has also been employed in surveys over polar and coastal areas. AIRGrav offers a typical spatial resolution of 2 km and collects data at a rate of 128 Hz.
Earth Science > Solid Earth > Gravity/gravitational Field
Earth Science > Solid Earth > Gravity/gravitational Field > Gravity
Accumulation Radar is a radar system operated by the Center for Remote Sensing and Integrated Systems (CReSIS) group at the University of Kansas. It provides high-resolution profiles of the top 100 meters of the ice column to map variations in snow accumulation rate. For airborne operations, it operates at the 600-900 MHz range and has a 28 cm depth resolution in ice. For ground-based observations, it operates across the 500 MHz to 2GHz frequency range and has a 5.6 cm depth resolution.
The Digital Mapping System (DMS) is an airborne camera system operated and maintained by the Airborne Sensor Facility (ASF) at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC). It captures high-resolution natural color and panchromatic images of terrain, which can be used to create mosaics and topographic maps. DMS has a cross-track spatial resolution of 10 cm at nadir and a swath width of about 570 meters at an altitude of 1,500 feet. The DMS is ideal for various scientific programs that monitor environmental variations, assess global change, and respond to natural disasters.
The Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM) was an airborne scanning lidar developed at NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF). ATM measured the changes in surface elevation to map topography and was typically used for surveying glaciers and icecaps. ATM typically flew at an altitude of 400 to 800 m and had a horizontal resolution of 10 to 20 cm. It operated at a 532 nm wavelength.
Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography
Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography > Terrain Elevation
Magnetometers are passive instruments that measure the variations in Earth’s magnetic field. There are two types of magnetometers: a vector magnetometer, which measures the vector components of a magnetic field, and a total field magnetometer, which measures the magnitude. Magnetometers are used for geophysical surveys and ocean exploration. They can be used for airborne, ground-based, or water-based operations.
Earth Science > Solid Earth > Geomagnetism > Magnetic Field
This description will be added in future versions.
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Lidar
The High Capability Airborne Radar Sounder (HiCARS) is an airborne ice-penetrating radar operated by the University of Texas Institute of Geophysics (UTIG). It is a very high-frequency (VHF) radar that records radar returns phase-coherently to produce profiles of ice sheets to identify the ice surface, internal layers, and bedrock. It has twin flat dipole antennas mounted under each aircraft wing, 19 meters apart horizontally, providing about 10 dB of antenna gain. HiCARS operates in the 52.5 to 67.5 MHz frequency range and has a sampling rate of 50 MHz.
The Multichannel Coherent Radar Depth Sounder (MCoRDS) is an airborne radar developed by the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) at the University of Kansas. It is a multichannel radar sounder that is used to measure ice sheet thickness and map ice subsurface layers to depths exceeding 4km. It operates across the 150 to 450 MHz frequency range and has a sampling frequency of up to 1.6 GHz. MCoRDS has a vertical resolution ranging from about 60 cm to about 20 m, depending on the frequency range and flight altitude.
Magnetometers are passive instruments that measure the variations in Earth’s magnetic field. There are two types of magnetometers: a vector magnetometer, which measures the vector components of a magnetic field, and a total field magnetometer, which measures the magnitude. Magnetometers are used for geophysical surveys and ocean exploration. They can be used for airborne, ground-based, or water-based operations.
Earth Science > Solid Earth > Geomagnetism > Magnetic Field
The Snow Radar is an airborne ultra-wideband radar system operated by the Center for Remote Sensing and Integrated Systems (CReSIS) at Kansas University. It is a frequency-modulated, continuous wave (FMCW) system that collects radar echograms for measurements of snow thickness over sea ice and snow layering over land ice. The Snow Radar operates across the 2-18 GHz and can measure snow layers up to 100 meters in depth. It has a vertical resolution ranging from 1.5 to 12 centimeters and typically operates at 4 kHz pulse repetition frequency.
The Continuous Airborne Mapping By Optical Translator (CAMBOT) is an airborne digital camera system. CAMBOT is a three-channel digital camera that collects visible imagery to support data analysis from the Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM). It has a spatial resolution of about 9 cm at a nominal flight altitude of 1,500 ft above ground level. It acquires raw images at an acquisition rate of 2 Hz.
Accumulation Radar is a radar system operated by the Center for Remote Sensing and Integrated Systems (CReSIS) group at the University of Kansas. It provides high-resolution profiles of the top 100 meters of the ice column to map variations in snow accumulation rate. For airborne operations, it operates at the 600-900 MHz range and has a 28 cm depth resolution in ice. For ground-based observations, it operates across the 500 MHz to 2GHz frequency range and has a 5.6 cm depth resolution.
The Digital Mapping System (DMS) is an airborne camera system operated and maintained by the Airborne Sensor Facility (ASF) at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC). It captures high-resolution natural color and panchromatic images of terrain, which can be used to create mosaics and topographic maps. DMS has a cross-track spatial resolution of 10 cm at nadir and a swath width of about 570 meters at an altitude of 1,500 feet. The DMS is ideal for various scientific programs that monitor environmental variations, assess global change, and respond to natural disasters.
The Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM) was an airborne scanning lidar developed at NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF). ATM measured the changes in surface elevation to map topography and was typically used for surveying glaciers and icecaps. ATM typically flew at an altitude of 400 to 800 m and had a horizontal resolution of 10 to 20 cm. It operated at a 532 nm wavelength.
Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography
Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography > Terrain Elevation
The Airborne Inertially Referenced Gravimeter (AIRGrav) is an airborne gravimeter developed by Sanders Geophysics Limited. It uses three orthogonal accelerometers mounted on an inertially stabilized platform to measure gravity and gravity anomalies. AIRGrav is primarily used for gravity surveys in gas and oil-producing regions, but it has also been employed in surveys over polar and coastal areas. AIRGrav offers a typical spatial resolution of 2 km and collects data at a rate of 128 Hz.
The Land, Vegetation, and Ice Sensor (LVIS) is an airborne imaging lidar developed and operated by Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). It is used to create topographical maps and examine the vertical structure of vegetation and ice. It has an operating wavelength of 1064 nm and pulse repetition rates up to 500 Hz. LVIS features a swath width of 2 km and a horizontal resolution of 20 m at a flight altitude of 10 km.
The Multichannel Coherent Radar Depth Sounder (MCoRDS) is an airborne radar developed by the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) at the University of Kansas. It is a multichannel radar sounder that is used to measure ice sheet thickness and map ice subsurface layers to depths exceeding 4km. It operates across the 150 to 450 MHz frequency range and has a sampling frequency of up to 1.6 GHz. MCoRDS has a vertical resolution ranging from about 60 cm to about 20 m, depending on the frequency range and flight altitude.
The Snow Radar is an airborne ultra-wideband radar system operated by the Center for Remote Sensing and Integrated Systems (CReSIS) at Kansas University. It is a frequency-modulated, continuous wave (FMCW) system that collects radar echograms for measurements of snow thickness over sea ice and snow layering over land ice. The Snow Radar operates across the 2-18 GHz and can measure snow layers up to 100 meters in depth. It has a vertical resolution ranging from 1.5 to 12 centimeters and typically operates at 4 kHz pulse repetition frequency.
The Continuous Airborne Mapping By Optical Translator (CAMBOT) is an airborne digital camera system. CAMBOT is a three-channel digital camera that collects visible imagery to support data analysis from the Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM). It has a spatial resolution of about 9 cm at a nominal flight altitude of 1,500 ft above ground level. It acquires raw images at an acquisition rate of 2 Hz.
The Airborne Inertially Referenced Gravimeter (AIRGrav) is an airborne gravimeter developed by Sanders Geophysics Limited. It uses three orthogonal accelerometers mounted on an inertially stabilized platform to measure gravity and gravity anomalies. AIRGrav is primarily used for gravity surveys in gas and oil-producing regions, but it has also been employed in surveys over polar and coastal areas. AIRGrav offers a typical spatial resolution of 2 km and collects data at a rate of 128 Hz.
Earth Science > Solid Earth > Gravity/gravitational Field
Earth Science > Solid Earth > Gravity/gravitational Field > Gravity
The Digital Mapping System (DMS) is an airborne camera system operated and maintained by the Airborne Sensor Facility (ASF) at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC). It captures high-resolution natural color and panchromatic images of terrain, which can be used to create mosaics and topographic maps. DMS has a cross-track spatial resolution of 10 cm at nadir and a swath width of about 570 meters at an altitude of 1,500 feet. The DMS is ideal for various scientific programs that monitor environmental variations, assess global change, and respond to natural disasters.
The Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM) was an airborne scanning lidar developed at NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF). ATM measured the changes in surface elevation to map topography and was typically used for surveying glaciers and icecaps. ATM typically flew at an altitude of 400 to 800 m and had a horizontal resolution of 10 to 20 cm. It operated at a 532 nm wavelength.
Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography
Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography > Terrain Elevation
A pyrometer is a remote-sensing infrared thermometer that measures the temperature of distant objects. It determines an object's temperature by detecting its thermal radiation. It can be mounted on aircraft, ground vehicles, or water-based platforms for surface and sea surface temperature observations. For atmospheric studies, the pyrometer usually operates in the 9.6 to 11.5 µm spectral range and has a temperature range of -25 to 200 degrees Celsius. Pyrometers typically have a response time between 5 milliseconds and 600 seconds.
Earth Science > Oceans > Ocean Temperature > Sea Surface Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature > Skin Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Infrared Wavelengths > Brightness Temperature
Magnetometers are passive instruments that measure the variations in Earth’s magnetic field. There are two types of magnetometers: a vector magnetometer, which measures the vector components of a magnetic field, and a total field magnetometer, which measures the magnitude. Magnetometers are used for geophysical surveys and ocean exploration. They can be used for airborne, ground-based, or water-based operations.
Earth Science > Solid Earth > Geomagnetism > Magnetic Field
The High Capability Airborne Radar Sounder (HiCARS) is an airborne ice-penetrating radar operated by the University of Texas Institute of Geophysics (UTIG). It is a very high-frequency (VHF) radar that records radar returns phase-coherently to produce profiles of ice sheets to identify the ice surface, internal layers, and bedrock. It has twin flat dipole antennas mounted under each aircraft wing, 19 meters apart horizontally, providing about 10 dB of antenna gain. HiCARS operates in the 52.5 to 67.5 MHz frequency range and has a sampling rate of 50 MHz.
Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography > Terrain Elevation > Bed Elevation
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Radar > Return Power
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Radar
This description will be added in future versions.
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Lidar
Gravimeters are passive sensors that measure the strength of Earth’s gravitational field. These measurements are used for determining density variations in rocks, oil and mineral prospecting, the monitoring of glacier changes, and the study of volcanic activity. Gravimeters can be used for airborne and ground-based operations.
Earth Science > Solid Earth > Gravity/gravitational Field
Earth Science > Solid Earth > Gravity/gravitational Field > Gravitational Field
Earth Science > Solid Earth > Gravity/gravitational Field > Gravity
The Land, Vegetation, and Ice Sensor (LVIS) is an airborne imaging lidar developed and operated by Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). It is used to create topographical maps and examine the vertical structure of vegetation and ice. It has an operating wavelength of 1064 nm and pulse repetition rates up to 500 Hz. LVIS features a swath width of 2 km and a horizontal resolution of 20 m at a flight altitude of 10 km.
The Land, Vegetation, and Ice Sensor (LVIS) is an airborne imaging lidar developed and operated by Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). It is used to create topographical maps and examine the vertical structure of vegetation and ice. It has an operating wavelength of 1064 nm and pulse repetition rates up to 500 Hz. LVIS features a swath width of 2 km and a horizontal resolution of 20 m at a flight altitude of 10 km.
The Multichannel Coherent Radar Depth Sounder (MCoRDS) is an airborne radar developed by the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) at the University of Kansas. It is a multichannel radar sounder that is used to measure ice sheet thickness and map ice subsurface layers to depths exceeding 4km. It operates across the 150 to 450 MHz frequency range and has a sampling frequency of up to 1.6 GHz. MCoRDS has a vertical resolution ranging from about 60 cm to about 20 m, depending on the frequency range and flight altitude.
Magnetometers are passive instruments that measure the variations in Earth’s magnetic field. There are two types of magnetometers: a vector magnetometer, which measures the vector components of a magnetic field, and a total field magnetometer, which measures the magnitude. Magnetometers are used for geophysical surveys and ocean exploration. They can be used for airborne, ground-based, or water-based operations.
Earth Science > Solid Earth > Geomagnetism > Magnetic Field
The Airborne Inertially Referenced Gravimeter (AIRGrav) is an airborne gravimeter developed by Sanders Geophysics Limited. It uses three orthogonal accelerometers mounted on an inertially stabilized platform to measure gravity and gravity anomalies. AIRGrav is primarily used for gravity surveys in gas and oil-producing regions, but it has also been employed in surveys over polar and coastal areas. AIRGrav offers a typical spatial resolution of 2 km and collects data at a rate of 128 Hz.
Earth Science > Solid Earth > Gravity/gravitational Field
Earth Science > Solid Earth > Gravity/gravitational Field > Gravity
The Continuous Airborne Mapping By Optical Translator (CAMBOT) is an airborne digital camera system. CAMBOT is a three-channel digital camera that collects visible imagery to support data analysis from the Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM). It has a spatial resolution of about 9 cm at a nominal flight altitude of 1,500 ft above ground level. It acquires raw images at an acquisition rate of 2 Hz.
The Snow Radar is an airborne ultra-wideband radar system operated by the Center for Remote Sensing and Integrated Systems (CReSIS) at Kansas University. It is a frequency-modulated, continuous wave (FMCW) system that collects radar echograms for measurements of snow thickness over sea ice and snow layering over land ice. The Snow Radar operates across the 2-18 GHz and can measure snow layers up to 100 meters in depth. It has a vertical resolution ranging from 1.5 to 12 centimeters and typically operates at 4 kHz pulse repetition frequency.
Accumulation Radar is a radar system operated by the Center for Remote Sensing and Integrated Systems (CReSIS) group at the University of Kansas. It provides high-resolution profiles of the top 100 meters of the ice column to map variations in snow accumulation rate. For airborne operations, it operates at the 600-900 MHz range and has a 28 cm depth resolution in ice. For ground-based observations, it operates across the 500 MHz to 2GHz frequency range and has a 5.6 cm depth resolution.
A pyrometer is a remote-sensing infrared thermometer that measures the temperature of distant objects. It determines an object's temperature by detecting its thermal radiation. It can be mounted on aircraft, ground vehicles, or water-based platforms for surface and sea surface temperature observations. For atmospheric studies, the pyrometer usually operates in the 9.6 to 11.5 µm spectral range and has a temperature range of -25 to 200 degrees Celsius. Pyrometers typically have a response time between 5 milliseconds and 600 seconds.
Earth Science > Oceans > Ocean Temperature > Sea Surface Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature > Skin Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Infrared Wavelengths > Brightness Temperature
The Digital Mapping System (DMS) is an airborne camera system operated and maintained by the Airborne Sensor Facility (ASF) at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC). It captures high-resolution natural color and panchromatic images of terrain, which can be used to create mosaics and topographic maps. DMS has a cross-track spatial resolution of 10 cm at nadir and a swath width of about 570 meters at an altitude of 1,500 feet. The DMS is ideal for various scientific programs that monitor environmental variations, assess global change, and respond to natural disasters.
The Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM) was an airborne scanning lidar developed at NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF). ATM measured the changes in surface elevation to map topography and was typically used for surveying glaciers and icecaps. ATM typically flew at an altitude of 400 to 800 m and had a horizontal resolution of 10 to 20 cm. It operated at a 532 nm wavelength.
Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography
Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography > Terrain Elevation
The UAF Lidar Scanner is an airborne lidar system operated by the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). Its design was based on the Riegl LMS-1240i scanner. It detects lidar backscatter at 905 nm and is used for mapping glaciers typically across Alaska. The UAF Scanner has a footprint of 20 cm and a grid spacing of about 1 m, both along-track and across-track. It has a scan angle of 30 degrees from nadir and can operate at a maximum of about 500 m above ground level (AGL).
The Warm Ice Sounding Explorer (WISE) is an airborne radar developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and the University of California Irvine (UCI). It is a low-frequency radar (2.5 MHz) used to penetrate temperate ice to measure glacier and ice sheet thickness. It was designed based on the satellite instrument Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding (MARSIS). WISE can operate at an altitude range of 250-1000 meters and has a sampling frequency of 20 MHz. It has a vertical resolution of 30 meters in the air and 17 meters in the ice.
The Multichannel Coherent Radar Depth Sounder (MCoRDS) is an airborne radar developed by the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) at the University of Kansas. It is a multichannel radar sounder that is used to measure ice sheet thickness and map ice subsurface layers to depths exceeding 4km. It operates across the 150 to 450 MHz frequency range and has a sampling frequency of up to 1.6 GHz. MCoRDS has a vertical resolution ranging from about 60 cm to about 20 m, depending on the frequency range and flight altitude.
A pyrometer is a remote-sensing infrared thermometer that measures the temperature of distant objects. It determines an object's temperature by detecting its thermal radiation. It can be mounted on aircraft, ground vehicles, or water-based platforms for surface and sea surface temperature observations. For atmospheric studies, the pyrometer usually operates in the 9.6 to 11.5 µm spectral range and has a temperature range of -25 to 200 degrees Celsius. Pyrometers typically have a response time between 5 milliseconds and 600 seconds.
Earth Science > Oceans > Ocean Temperature > Sea Surface Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature > Skin Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Infrared Wavelengths > Brightness Temperature
The Snow Radar is an airborne ultra-wideband radar system operated by the Center for Remote Sensing and Integrated Systems (CReSIS) at Kansas University. It is a frequency-modulated, continuous wave (FMCW) system that collects radar echograms for measurements of snow thickness over sea ice and snow layering over land ice. The Snow Radar operates across the 2-18 GHz and can measure snow layers up to 100 meters in depth. It has a vertical resolution ranging from 1.5 to 12 centimeters and typically operates at 4 kHz pulse repetition frequency.
The Continuous Airborne Mapping By Optical Translator (CAMBOT) is an airborne digital camera system. CAMBOT is a three-channel digital camera that collects visible imagery to support data analysis from the Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM). It has a spatial resolution of about 9 cm at a nominal flight altitude of 1,500 ft above ground level. It acquires raw images at an acquisition rate of 2 Hz.
Accumulation Radar is a radar system operated by the Center for Remote Sensing and Integrated Systems (CReSIS) group at the University of Kansas. It provides high-resolution profiles of the top 100 meters of the ice column to map variations in snow accumulation rate. For airborne operations, it operates at the 600-900 MHz range and has a 28 cm depth resolution in ice. For ground-based observations, it operates across the 500 MHz to 2GHz frequency range and has a 5.6 cm depth resolution.
The Digital Mapping System (DMS) is an airborne camera system operated and maintained by the Airborne Sensor Facility (ASF) at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC). It captures high-resolution natural color and panchromatic images of terrain, which can be used to create mosaics and topographic maps. DMS has a cross-track spatial resolution of 10 cm at nadir and a swath width of about 570 meters at an altitude of 1,500 feet. The DMS is ideal for various scientific programs that monitor environmental variations, assess global change, and respond to natural disasters.
The Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM) was an airborne scanning lidar developed at NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF). ATM measured the changes in surface elevation to map topography and was typically used for surveying glaciers and icecaps. ATM typically flew at an altitude of 400 to 800 m and had a horizontal resolution of 10 to 20 cm. It operated at a 532 nm wavelength.
Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography
Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography > Terrain Elevation
The UAF High-Frequency (HF) Radar Sounder is an airborne radar sounder operated by the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). It is an ice-penetrating radar sounder that is used for mapping ice thickness. It has an along-track spacing of approximately 10 m and vertical resolution in ice of 40 m. The UAF HF Sounder operates at 2 MHz and can measure ice up to 1,200 m thick.
The UAF Lidar Scanner is an airborne lidar system operated by the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). Its design was based on the Riegl LMS-1240i scanner. It detects lidar backscatter at 905 nm and is used for mapping glaciers typically across Alaska. The UAF Scanner has a footprint of 20 cm and a grid spacing of about 1 m, both along-track and across-track. It has a scan angle of 30 degrees from nadir and can operate at a maximum of about 500 m above ground level (AGL).
The Land, Vegetation, and Ice Sensor (LVIS) is an airborne imaging lidar developed and operated by Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). It is used to create topographical maps and examine the vertical structure of vegetation and ice. It has an operating wavelength of 1064 nm and pulse repetition rates up to 500 Hz. LVIS features a swath width of 2 km and a horizontal resolution of 20 m at a flight altitude of 10 km.
The UAF High-Frequency (HF) Radar Sounder is an airborne radar sounder operated by the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). It is an ice-penetrating radar sounder that is used for mapping ice thickness. It has an along-track spacing of approximately 10 m and vertical resolution in ice of 40 m. The UAF HF Sounder operates at 2 MHz and can measure ice up to 1,200 m thick.
The UAF Lidar Scanner is an airborne lidar system operated by the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). Its design was based on the Riegl LMS-1240i scanner. It detects lidar backscatter at 905 nm and is used for mapping glaciers typically across Alaska. The UAF Scanner has a footprint of 20 cm and a grid spacing of about 1 m, both along-track and across-track. It has a scan angle of 30 degrees from nadir and can operate at a maximum of about 500 m above ground level (AGL).
The Arizona Radio Echo Sounder (ARES) is an airborne ice-penetrating radar developed by the Terrestrial And Planetary Investigations and Reconnaissance (TAPIR) lab at the University of Arizona. It transmits low-frequency signals to penetrate ice to determine the thickness of ice and glaciers. It operates at two frequencies: 2.5 MHz and 5 MHz. ARES has a along-track resolution of approximately 5 meters and a vertical resolution in ice of 17 meters and 35 meters for the 5 MHz and 2.5 MHz frequencies, respectively.
The Multichannel Coherent Radar Depth Sounder (MCoRDS) is an airborne radar developed by the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) at the University of Kansas. It is a multichannel radar sounder that is used to measure ice sheet thickness and map ice subsurface layers to depths exceeding 4km. It operates across the 150 to 450 MHz frequency range and has a sampling frequency of up to 1.6 GHz. MCoRDS has a vertical resolution ranging from about 60 cm to about 20 m, depending on the frequency range and flight altitude.
A pyrometer is a remote-sensing infrared thermometer that measures the temperature of distant objects. It determines an object's temperature by detecting its thermal radiation. It can be mounted on aircraft, ground vehicles, or water-based platforms for surface and sea surface temperature observations. For atmospheric studies, the pyrometer usually operates in the 9.6 to 11.5 µm spectral range and has a temperature range of -25 to 200 degrees Celsius. Pyrometers typically have a response time between 5 milliseconds and 600 seconds.
Earth Science > Oceans > Ocean Temperature > Sea Surface Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature > Skin Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Infrared Wavelengths > Brightness Temperature
The Snow Radar is an airborne ultra-wideband radar system operated by the Center for Remote Sensing and Integrated Systems (CReSIS) at Kansas University. It is a frequency-modulated, continuous wave (FMCW) system that collects radar echograms for measurements of snow thickness over sea ice and snow layering over land ice. The Snow Radar operates across the 2-18 GHz and can measure snow layers up to 100 meters in depth. It has a vertical resolution ranging from 1.5 to 12 centimeters and typically operates at 4 kHz pulse repetition frequency.
The Continuous Airborne Mapping By Optical Translator (CAMBOT) is an airborne digital camera system. CAMBOT is a three-channel digital camera that collects visible imagery to support data analysis from the Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM). It has a spatial resolution of about 9 cm at a nominal flight altitude of 1,500 ft above ground level. It acquires raw images at an acquisition rate of 2 Hz.
The Digital Mapping System (DMS) is an airborne camera system operated and maintained by the Airborne Sensor Facility (ASF) at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC). It captures high-resolution natural color and panchromatic images of terrain, which can be used to create mosaics and topographic maps. DMS has a cross-track spatial resolution of 10 cm at nadir and a swath width of about 570 meters at an altitude of 1,500 feet. The DMS is ideal for various scientific programs that monitor environmental variations, assess global change, and respond to natural disasters.
The Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM) was an airborne scanning lidar developed at NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF). ATM measured the changes in surface elevation to map topography and was typically used for surveying glaciers and icecaps. ATM typically flew at an altitude of 400 to 800 m and had a horizontal resolution of 10 to 20 cm. It operated at a 532 nm wavelength.
Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography
Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography > Terrain Elevation
The Land, Vegetation, and Ice Sensor (LVIS) is an airborne imaging lidar developed and operated by Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). It is used to create topographical maps and examine the vertical structure of vegetation and ice. It has an operating wavelength of 1064 nm and pulse repetition rates up to 500 Hz. LVIS features a swath width of 2 km and a horizontal resolution of 20 m at a flight altitude of 10 km.
The Digital Mapping System (DMS) is an airborne camera system operated and maintained by the Airborne Sensor Facility (ASF) at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC). It captures high-resolution natural color and panchromatic images of terrain, which can be used to create mosaics and topographic maps. DMS has a cross-track spatial resolution of 10 cm at nadir and a swath width of about 570 meters at an altitude of 1,500 feet. The DMS is ideal for various scientific programs that monitor environmental variations, assess global change, and respond to natural disasters.
A pyrometer is a remote-sensing infrared thermometer that measures the temperature of distant objects. It determines an object's temperature by detecting its thermal radiation. It can be mounted on aircraft, ground vehicles, or water-based platforms for surface and sea surface temperature observations. For atmospheric studies, the pyrometer usually operates in the 9.6 to 11.5 µm spectral range and has a temperature range of -25 to 200 degrees Celsius. Pyrometers typically have a response time between 5 milliseconds and 600 seconds.
Earth Science > Oceans > Ocean Temperature > Sea Surface Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature > Skin Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Infrared Wavelengths > Brightness Temperature
The Digital Mapping System (DMS) is an airborne camera system operated and maintained by the Airborne Sensor Facility (ASF) at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC). It captures high-resolution natural color and panchromatic images of terrain, which can be used to create mosaics and topographic maps. DMS has a cross-track spatial resolution of 10 cm at nadir and a swath width of about 570 meters at an altitude of 1,500 feet. The DMS is ideal for various scientific programs that monitor environmental variations, assess global change, and respond to natural disasters.
The Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM) was an airborne scanning lidar developed at NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF). ATM measured the changes in surface elevation to map topography and was typically used for surveying glaciers and icecaps. ATM typically flew at an altitude of 400 to 800 m and had a horizontal resolution of 10 to 20 cm. It operated at a 532 nm wavelength.
Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography
Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography > Terrain Elevation
The Multichannel Coherent Radar Depth Sounder (MCoRDS) is an airborne radar developed by the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) at the University of Kansas. It is a multichannel radar sounder that is used to measure ice sheet thickness and map ice subsurface layers to depths exceeding 4km. It operates across the 150 to 450 MHz frequency range and has a sampling frequency of up to 1.6 GHz. MCoRDS has a vertical resolution ranging from about 60 cm to about 20 m, depending on the frequency range and flight altitude.
A pyrometer is a remote-sensing infrared thermometer that measures the temperature of distant objects. It determines an object's temperature by detecting its thermal radiation. It can be mounted on aircraft, ground vehicles, or water-based platforms for surface and sea surface temperature observations. For atmospheric studies, the pyrometer usually operates in the 9.6 to 11.5 µm spectral range and has a temperature range of -25 to 200 degrees Celsius. Pyrometers typically have a response time between 5 milliseconds and 600 seconds.
Earth Science > Oceans > Ocean Temperature > Sea Surface Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature > Skin Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Infrared Wavelengths > Brightness Temperature
The Snow Radar is an airborne ultra-wideband radar system operated by the Center for Remote Sensing and Integrated Systems (CReSIS) at Kansas University. It is a frequency-modulated, continuous wave (FMCW) system that collects radar echograms for measurements of snow thickness over sea ice and snow layering over land ice. The Snow Radar operates across the 2-18 GHz and can measure snow layers up to 100 meters in depth. It has a vertical resolution ranging from 1.5 to 12 centimeters and typically operates at 4 kHz pulse repetition frequency.
The Digital Mapping System (DMS) is an airborne camera system operated and maintained by the Airborne Sensor Facility (ASF) at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC). It captures high-resolution natural color and panchromatic images of terrain, which can be used to create mosaics and topographic maps. DMS has a cross-track spatial resolution of 10 cm at nadir and a swath width of about 570 meters at an altitude of 1,500 feet. The DMS is ideal for various scientific programs that monitor environmental variations, assess global change, and respond to natural disasters.
The Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM) was an airborne scanning lidar developed at NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF). ATM measured the changes in surface elevation to map topography and was typically used for surveying glaciers and icecaps. ATM typically flew at an altitude of 400 to 800 m and had a horizontal resolution of 10 to 20 cm. It operated at a 532 nm wavelength.
Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography
Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography > Terrain Elevation
The Airborne Inertially Referenced Gravimeter (AIRGrav) is an airborne gravimeter developed by Sanders Geophysics Limited. It uses three orthogonal accelerometers mounted on an inertially stabilized platform to measure gravity and gravity anomalies. AIRGrav is primarily used for gravity surveys in gas and oil-producing regions, but it has also been employed in surveys over polar and coastal areas. AIRGrav offers a typical spatial resolution of 2 km and collects data at a rate of 128 Hz.
A pyrometer is a remote-sensing infrared thermometer that measures the temperature of distant objects. It determines an object's temperature by detecting its thermal radiation. It can be mounted on aircraft, ground vehicles, or water-based platforms for surface and sea surface temperature observations. For atmospheric studies, the pyrometer usually operates in the 9.6 to 11.5 µm spectral range and has a temperature range of -25 to 200 degrees Celsius. Pyrometers typically have a response time between 5 milliseconds and 600 seconds.
Earth Science > Oceans > Ocean Temperature > Sea Surface Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature > Skin Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Infrared Wavelengths > Brightness Temperature
The Continuous Airborne Mapping By Optical Translator (CAMBOT) is an airborne digital camera system. CAMBOT is a three-channel digital camera that collects visible imagery to support data analysis from the Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM). It has a spatial resolution of about 9 cm at a nominal flight altitude of 1,500 ft above ground level. It acquires raw images at an acquisition rate of 2 Hz.
The Digital Mapping System (DMS) is an airborne camera system operated and maintained by the Airborne Sensor Facility (ASF) at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC). It captures high-resolution natural color and panchromatic images of terrain, which can be used to create mosaics and topographic maps. DMS has a cross-track spatial resolution of 10 cm at nadir and a swath width of about 570 meters at an altitude of 1,500 feet. The DMS is ideal for various scientific programs that monitor environmental variations, assess global change, and respond to natural disasters.
The Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM) was an airborne scanning lidar developed at NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF). ATM measured the changes in surface elevation to map topography and was typically used for surveying glaciers and icecaps. ATM typically flew at an altitude of 400 to 800 m and had a horizontal resolution of 10 to 20 cm. It operated at a 532 nm wavelength.
Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography
Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography > Terrain Elevation
The Multichannel Coherent Radar Depth Sounder (MCoRDS) is an airborne radar developed by the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) at the University of Kansas. It is a multichannel radar sounder that is used to measure ice sheet thickness and map ice subsurface layers to depths exceeding 4km. It operates across the 150 to 450 MHz frequency range and has a sampling frequency of up to 1.6 GHz. MCoRDS has a vertical resolution ranging from about 60 cm to about 20 m, depending on the frequency range and flight altitude.
A pyrometer is a remote-sensing infrared thermometer that measures the temperature of distant objects. It determines an object's temperature by detecting its thermal radiation. It can be mounted on aircraft, ground vehicles, or water-based platforms for surface and sea surface temperature observations. For atmospheric studies, the pyrometer usually operates in the 9.6 to 11.5 µm spectral range and has a temperature range of -25 to 200 degrees Celsius. Pyrometers typically have a response time between 5 milliseconds and 600 seconds.
Earth Science > Oceans > Ocean Temperature > Sea Surface Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature > Skin Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Infrared Wavelengths > Brightness Temperature
The Snow Radar is an airborne ultra-wideband radar system operated by the Center for Remote Sensing and Integrated Systems (CReSIS) at Kansas University. It is a frequency-modulated, continuous wave (FMCW) system that collects radar echograms for measurements of snow thickness over sea ice and snow layering over land ice. The Snow Radar operates across the 2-18 GHz and can measure snow layers up to 100 meters in depth. It has a vertical resolution ranging from 1.5 to 12 centimeters and typically operates at 4 kHz pulse repetition frequency.
The Continuous Airborne Mapping By Optical Translator (CAMBOT) is an airborne digital camera system. CAMBOT is a three-channel digital camera that collects visible imagery to support data analysis from the Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM). It has a spatial resolution of about 9 cm at a nominal flight altitude of 1,500 ft above ground level. It acquires raw images at an acquisition rate of 2 Hz.
Accumulation Radar is a radar system operated by the Center for Remote Sensing and Integrated Systems (CReSIS) group at the University of Kansas. It provides high-resolution profiles of the top 100 meters of the ice column to map variations in snow accumulation rate. For airborne operations, it operates at the 600-900 MHz range and has a 28 cm depth resolution in ice. For ground-based observations, it operates across the 500 MHz to 2GHz frequency range and has a 5.6 cm depth resolution.
The Digital Mapping System (DMS) is an airborne camera system operated and maintained by the Airborne Sensor Facility (ASF) at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC). It captures high-resolution natural color and panchromatic images of terrain, which can be used to create mosaics and topographic maps. DMS has a cross-track spatial resolution of 10 cm at nadir and a swath width of about 570 meters at an altitude of 1,500 feet. The DMS is ideal for various scientific programs that monitor environmental variations, assess global change, and respond to natural disasters.
Gravimeters are passive sensors that measure the strength of Earth’s gravitational field. These measurements are used for determining density variations in rocks, oil and mineral prospecting, the monitoring of glacier changes, and the study of volcanic activity. Gravimeters can be used for airborne and ground-based operations.
Earth Science > Solid Earth > Gravity/gravitational Field
Earth Science > Solid Earth > Gravity/gravitational Field > Gravitational Field
Earth Science > Solid Earth > Gravity/gravitational Field > Gravity
The Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM) was an airborne scanning lidar developed at NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF). ATM measured the changes in surface elevation to map topography and was typically used for surveying glaciers and icecaps. ATM typically flew at an altitude of 400 to 800 m and had a horizontal resolution of 10 to 20 cm. It operated at a 532 nm wavelength.
Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography
Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography > Terrain Elevation
The Multichannel Coherent Radar Depth Sounder (MCoRDS) is an airborne radar developed by the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) at the University of Kansas. It is a multichannel radar sounder that is used to measure ice sheet thickness and map ice subsurface layers to depths exceeding 4km. It operates across the 150 to 450 MHz frequency range and has a sampling frequency of up to 1.6 GHz. MCoRDS has a vertical resolution ranging from about 60 cm to about 20 m, depending on the frequency range and flight altitude.
The Snow Radar is an airborne ultra-wideband radar system operated by the Center for Remote Sensing and Integrated Systems (CReSIS) at Kansas University. It is a frequency-modulated, continuous wave (FMCW) system that collects radar echograms for measurements of snow thickness over sea ice and snow layering over land ice. The Snow Radar operates across the 2-18 GHz and can measure snow layers up to 100 meters in depth. It has a vertical resolution ranging from 1.5 to 12 centimeters and typically operates at 4 kHz pulse repetition frequency.
The UAF Lidar Scanner is an airborne lidar system operated by the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). Its design was based on the Riegl LMS-1240i scanner. It detects lidar backscatter at 905 nm and is used for mapping glaciers typically across Alaska. The UAF Scanner has a footprint of 20 cm and a grid spacing of about 1 m, both along-track and across-track. It has a scan angle of 30 degrees from nadir and can operate at a maximum of about 500 m above ground level (AGL).
The Arizona Radio Echo Sounder (ARES) is an airborne ice-penetrating radar developed by the Terrestrial And Planetary Investigations and Reconnaissance (TAPIR) lab at the University of Arizona. It transmits low-frequency signals to penetrate ice to determine the thickness of ice and glaciers. It operates at two frequencies: 2.5 MHz and 5 MHz. ARES has a along-track resolution of approximately 5 meters and a vertical resolution in ice of 17 meters and 35 meters for the 5 MHz and 2.5 MHz frequencies, respectively.
The Nano-Hyperspec is an imaging spectrometer developed by Headwall Photonics. It is designed for operation on uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), but has also been utilized on research aircraft. It captures hyperspectral images in the visible and near-infrared (VNIR) range from 400 to 1000 nm across 270 spectral bands. It has an across-track spatial resolution of 41 centimeters at a flight altitude of 460 meters above ground level (AGL), and a maximum frame rate of 300 Hz. The Nano-Hyperspec was used during Operation IceBridge to map the spectral properties of snow and ice surfaces.
The Multichannel Coherent Radar Depth Sounder (MCoRDS) is an airborne radar developed by the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) at the University of Kansas. It is a multichannel radar sounder that is used to measure ice sheet thickness and map ice subsurface layers to depths exceeding 4km. It operates across the 150 to 450 MHz frequency range and has a sampling frequency of up to 1.6 GHz. MCoRDS has a vertical resolution ranging from about 60 cm to about 20 m, depending on the frequency range and flight altitude.
A pyrometer is a remote-sensing infrared thermometer that measures the temperature of distant objects. It determines an object's temperature by detecting its thermal radiation. It can be mounted on aircraft, ground vehicles, or water-based platforms for surface and sea surface temperature observations. For atmospheric studies, the pyrometer usually operates in the 9.6 to 11.5 µm spectral range and has a temperature range of -25 to 200 degrees Celsius. Pyrometers typically have a response time between 5 milliseconds and 600 seconds.
Earth Science > Oceans > Ocean Temperature > Sea Surface Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature > Skin Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Infrared Wavelengths > Brightness Temperature
The Snow Radar is an airborne ultra-wideband radar system operated by the Center for Remote Sensing and Integrated Systems (CReSIS) at Kansas University. It is a frequency-modulated, continuous wave (FMCW) system that collects radar echograms for measurements of snow thickness over sea ice and snow layering over land ice. The Snow Radar operates across the 2-18 GHz and can measure snow layers up to 100 meters in depth. It has a vertical resolution ranging from 1.5 to 12 centimeters and typically operates at 4 kHz pulse repetition frequency.
The Continuous Airborne Mapping By Optical Translator (CAMBOT) is an airborne digital camera system. CAMBOT is a three-channel digital camera that collects visible imagery to support data analysis from the Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM). It has a spatial resolution of about 9 cm at a nominal flight altitude of 1,500 ft above ground level. It acquires raw images at an acquisition rate of 2 Hz.
Accumulation Radar is a radar system operated by the Center for Remote Sensing and Integrated Systems (CReSIS) group at the University of Kansas. It provides high-resolution profiles of the top 100 meters of the ice column to map variations in snow accumulation rate. For airborne operations, it operates at the 600-900 MHz range and has a 28 cm depth resolution in ice. For ground-based observations, it operates across the 500 MHz to 2GHz frequency range and has a 5.6 cm depth resolution.
The Digital Mapping System (DMS) is an airborne camera system operated and maintained by the Airborne Sensor Facility (ASF) at NASA Ames Research Center (ARC). It captures high-resolution natural color and panchromatic images of terrain, which can be used to create mosaics and topographic maps. DMS has a cross-track spatial resolution of 10 cm at nadir and a swath width of about 570 meters at an altitude of 1,500 feet. The DMS is ideal for various scientific programs that monitor environmental variations, assess global change, and respond to natural disasters.
The Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM) was an airborne scanning lidar developed at NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF). ATM measured the changes in surface elevation to map topography and was typically used for surveying glaciers and icecaps. ATM typically flew at an altitude of 400 to 800 m and had a horizontal resolution of 10 to 20 cm. It operated at a 532 nm wavelength.
Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography
Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography > Terrain Elevation
The Nano-Hyperspec is an imaging spectrometer developed by Headwall Photonics. It is designed for operation on uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), but has also been utilized on research aircraft. It captures hyperspectral images in the visible and near-infrared (VNIR) range from 400 to 1000 nm across 270 spectral bands. It has an across-track spatial resolution of 41 centimeters at a flight altitude of 460 meters above ground level (AGL), and a maximum frame rate of 300 Hz. The Nano-Hyperspec was used during Operation IceBridge to map the spectral properties of snow and ice surfaces.
The Multichannel Coherent Radar Depth Sounder (MCoRDS) is an airborne radar developed by the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) at the University of Kansas. It is a multichannel radar sounder that is used to measure ice sheet thickness and map ice subsurface layers to depths exceeding 4km. It operates across the 150 to 450 MHz frequency range and has a sampling frequency of up to 1.6 GHz. MCoRDS has a vertical resolution ranging from about 60 cm to about 20 m, depending on the frequency range and flight altitude.
A pyrometer is a remote-sensing infrared thermometer that measures the temperature of distant objects. It determines an object's temperature by detecting its thermal radiation. It can be mounted on aircraft, ground vehicles, or water-based platforms for surface and sea surface temperature observations. For atmospheric studies, the pyrometer usually operates in the 9.6 to 11.5 µm spectral range and has a temperature range of -25 to 200 degrees Celsius. Pyrometers typically have a response time between 5 milliseconds and 600 seconds.
Earth Science > Oceans > Ocean Temperature > Sea Surface Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature > Skin Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Infrared Wavelengths > Brightness Temperature
The Snow Radar is an airborne ultra-wideband radar system operated by the Center for Remote Sensing and Integrated Systems (CReSIS) at Kansas University. It is a frequency-modulated, continuous wave (FMCW) system that collects radar echograms for measurements of snow thickness over sea ice and snow layering over land ice. The Snow Radar operates across the 2-18 GHz and can measure snow layers up to 100 meters in depth. It has a vertical resolution ranging from 1.5 to 12 centimeters and typically operates at 4 kHz pulse repetition frequency.
The Airborne Inertially Referenced Gravimeter (AIRGrav) is an airborne gravimeter developed by Sanders Geophysics Limited. It uses three orthogonal accelerometers mounted on an inertially stabilized platform to measure gravity and gravity anomalies. AIRGrav is primarily used for gravity surveys in gas and oil-producing regions, but it has also been employed in surveys over polar and coastal areas. AIRGrav offers a typical spatial resolution of 2 km and collects data at a rate of 128 Hz.
Earth Science > Solid Earth > Gravity/gravitational Field
Earth Science > Solid Earth > Gravity/gravitational Field > Gravity
The Continuous Airborne Mapping By Optical Translator (CAMBOT) is an airborne digital camera system. CAMBOT is a three-channel digital camera that collects visible imagery to support data analysis from the Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM). It has a spatial resolution of about 9 cm at a nominal flight altitude of 1,500 ft above ground level. It acquires raw images at an acquisition rate of 2 Hz.
The Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM) was an airborne scanning lidar developed at NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF). ATM measured the changes in surface elevation to map topography and was typically used for surveying glaciers and icecaps. ATM typically flew at an altitude of 400 to 800 m and had a horizontal resolution of 10 to 20 cm. It operated at a 532 nm wavelength.
Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography
Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography > Terrain Elevation
The Multichannel Coherent Radar Depth Sounder (MCoRDS) is an airborne radar developed by the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) at the University of Kansas. It is a multichannel radar sounder that is used to measure ice sheet thickness and map ice subsurface layers to depths exceeding 4km. It operates across the 150 to 450 MHz frequency range and has a sampling frequency of up to 1.6 GHz. MCoRDS has a vertical resolution ranging from about 60 cm to about 20 m, depending on the frequency range and flight altitude.
A pyrometer is a remote-sensing infrared thermometer that measures the temperature of distant objects. It determines an object's temperature by detecting its thermal radiation. It can be mounted on aircraft, ground vehicles, or water-based platforms for surface and sea surface temperature observations. For atmospheric studies, the pyrometer usually operates in the 9.6 to 11.5 µm spectral range and has a temperature range of -25 to 200 degrees Celsius. Pyrometers typically have a response time between 5 milliseconds and 600 seconds.
Earth Science > Oceans > Ocean Temperature > Sea Surface Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature > Skin Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Infrared Wavelengths > Brightness Temperature
The Snow Radar is an airborne ultra-wideband radar system operated by the Center for Remote Sensing and Integrated Systems (CReSIS) at Kansas University. It is a frequency-modulated, continuous wave (FMCW) system that collects radar echograms for measurements of snow thickness over sea ice and snow layering over land ice. The Snow Radar operates across the 2-18 GHz and can measure snow layers up to 100 meters in depth. It has a vertical resolution ranging from 1.5 to 12 centimeters and typically operates at 4 kHz pulse repetition frequency.
The Continuous Airborne Mapping By Optical Translator (CAMBOT) is an airborne digital camera system. CAMBOT is a three-channel digital camera that collects visible imagery to support data analysis from the Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM). It has a spatial resolution of about 9 cm at a nominal flight altitude of 1,500 ft above ground level. It acquires raw images at an acquisition rate of 2 Hz.
The Hyperspec Co-Aligned VNIR-SWIR Sensor (Co-Aligned VNIR-SWIR) is a passive pushbroom spectrometer manufactured by Headwall Photonics. It can be used for airborne and ground-based imaging but is typically flown on uncrewed aerial systems (UAS). It provides spectral imagery across the visible and near-infrared (VNIR, 400-1000 nm) and short-wave infrared (SWIR, 900-2500 nm) spectrums. Co-Aligned VNIR-SWIR has an across-track spatial resolution of 0.41 meters and a nominal swath width of 264 meters for an altitude of 460 meters above ground level.
The Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM) was an airborne scanning lidar developed at NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF). ATM measured the changes in surface elevation to map topography and was typically used for surveying glaciers and icecaps. ATM typically flew at an altitude of 400 to 800 m and had a horizontal resolution of 10 to 20 cm. It operated at a 532 nm wavelength.
Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography
Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography > Terrain Elevation
The UAF Lidar Scanner is an airborne lidar system operated by the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). Its design was based on the Riegl LMS-1240i scanner. It detects lidar backscatter at 905 nm and is used for mapping glaciers typically across Alaska. The UAF Scanner has a footprint of 20 cm and a grid spacing of about 1 m, both along-track and across-track. It has a scan angle of 30 degrees from nadir and can operate at a maximum of about 500 m above ground level (AGL).
The Arizona Radio Echo Sounder (ARES) is an airborne ice-penetrating radar developed by the Terrestrial And Planetary Investigations and Reconnaissance (TAPIR) lab at the University of Arizona. It transmits low-frequency signals to penetrate ice to determine the thickness of ice and glaciers. It operates at two frequencies: 2.5 MHz and 5 MHz. ARES has a along-track resolution of approximately 5 meters and a vertical resolution in ice of 17 meters and 35 meters for the 5 MHz and 2.5 MHz frequencies, respectively.
A pyrometer is a remote-sensing infrared thermometer that measures the temperature of distant objects. It determines an object's temperature by detecting its thermal radiation. It can be mounted on aircraft, ground vehicles, or water-based platforms for surface and sea surface temperature observations. For atmospheric studies, the pyrometer usually operates in the 9.6 to 11.5 µm spectral range and has a temperature range of -25 to 200 degrees Celsius. Pyrometers typically have a response time between 5 milliseconds and 600 seconds.
Earth Science > Oceans > Ocean Temperature > Sea Surface Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature > Skin Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Infrared Wavelengths > Brightness Temperature
The Snow Radar is an airborne ultra-wideband radar system operated by the Center for Remote Sensing and Integrated Systems (CReSIS) at Kansas University. It is a frequency-modulated, continuous wave (FMCW) system that collects radar echograms for measurements of snow thickness over sea ice and snow layering over land ice. The Snow Radar operates across the 2-18 GHz and can measure snow layers up to 100 meters in depth. It has a vertical resolution ranging from 1.5 to 12 centimeters and typically operates at 4 kHz pulse repetition frequency.
The Continuous Airborne Mapping By Optical Translator (CAMBOT) is an airborne digital camera system. CAMBOT is a three-channel digital camera that collects visible imagery to support data analysis from the Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM). It has a spatial resolution of about 9 cm at a nominal flight altitude of 1,500 ft above ground level. It acquires raw images at an acquisition rate of 2 Hz.
The Hyperspec Co-Aligned VNIR-SWIR Sensor (Co-Aligned VNIR-SWIR) is a passive pushbroom spectrometer manufactured by Headwall Photonics. It can be used for airborne and ground-based imaging but is typically flown on uncrewed aerial systems (UAS). It provides spectral imagery across the visible and near-infrared (VNIR, 400-1000 nm) and short-wave infrared (SWIR, 900-2500 nm) spectrums. Co-Aligned VNIR-SWIR has an across-track spatial resolution of 0.41 meters and a nominal swath width of 264 meters for an altitude of 460 meters above ground level.
The Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM) was an airborne scanning lidar developed at NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF). ATM measured the changes in surface elevation to map topography and was typically used for surveying glaciers and icecaps. ATM typically flew at an altitude of 400 to 800 m and had a horizontal resolution of 10 to 20 cm. It operated at a 532 nm wavelength.
Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography
Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography > Terrain Elevation
The Multichannel Coherent Radar Depth Sounder (MCoRDS) is an airborne radar developed by the Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS) at the University of Kansas. It is a multichannel radar sounder that is used to measure ice sheet thickness and map ice subsurface layers to depths exceeding 4km. It operates across the 150 to 450 MHz frequency range and has a sampling frequency of up to 1.6 GHz. MCoRDS has a vertical resolution ranging from about 60 cm to about 20 m, depending on the frequency range and flight altitude.
A pyrometer is a remote-sensing infrared thermometer that measures the temperature of distant objects. It determines an object's temperature by detecting its thermal radiation. It can be mounted on aircraft, ground vehicles, or water-based platforms for surface and sea surface temperature observations. For atmospheric studies, the pyrometer usually operates in the 9.6 to 11.5 µm spectral range and has a temperature range of -25 to 200 degrees Celsius. Pyrometers typically have a response time between 5 milliseconds and 600 seconds.
Earth Science > Oceans > Ocean Temperature > Sea Surface Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature > Skin Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Infrared Wavelengths > Brightness Temperature
The Snow Radar is an airborne ultra-wideband radar system operated by the Center for Remote Sensing and Integrated Systems (CReSIS) at Kansas University. It is a frequency-modulated, continuous wave (FMCW) system that collects radar echograms for measurements of snow thickness over sea ice and snow layering over land ice. The Snow Radar operates across the 2-18 GHz and can measure snow layers up to 100 meters in depth. It has a vertical resolution ranging from 1.5 to 12 centimeters and typically operates at 4 kHz pulse repetition frequency.
The Continuous Airborne Mapping By Optical Translator (CAMBOT) is an airborne digital camera system. CAMBOT is a three-channel digital camera that collects visible imagery to support data analysis from the Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM). It has a spatial resolution of about 9 cm at a nominal flight altitude of 1,500 ft above ground level. It acquires raw images at an acquisition rate of 2 Hz.
The Hyperspec Co-Aligned VNIR-SWIR Sensor (Co-Aligned VNIR-SWIR) is a passive pushbroom spectrometer manufactured by Headwall Photonics. It can be used for airborne and ground-based imaging but is typically flown on uncrewed aerial systems (UAS). It provides spectral imagery across the visible and near-infrared (VNIR, 400-1000 nm) and short-wave infrared (SWIR, 900-2500 nm) spectrums. Co-Aligned VNIR-SWIR has an across-track spatial resolution of 0.41 meters and a nominal swath width of 264 meters for an altitude of 460 meters above ground level.
Gravimeters are passive sensors that measure the strength of Earth’s gravitational field. These measurements are used for determining density variations in rocks, oil and mineral prospecting, the monitoring of glacier changes, and the study of volcanic activity. Gravimeters can be used for airborne and ground-based operations.
Earth Science > Solid Earth > Gravity/gravitational Field
Earth Science > Solid Earth > Gravity/gravitational Field > Gravitational Field
Earth Science > Solid Earth > Gravity/gravitational Field > Gravity
The Airborne Topographic Mapper (ATM) was an airborne scanning lidar developed at NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF). ATM measured the changes in surface elevation to map topography and was typically used for surveying glaciers and icecaps. ATM typically flew at an altitude of 400 to 800 m and had a horizontal resolution of 10 to 20 cm. It operated at a 532 nm wavelength.
Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography
Earth Science > Land Surface > Topography > Terrain Elevation
