The Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS) laser altimeter aboard the Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite (ICESat-2) can measure elevation of Earth’s surface with unprecedented spatial detail. However, quality derived signal ground photons depends on signal-to-noise ratio canopy coverage. Current algorithms underperform for data collected during daytime over mountain areas den...

We present glacier thickness changes over the entire Pamir–Karakoram–Himalaya arc based on ICESat satellite altimetry data for 2003–2008. We highlight the importance of C-band penetration for studies based on the SRTM elevation model. This penetration seems to be of potentially larger magnitude and variability than previously assumed. The most negative rate of region-wide glacier elevation chan...

We utilize satellite laser altimetry data from ICESat combined with passive microwave measurements to analyze basin-wide changes in Antarctic sea ice thickness and volume over a 5 year period from 2003-2008. Sea ice thickness exhibits a small negative trend while area increases in the summer and fall balanced losses in thickness leading to small overall volume changes. Using a five year time-se...

The referee is correct about the bias introduced by seasonality, and a simple average of GLAS LAI over different months supports this hypothesis: 3.02 for May, 3.14 for June, 2.93 for October and 2.22 for November. However, we did not exclude the leaf flushing/senescence periods because we tried to maximize the usage of GLAS shots. The GLAS/ICESat mission was not operated year round but deploye...

Abstract Monitoring lake water levels is important to fully understand the characteristics and mechanism of dynamic change, impact climate change human activities on lakes, etc. This paper first individually evaluated performance newly released Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) successor Ice, Cloud, Land Elevation Satellite mission (ICESat-2) for inland level retrieval over four ty...

Abstract. The Antarctic marginal ice zone (MIZ) is a highly dynamic region where sea interacts with ocean surface waves generated in ice-free areas of the Southern Ocean. Improved large-scale (satellite-based) estimates MIZ extent and variability are crucial for understanding atmosphere–ice–ocean interactions biological processes detection change therein. Legacy methods defining typically based...

Accurate and detailed information on lake/reservoir water levels temporal changes around the globe is urgently required for resource management related studies. The traditional satellite radar altimeters normally monitor level of large lakes reservoirs (i.e., greater than 1 km2) world. Fortunately, recent Ice, Cloud, land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) makes it possible to some small less km2...

Accurate bathymetric maps are essential to understand marine and coastal ecosystems. With the development of satellite sensor technology, satellite-derived bathymetry (SDB) has been widely used measure depth nearshore waters. Employment physics-based methods requires a series optical parameters water column seafloor, which limits application these shallow-water bathymetry. Due convenience, low ...