GLOBAL Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) - Level 2 User Guide - Version 2.0 - April 2021

Oct 13, 2026

GLOBAL Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) Level 2 User Guide describes how GEDI Level 2A elevation/height metrics and Level 2B canopy cover/vertical profile metrics are structured, processed, and distributed. The guide explains dataset overview, background, product notes, dataset characteristics, file naming and format conventions, and the main algorithm workflows for geolocation, waveform processing, and metric computation. It also provides required metadata guidance, FAQ coverage, quality and important notes, version changes, known issues, dataset access, contact information, and citations.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryTechnology

FormatPDF

Pages25

Reading Time1 h 3 min

AccessFree to download

Dataset Overview

Background

Important Product Notes for Version 2 L2

Dataset Characteristics

GEDI Level 2A Elevation and Height Metrics Global Footprint Level P003

GEDI Level 2B Canopy Cover and Vertical Profile Metrics Global Footprint Level P003

Unique Shot Identifier

File Naming Conventions

File Format

Algorithm Description

General Geolocation Algorithm Overview

Waveform Processing Algorithm Overview

Elevation and Height Metric Algorithm Overview

Cover and Vertical Profile Metric Algorithm Overview

Metadata

Frequently Asked Questions

Quality and Important Notes

Changes from Previous Version

GEDI Level 2A Changes

GEDI Level 2B Changes

Known Issues

Dataset Access

Contact Information

Citations

Publications, References and Resources

Websites and Data Portals

Additional Resources

GLOBAL Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) Level 2 User Guide For SDPS PGEVersion 3 (P003) of GEDI L2A Data and SDPS PGEVersion 3 (P003) of GEDI L2B Data Version 2 .0 April 2021 Science Team Principal Investigator: Ralph Dubayah 1 Deputy Principal Investigator and Instrument Scientist: J. Bryan Blair2 User Guide written by Jared Beck3 in collaboration with Bradford Wirt3 , John Armston 1 , Michelle Hofton 1 , Scott Luthcke2 and Hao Tang 1. 1 Department of Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland College Park, MD 20742. 2 Code 61A, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771. 3 KBR, Inc. , contractor to the U.S. Geological Survey, Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA. Work performed under USGS contract G15PC00012 for LP DAAC4. 4 LP DAAC work performed under NASA contract NNG14HH33I. Document History | Document Version | Publication Date | Description | | --- | --- | --- | | 1.0 | January 2020 | Original for L2A P001 L2B P001 | | 2.0 | April 2021 | Update for GEDI V2 Release | | | | | Tables of Contents 1 Dataset Overview ..................................................................................................................... 5 1.1 Background ...................................................................................................................................... 5 1.2 Important Product Notes for Version 2 L2 ...................................................................................... 6 2 Dataset Characteristics ....................................................................................................6 2.1 GEDI Level 2A Elevation and Height Metrics Data Global Footprint Level P003 .............................7 2.2 GEDI Level 2B Canopy Cover and Vertical Profile Metrics Data Global Footprint Level P003 .........8 2.3 Unique Shot Identifier...................................................................................................................... 8 2.4 File Naming Conventions ................................................................................................................. 9 2.5 File Format ..................................................................................................................................... 10 3 Algorithm Description ............................................................................................................ 10 3.1 General Geolocation Algorithm Overview ..................................................................................... 10 3.2 Waveform Processing Algorithm Overview ................................................................................... 10 3.3 Elevation and Height Metric Algorithm Overview ......................................................................... 11 3.4 Cover and Vertical Profile Metric Algorithm Overview.................................................................. 11 4 Metadata .......................................................................................................................12 5 Frequently Asked Questions ..........................................................................................12 6 Quality and Important Notes ................................................................................................ 14 7 Changes from Previous Version .....................................................................................17 7.1 GEDI Level 2A Changes................................................................................................................... 17 7.2 GEDI Level 2B Changes................................................................................................................... 20 8 Known Issues........................................................................................................................... 22 9 Dataset Access .......................

FAQs

What is the overall goal of the GEDI Level 2 mission and data products?

The guide states the mission goal is to characterize how changing climate and land use affect ecosystem structure and dynamics using high-resolution laser ranging observations of Earth’s three-dimensional structure.

What data types are covered by GEDI Level 2A and Level 2B?

GEDI Level 2A provides elevation and height metrics on the global footprint, while GEDI Level 2B provides canopy cover and vertical profile metrics on the global footprint.

Where are file naming and file format details documented?

The table of contents lists “File Naming Conventions” and “File Format” under “Dataset Characteristics,” indicating the guide covers how Level 2 files are named and what formats are used.

Oct 13, 2026

Upload by Taylor Morgan