National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Goddard Space Flight Center

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Science: GLAS 5-Year Goal

Science: GLAS 5-Year Goal

CRYOSPHERE PURPOSE:

• to determine the mass balance of the polar ice sheets and their contributions to global sea level change.
• to obtain essential data for prediction of future changes in ice volume and sea-level.

ATMOSPHERE & LAND PURPOSES:

• to measure cloud heights and the vertical structure of clouds and aerosols in the atmosphere.
• to map the topography of land surfaces.
• to measure roughness, reflectivity, vegetation heights, snow-cover,and sea-ice surface characteristics.