Primary Convener:
Helen Amanda Fricker, University of California San Diego

Convener:
Andrea Donnellan, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Craig Glennie, University of Houston
John Armston, University of Maryland

Chair:
Andrea Donnellan, Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Craig Glennie, University of Houston

Earth’s surface topography and vegetation structure and changes provide information about climate change, natural hazards, ecosystem structure, and water availability. Precise measurement of both and their changes has wide ranging applications including for geologic hazards, ecosystems, cryosphere, hydrology, and coastal geomorphology. Lidar, radar, and stereoimaging are all methods for determining surface topography and vegetation structure. Each method contributes unique and complementary measurements. Satellite laser altimetry offers global coverage, enabling monitoring of key vital signs of Earth. Lidar measurements provide canopy height and ground returns. Stereoimaging provides digital surface models over broad areas. Radar provides broad area coverage while penetrating clouds and can indirectly measure vegetation 3-dimensional structure. This interdisciplinary session brings together key geodetic findings: significant losses from ice sheets, glaciers, and sea ice; and the global distribution of terrestrial carbon stocks and fluxes, 3D vegetation structure, biodiversity and habitat, surface topography, global water reservoirs, sea level change, and bathymetry.

Index Terms
0439 Ecosystems, structure and dynamics
0726 Ice sheets
0750 Sea ice
8175 Tectonics and landscape evolution

Suggested Itineraries:
Disasters‚ Calamities and Extreme Events

Cross-Listed:
NH - Natural Hazards
C - Cryosphere
B - Biogeosciences
H - Hydrology

Neighborhoods:
2. Earth Interior