ORNL DAAC Data Release - GEDI L4C Gridded Waveform Structural Complexity Index, Version 2

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GEDI L4C Gridded Waveform Structural Complexity Index, Version 2

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory Distributed Active Archive Center (ORNL DAAC) released a new Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) Level 4C Waveform Structural Complexity Index (WSCI) data product in December.

This dataset consists of gridded average estimates of Waveform Structural Complexity Index (WSCI) at 1-km resolution on a nearly global scale derived from the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) Level 4C (L4C) footprint-level WSCI data covering the observations starting on 2019-04-18 to 2023-03-17. Mean WSCI values were computed from high quality GEDI shots over the land surface, according to the quality flags available in the GEDI L4C dataset. This dataset enables users to assess spatial patterns of forest structural complexity at a coarse scale anywhere within the GEDI domain without the need to acquire and process GEDI footprint data. The data are provided in cloud-optimized GeoTIFF format.

The Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) produces high resolution laser ranging observations of the 3D structure of the Earth. GEDI’s precise measurements of forest canopy height, canopy vertical structure, and surface elevation greatly advance our ability to characterize important carbon and water cycling processes, biodiversity, and habitat. GEDI was funded as a NASA Earth Ventures Instrument (EVI) mission. It was launched to the International Space Station in December 2018 and completed initial orbit checkout in April 2019.

Tools, tutorials, and more information can be found on the GEDI Project Page at Earthdata.

Citation: De Conto, T., Armston, J., & Dubayah, R. O. (2025). GEDI L4C Gridded Waveform Structural Complexity Index, Version 2 (Version 2). ORNL Distributed Active Archive Center. https://doi.org/10.3334/ORNLDAAC/2470