Which tools should I use?¶
Navigating all of the tools available for working with ICESat-2 data can be challenging. NSIDC and icepyx have resource pages that provide information on many of the tools available for accessing and processing ICESat-2 data. SlideRule is not quite a tool, but rather a processing service for custom ICESat-2 data products that can be extremely helpful for a variety of tasks.
Finally, one of the best resources when working with a new remote sensing data product is the algorithm theoretical basis document (ATBD), which describes exactly how each data product is generated. For ICESat-2 land ice, you can explore the ATL03, ATL06, ATL11, ATL14, and ATL15 ATBDs. For ICESat-2 sea ice, you can explore the ATL07, ATL10, ATL20, and ATL12 ATBDs in a single document here. Read more about ICESat-2 data products on NSIDC’s ICESat-2 landing page.