NOAA proposes to evaluate select ICESat-2 datasets along coastal regions and waterways to determine water profiles, depth and bathymetry in waters from the shoreline out to a depth of 15 meters. We will request initial datasets that cover the waters around Key West, Florida, the Lower Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, the Bahamas and Australia / Great Barrier Reef. We will assume that the waters around these regions have sufficient clarity to allow us to evaluate ICESat-2 data to estimate water profiles and depths as well as to estimate the bathymetry. Comparisons on depths and bathymetry will be made between the ICESat-2 results and depths on official NOAA charts and to existing bathymetric databases. A secondary objective will be to estimate surface water heights over the life of the ICESat-2 mission for the Chesapeake Bay area. We hope to determine if ICESat-2 data can be used to estimate sea level change over a short time frame. The latter objective serves as additional data for a sea level rise investigation we are working on for Chesapeake Bay and Hampton Roads, Virginia.

Alex Gardner

• Dr. Larry Mayer, University of New Hampshire
• Dr. Brian Calder, University of New Hampshire
• Dr. Neil D. Weston Office of Coast Survey, NOAA
• Dr. Shachak Pe’eri, Office of Coast Survey, NOAA
• Mr. Neeraj Saref, Office of Coast Survey, NOAA
• LT Damian Manda, Office of Coast Survey, NOAA
• Mr. George Britzolakis, Office of Coast Survey, NOAA

Nautical Chart Production, Hydrography