NASA’s Surface Topography and Vegetation (STV) Incubation Study continues to refine horizontal and vertical resolution needs, mature measurement technologies of radar, lidar, and stereoimaging, and develop STV architecture, to advance science related to NASA’s Geosphere, Cryosphere, Hydrosphere, and Biosphere focus areas. STV’s primary goal is to understand how Earth’s changing surface structure informs us about natural hazards, vegetation, and water resources. A global map of bare Earth topography and vegetation structure will address how Earth’s surface responds to tectonic and geomorphic processes, how Earth’s glaciers, ice sheets, and snow are changing over time, how water interacts with changing terrain and coastal topography, and how the structure of Earth’s vegetation is evolving. This session will discuss resolution needs and capabilities for STV drawing on modeling and analysis of existing data including those from the summer 2026 STV ASCENT (Airborne Surface, Cryosphere, Ecosystem, and Nearshore Topography) campaign.

• C - Cryosphere
• EP - Earth and Planetary Surface Processes
• H - Hydrology
• NH - Natural Hazards