Scientists have released a new kind of map that uses NASA satellite data to show the height of forest canopies around the world.

Although there are other local- and regional-scale forest canopy maps, the new map is the first that spans the entire globe based on one uniform method. The work — based on data collected by NASA's ICESat, Terra, and Aqua satellites — should help scientists build an inventory of how much carbon the world's forests store and how fast that carbon cycles through ecosystems and back into the atmosphere.

The map reveals that the world's tallest forests are clustered in the American Pacific Northwest, and areas of Southeast Asia.