Data Resources
At NASA we believe we have reached the "Golden Age" of oceanography. For the first time in history, citizens of planet Earth have access to decades of information about the Earth's largest system: the oceans. As a lead technology agency NASA has led the way in collecting these data.
Currently NASA collects data that tell us about: Ocean surface Topography or Wave Height, Sea Surface Temperature, Ocean Surface Winds, Ocean Currents, Ocean Color, and Sea Surface Salinity (upcoming mission). These missions and data sets are part of a 25-year plan to measure, monitor, and thus better understand the Earth's oceans.
If you would like to explore online interfaces to NASA data sets please see the links listed below:
- Ocean Surface Topography
- Ocean Color
- Ocean Surface Winds Value Added Products:
o Animations
o Cloud Overlay
o Tropical Storms
If you are an educator or a student you will want to check out these links:
- Creating Images from Satellite Data
- Remote Sensing Tutorial
- From A Distance: An Introduction to Remote Sensing GIS/GPS
Members of the science community may wish to begin at the Global Change Master Directory's Oceans section.
There are multiple options for finding and retrieving earth science data and exploring available formats. Data pertaining to oceans is accessible at the following sites:
- Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAAC)
The DAAC Alliance is the data management and user services arm of NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS). The data centers process, archive, document, and distribute data from NASA's past and current Earth-observing satellites and field measurement programs. The following DAACs archive data pertaining to oceans:
- Alaska Satellite Facility DAAC Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), Sea Ice, Polar Processes
- GSFC Earth Sciences DAAC Global Precipitation, Global Biosphere, Ocean Biology, Ocean Dynamics, Solar Irradiance
- Global Hydrology Resource Center Hydrologic Cycle, Severe Weather Interactions, Lightning, Convection
- Physical Oceanography DAAC Oceanic Processes, Air-Sea Interactions