The mission of the Global Change Master Directory is to offer a high quality
resource for the discovery, access, and use of Earth science data and data-related
services worldwide, while specifically promoting the discovery and use of NASA
data. The directory resource is targeted to serve as a valued location for sharing
data from multinational sources and, in turn, will contribute to scientific research by
providing stewardship of metadata and direct access to Earth science data and
services.
The GCMD offers descriptions
of Earth science data sets using the Directory
Interchange Format (DIF). The GCMD's philosophy
for using the DIF is that the specific set
of attributes, the content
metadata, is the critical set needed
for a user to determine if the data sets
returned from a database query are those
that define viable data sets for the user's
needs. Using a specific set of fields also
helps to "normalize" the search for data
sets through the use of several alternative
search engines.
As
part of the overall mission, the GCMD supports
NASA and NASA partners in related activities:
- Support's NASA's Earth
Observing System Data and Information
System (EOSDIS) and the NASA
Federation
of Earth Science Information Partners
(ESIP)
- Serves as one of NASA's contributions
to the Committee on Earth Observation
Satellites (CEOS) by developing
and sharing software for the International
Directory Network (IDN).
- Serves as the maintenance
body for the
Directory Interchange Format
standard through the "Interoperability
Forum", thus contributing
a distinctly valuable service
to the Earth science user community.
- Works with CEOS partners in
developing tools aimed at unifying
the international communities,
such as an Earth science thesaurus.
- Collaborates with other partners
and organizations
- Creates search "portals"
for associated groups who wish
to share their
data set descriptions through
the GCMD and also wish to offer
a focused view of their specific
data.
- Assists associated distributed
data systems in locating specific
data through the use of the
GCMD's Applications Programming
Interface (API).
- Develops prototype systems
in response to specific needs
and requests, such as the Earth
Science data-related services.
- Maintains one of the world's most
popular hierarchical set of Earth
science keywords.
- Develops software to improve
the discovery of Earth science
data and designs software tools
to ease the impact on those contributing
and updating metadata.
- Serves as NASA's node for the
Federal Geographic Data Committee's
(FGDC) Clearinghouse , offering NASA's data set
descriptions as part of the National
Spatial Data Infrastructure.
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The
Global Change Master Directory staff plans
its work in line with the GCMD's mission statement,
in conjunction with the goals and responsibilities
as the International Directory Network (IDN) of the
Committee on Earth Observation Satellites' (CEOS)
,
the shared goals with EOSDIS, and in response
to feedback from the GCMD Science
User Working Group. The GCMD Strategic Plan was created for 2008-2012. GCMD accomplishments
can be viewed in the State of the GCMD Report .