Earth Science Data
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
|
Earth Science Data |
| NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA |
Answers to some of the most frequently asked questions received at the National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC) belong to four major categories:
These FAQs are by no means comprehensive. NSSDC customers are encouraged to send in their comments to the curator for inclusion in the next update.
Researchers can start with the Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) which offers free, online descriptions of Earth science data sets available from various U.S. and international agencies. Access to the GCMD is available via internet:
Global Change Master Directory
URL: http://gcmd.gsfc.nasa.gov/
Other sources of Earth photos and information are as follows:
Earth Observing System
URL: http://eos.nasa.gov/
NSSDC Photo Gallery: Selected Earth images from planetary missions
URL: http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/photo_gallery/photogallery-earth.html
NSSDC Master Catalog: General information on various Earth science missions
URL: http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/sc-query.html
NASA Teachers Resource Center
Code 130.3
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, MD 20771
(301)286-8570
Public Affairs Office
Code 130
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, MD 20771
(301)286-8955
Public Information Office
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
4800 Oak Grove Drive
Pasadena, CA 91109
(818)354-5011
Spacelink
URL: http://spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov/
NSSDC offers planetary fact sheets and images in a photo gallery on the Web for general usage.
NSSDC Planetary and Lunar Science Support
URL: http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/
NSSDC Photo Gallery
URL: http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/photo_gallery/
Outside of NSSDC, there is a SIR-C Education Pre-flight CD-ROM that has good classroom materials (on radar remote sensing) for usage in middle schools. The post-flight copy is being produced by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. For copies of the CD-ROM and further information, please contact the two agencies, respectively:
EROS Data Center DAAC User Services
URL: http://edcdaac.usgs.gov/main.html
The Radar Data Center
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
URL: http://southport.jpl.nasa.gov/sirced.html
Ozone data from the Nimbus 7 Solar Backscatter UltraViolet (SBUV) and Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) were all transferred from the National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC) to the Goddard Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC). The Goddard DAAC also distributes ozone data from other missions. Scientific researchers can contact
Goddard DAAC
URL: http://daac.gsfc.nasa.gov/
Nimbus 7 TOMS gridded ozone data for selected days between 1/1/91 and 5/6/93, in the same format as earlier data put on CD-ROM, are accessible on line via anonymous FTP. Please note that these data are provided by the Ozone Processing Team at Code 916, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. They are meant for quick look purpose and not for publication because of quality concern. The data are accessible via the World Wide Web
URL: http://jwocky.gsfc.nasa.gov/
General information and sample images are available from the Goddard Public Affairs Office:
Public Affairs Office
Code 130
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, MD 20771
(301)286-8955
There were two shuttle flights in 1994 that generated images from the Shuttle Imaging Radar experiment (SIR-C/X-SAR). EROS Data Center (EDC) is the archival and distribution center of these images, as will be the digital SIR-B data from 1984. Only 10% of SIR-B data were archived at NSSDC for NASA researchers. The remainder of the data has been kept at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) until its official transfer to EDC. NSSDC still distributes the analog SIR-A data from 1981 on 5-inch film.
For further assistance contact:
EROS Data Center DAAC User Services
URL: http://edcdaac.usgs.gov/main.html
The Radar Data Center
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
URL: http://southport.jpl.nasa.gov/
Coordinated Request and User Support Office
National Space Science Data Center
URL: http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/about/about_cruso.html
Besides the radar images (SIR-A, SIR-B, and SIR-C/X-SAR) described above, there are also handheld camera photos taken on the shuttle flights. The Imagery Services Branch of the Johnson Space Center as well as the EROS Data Center have a large collection of these photos for distribution, including the Large Format Camera data. Please contact:
Johnson Space Center
URL: http://images.jsc.nasa.gov/
EROS Data Center
URL: http://edc.usgs.gov/glis/hyper/guide/shuttle
The EROS Data Center has them for sale. Please contact:
EROS Data Center
URL: http://edc.usgs.gov/
There are two main sources for earth radiation budget. One is the Nimbus 7 ERB experiment. The other is the ERBE on the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS) and the NOAA 9 and 10 satellites. Some data sets are already transferred from NSSDC to the Langley Research Center's Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC). Eventually the Langley DAAC will hold and distribute all radiation budget data. Please contact:
Langley DAAC User Services
URL: http://eosweb.larc.nasa.gov/
NSSDC no longer distributes the 9-disc data set. Please contact:
Professor Ray E. Arvidson
PDS Geosciences Node
URL: http://wwwpds.wustl.edu/
There are many sources for the AVHRR images. Two major ones are NOAA and the Global Land Information System (GLIS) at the EROS Data Center.
NOAA/NESDIS/NCDC/SDSD
URL: http://www.saa.noaa.gov/
Gobal Land Information System
EROS Data Center
URL:http://edc.usgs.gov/glis/glis.html
Most of the Earth science data archived at NSSDC were created in the 1980's and earlier on IBM machines. All of them have data format descriptions, but only a few sets came with sample FORTRAN programs. Users should refer to these format descriptions and programs, and find the appropriate conversion routines on their systems.