Discovering Data

There are several ways to search for data of interest

• Directory level information from Global Change Master Directory
• Cross-Data Center searches through Reverb , "inventory level interoperability" – uses EOS Clearing House (ECHO)  metadata repository
• Tailored client software using ECHO metadata repository
• Data Center-specific search tools

Data Center Search & Order Tools

Each EOSDIS Data Center  is distinguished from one another by their specific Earth system science discipline. In addition to the search-and-order capabilities provided by GCMD and ECHO/REVERB, the data centers have individual online systems that allow them to provide unique services for users of a particular type of data. The center-specific systems emphasize data products, services, and data-handling tools unique to the data center.

GCMD - Dataset Directory

The Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) is a directory to Earth science data and services. The GCMD database currently holds more than 25,000 Earth science data sets and services covering all aspects of Earth and environmental sciences. One can use the search box or select from the available keywords to search for data and services.

ECHO - Application Program Interfaces (APIs) for Search and Order

The EOS ClearingHouse (ECHO) is a metadata catalog of NASA's EOS data and a registry for related data services (e.g. reformatting, pattern recognition). ECHO's catalog contains more than 3200 data sets held at 12 EOSDIS data centers. Users can access the data and services by using general or community-tailored clients that access ECHO using a series of Application Program Interfaces (APIs) defined using web services.

Reverb - Data and Service Access Client

Reverb is EOSDIS's newest web-based client for discovering and ordering cross-disci¬pline data from all of ECHO's metadata holdings. Reverb allows users, including those without specific knowledge of the data, to search science data holdings, retrieve high-level descriptions of data sets and detailed descriptions of the data inventory, view browse images, and submit orders via ECHO to the appropriate data providers.