NGDC Marine Geology and Geophysics Division

The Marine Geology and Geophysics Division of NGDC provides longterm scientific stewardship for global geophysical and digital elevation data, marine geological and geophysical data, and natural hazards data. NGDC is data management lead for US exploration of potential extended continental shelf areas, provides stewardship, archive and access for NOS data supporting charts and navigation, and is the US national repository for MGG data.

• Bathymetry, Topography, & Digital Elevation Models:
  NGDC produces Digital Elevation Models (DEMS), gridded data derived from bathymetric and topographic data. Bathymetric data are underway measurements (including multibeam), hydrographic soundings, and satellite altimetry estimates.
  
  
• Global Geomagnetism & Gravity:
  NGDC compiles geomagnetic models, and offers magnetic data collected by ship, aircraft, and on land. Observatory data are stewarded by NGDC's STP Division. Gravity data are from surveys, US stations, absolute measurements, and grids.
  
  
• Marine Geology & Geophysics:
  Marine geophysical data include underway measurements of gravity, magnetics, seismic reflection, bathymetry, and gridded ocean sediment thickness. Geologic data include descriptions, analyses, and images of sea floor and lakebed material.
  
  
• Natural Hazards:
  Hazards information includes data on tsunami events and runups, significant earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, US coastal and deep-ocean sea levels, and historic data and imagery providing evidence of past events and their impact.

NGDC accomplished several active data rescue and digitization projects through the NOAA Climate Database Modernization Program (CDMP), including digitizing hazards photographs, seismic reflection data, seabed photographs, and photographs, x-rays, and descriptions of cores from the sea floor and lakebeds.