Date: 940705 To: sci.geo.eos From: Bill North (Respond To: north@spso.gsfc.nasa.gov) Subject: sci.geo.eos FAQ sci.geo.eos Frequently Asked Questions Version 19940705 Significant Changes: SeaWiFS launch date changed to 95xxxx. Suggestions, additions, deletions, and corrections to: north@spso.gsfc.nasa.gov Thanks to all who have contributed. This FAQ, related documents, and all of sge traffic is archived on eos.nasa.gov in /EosDis/sci.geo.eos. The traffic is by monthly files, with previous months compressed. =============================================================== 0.0 Quick Intro 1.0 What is the Earth Observing System (EOS)? 2.0 Current Flight Schedules 3.0 Current DAAC Holdings 4.0 Other Data Sources 5.0 Tools for Earth Science 6.0 Further Information on Earth Science 7.0 Further Information on EOS 8.0 EOS Interdisciplinary Science (IDS) Investigations 9.0 Glossary/Definitions/Acronyms =============================================================== 0.0 Quick Intro: The Earth Observing System (EOS) program provides Earth science data to research, policy, educational, and other communities. It works something like this: a. Earth science data comes in from instruments and field experiments. b. The data is sent to archive and distribution centers. c. Earth data users order data from the centers. d. Users do great things. This FAQ is a VERY general and simplified overview. EOS is part of a national and international cooperative effort to improve our understanding of the Earth. This FAQ currently concentrates on the EOS and NASA part of the effort. There is no intention to slight the other cooperating organizations - NOAA, USGS, CEOS, and many others - but this is a start. Obviously a FAQ is driven by questions raised by the readers. Expect change and suggest change. Glossary/Definitions/Acronyms are at the end, but don't expect all acronyms to be listed! If you are interested in getting and using the data, read about the DAACs. If you want to know about EOS from scratch, read it all, check out further info, and good luck. =============================================================== 1.0 What is the Earth Observing System (EOS)? Mission: To provide long-term integrated scientific observations necessary to develop comprehensive understanding of how the earth functions as a unified system, to establish the ability to predict future climatic changes, and to deter- mine how such changes will affect oceanic and terrestrial ecosystems. --------------------------------------------------------------- The EOS program consists of flight missions and ground systems. EOS began by consolidating many existing data systems into one program, and providing communications by which these inherited systems can share information. The most visible aspect from the data user's point of view are the archive centers (DAACs) from which the user can obtain data. Within a few months there will be an internet telnet address to allow users to log in to a search and order system (X-windows or VT-100 text) in order to find out about all EOS data holdings, and order them. The act of inheriting existing data systems also inherited their existing obligations, agreements, and restrictions. There is a variety of data pricing, distribution, and release conditions across the system. For more information, contact the DAAC about your data of interest. ================ vvv Last Change 940705 vvv ================= 2.0 Current Flight Schedules 95xxxx SeaStar 9503xx Radarsat 9602xx ADEOS I 9708xx TRMM 9806xx EOS AM-1 9808xx EOS COLOR 9810xx Landsat 7 9905xx ADEOS II 00xxxx EOS AERO 01xxxx EOS PM-1 Various Shuttle Missions ================ vvv Last Change 940520 vvv ================= 3.0 Current DAAC Holdings The DAACs are the "official" EOS data archive sites based on their historical science and data expertise. These are current, general, EOS DAAC holdings, the centers may also hold non-EOS data. Detailed data holdings can go on for many pages, available from anon ftp at: eos.nasa.gov (128.183.93.41): /EosDis-User-Information//Data_Products_Summary and /EosDis-User-Information//Data_Products More hardcore, detailed information is in: /EosDis/Daacs/Docs/ScienceDataPlan Contact information for the DAACs is contained under "EOS components" in the last section. Key: 1. Center 2. DAAC's Special Discipline Area of Expertise 3. Current Holdings 1. ASF - Alaska SAR Facility, Fairbanks, AK 2. Polar processes, Synthetic Aperture Radar study 3. ERS-1, JERS-1 1. EDC - EROS Data Center, Sioux Falls, SD 2. Land processes 3. Global Change Landsat, Global 1km AVHRR, NS001, TIMS 1. GSFC - Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 2. Upper atmosphere, global biosphere, atmospheric dynamics, geophysics 3. AVHRR Land Pathfinder, CZCS, TOGA-COARE, TOMS, TOVS, UARS 1. JPL - Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA 2. Physical oceanography 3. AVHRR SST, ATLAST & OceanAtlas, SMMR & SSM/I Ocean Products, TOPEX/POSEIDON 1. LaRC - Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA 2. Radiation budget, tropospheric chemistry, clouds, aerosols 3. ERBE, FIRE, GTE, ISCCP, SAGE, SRB 1. MSFC - Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL 2. Hydrologic cycle 3. SSM/I, SMMR, MSU 1. NSIDC - National Snow and Ice Data Center, Boulder, CO 2. Snow and ice, cryosphere and climate 3. SSM/I, SMMR, SSM/I Pathfinder, in-situ 1. ORNL - Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 2. Biogeochemical dynamics 3. FIFE, OTTER 1. SEDAC - Socio-Economic Data and Applications Center, Saginaw, MI 2. Human dimensions of global change 3. Socio-economic data =============================================================== 4.0 Other Data Sources These are listed as an FYI, no responsibility is assumed for contents or service. ---------------- vvv Last Change 940513 vvv ----------------- Global Change Data and Information System (GCDIS) The U.S. Global Change Data and Information System (GCDIS) is a set of individual Federal agency data and information systems interconnected by a minimal amount of infrastructure. The GCDIS makes global change data accessible to researchers, policy- makers, educators, industry, and the public. The Interagency Working Group on Data Management for Global Change coordinates GCDIS development as part of the U.S. Global Change Research Program. Participating agencies are: Dept. of Agriculture, Dept. of Commerce, Dept. of Defense, Dept. of Energy, Dept. of Interior, Dept. of State, Environmental Protection Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and the National Science Foundation. Gopher: gopher.gcdis.usgcrp.gov (140.90.235.169) By using a gopher client and the auxilary software, you can display images, listen to audio, view videos, download items and print text. You can get a gopher client and find out about auxilary software through anonymous ftp at: boombox.micro.umn.edu. Telnet: gopher.gcdis.usgcrp.gov at the "login:" prompt, type: gopher Via telnet you can e-mail the various gopher text files to yourself. Gopher Dial-in: 202-606-4666 at the "Xyplex>" prompt, type: c esdim2 at the "login:" prompt, type: gopher Via dial-in, you will most likely be able to download items of interest using your modem software. ---------------- vvv Last Change 940513 vvv ----------------- Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Contains a high-level summary of data available from the DAACs and elsewhere. Telnet: nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov (128.183.36.23), Username = NODIS Email: mduso@nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov Fax: 301-441-2392 Voice: 301-441-4299 ---------------- vvv Last Change 940513 vvv ----------------- NGDC DMSP Data Archive: DMSP is a two satellite constellation of near-polar orbiting, sun-synchronus satellites monitoring meteorological, oceano- graphic and solar-terrestrial physics environments. Archive contains information and imagery. FTP: ftp.ngdc.noaa.gov, cd DMSP, get program-overview.txt Gopher: gopher.ngdc.noaa.gov. WWW: http://web.ngdc.noaa.gov/dmsp/dmsp.html BBS: 303-497-7319 8N1, VT100/102, 300-14.4, Login: online ListServ: mail listproc@ngdc.noaa.gov with message: help Questions or comments on the DMSP Archive at NGDC should be directed to: NOAA/NGDC DMSP Data Archive 325 Broadway (E/GC2), Boulder, CO 80303 Voice: 303-497-6126, FAX: 303-497-6513 dmsp@mail.ngdc.noaa.gov. ---------------- vvv Last Change 940512 vvv ----------------- To get German/Italian X-SAR imagery: FTP: jplinfo.jpl.nasa.gov WWW: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/sircxsar.html ---------------- vvv Last Change 940516 vvv ----------------- The Image Sciences Division of NASA's Johnson Space Center is pleased to announce that our digital image collection is now accessible on the Internet. This collection includes press release and Earth observation images from the manned space program from Mercury to the present. All press release images (c. 9,000) are currently available, but for Earth observation only the STS-60 images have been loaded. These images are available via FTP, Gopher, or World Wide Web from: FTP://139.169.29.11 login: anonymous Gopher://139.169.29.11/70 http://139.169.29.11/html/home.htm Each of these protocols will provide access to our JPEG images (average 40k each) and the text files that describe them. In the next year we plan to load an additional 200,000 Earth observation images. We will also load each mission's press release images as they are selected. We will set up a WAIS database to provide search access to our image catalog. The WWW server will present WAIS search result as a matrix of thumbnail images for visual search refinement and image selection. If you have any questions or comments please contact: Kevin Marsh KMarsh@ja6.jsc.nasa.gov =============================================================== 5.0 Tools for Earth Science Data Use TBD =============================================================== 6.0 Further Information on Earth Science These are listed as an FYI, no responsibility is assumed for contents or service. ---------------- vvv Last Change 940513 vvv ----------------- sci.geo.meteorology Maintained by Ilana Stern (ilana@ncar.ucar.edu) The sci.geo.meteorology data sources FAQ is a directory of Internet and other resources for both weather hobbyist and professional meteorological and oceanographic research information. Many of the EOSDIS DAACs are listed, as well as other data centers and pointers to other resources. Appended is a pointer to the ftp and WWW sites where the FAQ resides; it's also posted every other week in news.answers, sci.answers, and sci.geo.meteorology. FTP: rtfm.mit.edu, cd /pub/usenet/news.answers, get weather/data/part1 (Internet sites for data) weather/data/part2 (Data centers and CD-ROMS) and weather/resources (Other resources) WWW: http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/ weather/top.html If you can't use FTP, send email to: mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu with send /pub/usenet/news.answers/weather/data/part1 send /pub/usenet/news.answers/weather/data/part2 send /pub/usenet/news.answers/weather/resources as the only text in the message (leave the subject blank). ---------------- vvv Last Change 940513 vvv ----------------- sci.data.formats Maintained by Ilana Stern (ilana@ncar.ucar.edu) FAQ's for Sources of Scientific Data Formats: The sci.data.formats FAQ is a directory of pointers to information about the main formats used for archival and exchange of scientific data. Appended is a pointer to the ftp and WWW sites where the FAQ resides; it's also posted every other week in news.answers, sci.answers, and sci.data.formats. FTP: rtfm.mit.edu, cd /pub/usenet/news.answers, get sci-data-formats WWW: http://fits.cv.nrao.edu/traffic/ scidataformats/faq.html If you can't use FTP, send email to: mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu with send /pub/usenet/news.answers/sci-data-formats as the only text in the message (leave the subject blank). ---------------- vvv Last Change 940513 vvv ----------------- Internet Faq for Earth Scientists WWW: http://ageninfo.tamu.edu/geoscience.html Gopher: //ageninfo.tamu.edu/h0/geoscience It references these sites: Bill Thoen's writeup "Internet Resources for Earth Sciences" has a terrific list of anonymous ftp sites with public data, images, and software at: Gopher: //una.hh.lib.umich.edu/00/inetdirsstacks/ earthsci%3athoen Bill is the maintainer of the Computer-oriented Geological Society (COGS) software collection, with software for GIS, hydrology, image processing, mining, and mapping, at file://csn.org/COGS Neel Smith has compiled a metaindex of Internet resources for geography and GIS WWW: http://abacus.bates.edu:1234/~nsmith/General/ Resources-GIS.html ---------------- vvv Last Change 940518 vvv ----------------- sci.space.* hierarchy & sci.astro FAQ Maintained by Jonathan Leech (leech@cs.unc.edu) While not specifically emphasizing Earth science, the suite of FAQs and other information on the Usenet sci.space.* newsgroups give a comprehensive picture of both domestic and foreign space programs. Many space program related questions are probably already answered here. General space program questions are probably best answered in sci.space.policy, technology questions in sci.space.tech, and scientific questions in sci.space.science. Some sci.space.* FAQ topics of particular applicability to Earth coverage are: o Solar activity servers & mailing lists o NSSDC servers o Satellite tracking software o Geosphere Project full-Earth image o Obtaining Landsat and other Earth photos from Eros o Map projections o Papermail Addresses for NASA, EOSAT, Spotimage, Soyuzkarta, etc. o Periodicals o References to other periodically posted space/astro information FTP: explorer.arc.nasa.gov/pub/SPACE/FAQ/ WWW: http: //www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/space/top.html ---------------- vvv Last Change 940518 vvv ----------------- SPACE Archive Contains sample images and other information about space missions, activities, and programs. Covers domestic, international, Earth, planetary, and other missions. FTP: explorer.arc.nasa.gov/pub/SPACE ---------------- vvv Last Change 940607 vvv ----------------- Remote Sensing Laboratories Dept. of Geography University of Zurich Irchel Winterthurerstrasse 190 CH - 8057 Zurich Under the Dept. of Geography, there is a huge (for Switzerland) GIS / Remote Sensing section. Information on all the projects being carried out here is available using Mosaic. The list includes the staff, their mail addresses and the project's primary investigators. Further on a list of available RS packages (UNIX and Mac) is being moderated here. Topics: - AVIRIS (Hyperspectral analysis) - SRSFMP (Swiss Remote Sensing Forest Mapping Project, using NOAA, TM and SPOT) - Spectral signature analysis (field radiometry, field goniometer) - Sri Lanka Swiss Planning Support Project (using IRS data) - ERS1 SAR - Airborne SAR (Geometry, Interferometry, Stereo-SAR) - Remote Sensing and Computer Graphics (Visualization) WWW: http://www.unizh.ch/ WWW: http://www.unizh.ch/welcome.html WWW: http://www.unizh.ch/willkommen.html (german home-page) Entry points to the growing web at the University of Zurich. Site-related information and services provided by Departments of the University. WWW: http://www-geogr.unizh.ch (Dept. of Geography) For the Remote Sensing Laboratories contact Michael Schaepman mail schaep@rsl.geogr.unizh.ch phone ++41 - 1 - 257 52 46 fax ++41 - 1 - 362 52 27 For the GIS contact Andrej Vckovski mail avckovski@rsl.geogr.unizh.ch phone ++41 - 1 - 257 52 55 fax ++41 - 1 - 362 52 27 =============================================================== 7.0 Further Information on EOS Some of these sites are not for the faint of heart. ---------------- vvv Last Change 940512 vvv ----------------- Printed copies of EOS Reference Handbook available from: Earth Science Support Office Document Resource Facility 300 D Street, SW Suite 840 Washington, DC 20024 Fax: 202-554-6499 Voice: 202-479-0360 ---------------- vvv Last Change 940512 vvv ----------------- Softcopy EOS Handbook FTP: pathfinder.arc.nasa.gov pub/EOS_Handbook ---------------- vvv Last Change 940518 vvv ----------------- EOS Science Information Publications, handbooks, EOS science calendar, global change calendar, EOS news, Payload Panel report, the Earth Observer newsletter. WWW: http://spso.gsfc.nasa.gov/spso_homepage.html ---------------- vvv Last Change 940513 vvv ----------------- ESDIS Working Document Archive The Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS) project office manages EOSDIS. Contains both development and operational documents. General info in /Welcome. Site contents listed in /Index. Users look in /EosDis-User-Information. FTP: eos.nasa.gov (128.183.93.41) Gopher: eos.nasa.gov WWW: http://eos.nasa.gov ---------------- vvv Last Change 940512 vvv ----------------- EDHS - ECS Data Handling System Documents relating to ECS requirements and development. WWW: http://edhs1.gsfc.nasa.gov ---------------- vvv Last Change 940607 vvv ----------------- World Wide Web home page for the MODIS Airborne Simulator Maintained by: Liam E. Gumley, gumley@climate.gsfc.nasa.gov NASA/GSFC Climate and Radiation Branch Greenbelt MD, USA The MAS is an airborne multispectral scanner which has spectral channels similar to that of MODIS. The web site includes MAS specifications, an image gallery, information on Level-1B data products, browse images fromvarious field experiments, and other useful information. WWW: http://climate.gsfc.nasa.gov/~gumley/Home.html =============================================================== 8.0 EOS Interdisciplinary Science (IDS) Investigations ---------------- vvv Last Change 940608 vvv ----------------- A Global Assessment of Active Volcanism, Volcanic Hazards, and Volcanic Inputs to the Atmosphere from EOS PI: Peter J. Mouginis-Mark, University of Hawaii (pmm@kahana.pgd.hawaii.edu) This Interdisciplinary Science Investigation's objectives are threefold: 1) to understand the physical processes associated with volcanic eruptions; 2) to investigate the manner by which SO2, H2O, CO2, and other volcanic gases are injected into the troposphere and stratosphere; and 3) to place the diverse volcanic eruptions into the context of the regional tectonic setting of the volcanoes. Through the analysis of ongoing eruptions, data from EOS surface imagers and atmospheric instruments are expected to significantly improve the understanding of how volcanoes work, and the short-term effects that eruptions have on weather and climate. This Investigation will draw heavily on many of the EOS sensors, combining high spatial resolution images of near-vent activity and daily regional low-resolution views of eruption plume dispersal. Higher order data sets that document the characteristics of specific eruptions, the dispersal of eruption plumes, and the geology of individual volcanoes will be the primary archival products. These products will be transferred to the EOS Data and Information System (EOSDIS). =============================================================== 9.0 Glossary/Definitions/Acronyms EOS Components: ---------------- vvv Last Change 940616 vvv ----------------- EOS - Earth Observing System EOSDIS - EOS Data and Information System ECS - EOSDIS Core System Ecom - EOS Communications EDOS - EOS Data and Operations System ---------------- vvv Last Change 940531 vvv ----------------- DAACs - Distributed Active Archive Centers: ASF DAAC User Services Alaska SAR Facility University of Alaska PO Box 757320 Fairbanks, AK 99775-7320 907-474-7487 voice 907-474-7290 fax Internet: asf@eos.nasa.gov EDC DAAC User Services U.S. Geological Survey EROS Data Center Sioux Falls, SD 57198 605-594-6116 voice 605-594-6589 fax Internet: edc@eos.nasa.gov Goddard DAAC User Services NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Code 902.2 Greenbelt, MD 20771 301-286-5033 voice 301-286-1775 fax Internet: gsfc@eos.nasa.gov JPL DAAC User Services Jet Propulsion Laboratory Mail Stop 300-320 4800 Oak Grove Drive Pasadena, CA 91109 818-354-9890 voice 818-393-2718 fax Internet: jpl@eos.nasa.gov WWW: http://seazar.jpl.nasa.gov Langley DAAC User Services NASA Langley Research Center Mail Stop 157B Hampton, VA 23681-0001 804-864-8656 voice 804-864-8807 fax Internet: larc@eos.nasa.gov Marshall DAAC User Services NASA Marshall Space Flight Center Building 4492 Huntsville, AL 35812 205-544-6329 voice 205-544-5147 fax Internet: msfc@eos.nasa.gov NSIDC DAAC User Services National Snow and Ice Data Center CIRES, Campus Box 449 University of Colorado Boulder, CO 80309-0449 303-492-6199 voice 303-492-2468 fax Internet: nsidc@eos.nasa.gov ORNL DAAC User Services Oak Ridge National Laboratory PO Box 2008, Mail Stop 6490 Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6490 615-241-3952 voice 615-574-4665 fax Internet: ornl@eos.nasa.gov SEDAC User Services CIESIN SEDAC 2250 Pierce Road University Center, MI 48710 517-797-2727 voice 517-797-2622 fax Internet: ciesin@eos.nasa.gov ---------------- vvv Last Change 940512 vvv ----------------- EOS Platforms and Instruments: AM-1 - Crosses equator in morning ASTER - Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer CERES - Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System MISR - Multi-angle Imaging Spectro-Radiometer MODIS - Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectrometer MOPITT - Measurement of Pollution in the Troposphere PM-1 - Crosses equator in afternoon AIRS - Atmospheric Infared Sounder AMSU-A - Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit CERES - Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System MHS - Microwave Humidity Sounder MIMR - Multifrequency Imaging Micrwave Radiometer MODIS - Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectrometer CHEM - Chemistry Mission ACRIM - Active Cavity Radiometer Irradiance Monitor HIRDLS - High-Resolution Dynamics Limb Sounder MLS - Microwave Limb Sounder SAGE III - Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment III SOLSTICE II - Solar Stellar Irradiance Comparison Experiment II COLOR - Ocean Color Mission SeaWiFS type ocean color sensor ALT - Altimeter Mission DORIS - Doppler Orbitography and Radiopositioning Integrated by Satellite GLAS - Geoscience Laser Altimeter System SSALT - Solid-State Altimeter TMR - TOPEX Microwave Radiometer AERO - Aerosol Mission SAGE III - Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment III ---------------- vvv Last Change 940606 vvv ----------------- Inherited, Partial, or Related to EOS Platforms and Instruments: ADEOS I - Advanced Earth Observing Satellite AVNIR - Advanced Visible and Near-Infrared Radiometer IMG - Interferometric Monitor for Greenhouse Gases NSCAT - NASA Scatterometer OCTS - Ocean Color and Temperature Scanner POLDER - Polarization and Directionality of Reflectances TOMS - Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer ADEOS II SeaWinds - Advanced NSCAT HIRDLS - High-Resolution Dynamics Limb Sounder (Candidate) TOMS - Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (Candidate) DMSP - Defense Meteorological Satellite Program SSM/I - Special Sensor Microwave/Imager ERBS - Earth Radiation Budget Satellite ERS - European Remote Sensing Satellite JERS - Japanese Earth Resources Satellite LANDSAT 7 - Land Remote-Sensing Satellite NIMBUS 7 SMMR - Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer RADARSAT - Radar Satellite (Canadian) SeaStar SeaWiFS - Sea-Viewing Wide-Field Sensor Shuttle payloads ATLAS - Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science SIR-C - Synthetic Imaging Radar-C TOMS - Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer TOPEX/Poseiden - Topography (Ocean) Experiment DORIS - Doppler Orbitography and Radiopositioning Integrated by Satellite NASA Altimeter SSALT - Solid-State Altimeter TMR - TOPEX Microwave Radiometer TRMM - Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission CERES - Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System LIS - Lightning Imaging Sensor PR - Precipitation Radar TMI - TRMM Microwave Imager VIRS - Visible Infared Scanner UARS - Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite ---------------- vvv Last Change 940512 vvv ----------------- Field Experiments/Campaigns FIFE - First ISLSCP Field Experiment FIRE - First ISCCP Regional Experiment OTTER - Oregon Transect Ecosystem Research Project TOGA-COARE - Tropical Ocean Global Atmosphere - Coupled Ocean Atmosphere Response Experiment /* Bill North -- north@spso.gsfc.nasa.gov */ .