How To
Programmatic Data Access Guide
Data from the NASA National Snow and Ice Data Center Distributed Active Archive Center (NSIDC DAAC) can be accessed directly from our HTTPS file system or through our Application Programming Interface (API). Our API offers you the ability to order data using specific temporal and spatial filters...
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How do I access data using OPeNDAP?
Data can be programmatically accessed using NSIDC’s OPeNDAP Hyrax server, allowing you to reformat and subset data based on parameter and array index. For more information on OPeNDAP, including supported data sets and known issues, please see our OPeNDAP documentation: ...
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How to extract point and area data samples using AppEEARS
This step-by-step tutorial demonstrates how to access MODIS and SMAP data using the Application for Extracting and Exploring Analysis Ready Samples (AppEEARS). AppEEARS allows users to access, explore, and download point and area data with spatial, temporal, and parameter subsets. Interactive...
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Visualize NSIDC data as WMS layers with ArcGIS and Google Earth
Search, order, and customize NSIDC DAAC data with NASA Earthdata Search
NASA Earthdata Search is a map-based interface where a user can search for Earth science data, filter results based on spatial and temporal constraints, and order data with customizations including re-formatting, re-projecting, and spatial and parameter subsetting. Thousands of Earth science data...
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Filter and order from a data set web page
Many NSIDC data set web pages provide the ability to search and filter data with spatial and temporal contstraints using a map-based interface. This article outlines how to order NSIDC DAAC data using advanced searching and filtering.
Step 1: Go to a data set web page
This article will use the...
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How to search, access, and visualize NSIDC DAAC snow data using Python
The "Snow Depth and Snow Cover Data Exploration” Jupyter Notebook provides Python code to access and compare coincident snow data across in-situ, airborne, and satellite platforms from NASA's SnowEx, ASO, and MODIS data sets, respectively. Please see the NSIDC-Data-Tutorials GitHub repository (...
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Visualize and download NSIDC DAAC data with NASA Worldview
NASA Worldview uses the
Global Imagery Browse Service (GIBS) to provide up to date, full resolution imagery for select NSIDC DAAC data sets (see attachments below). The map interface allows users to...
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NSIDC DAAC Data Subscription Requests
Data subscriptions are available for select NSIDC DAAC data collections (found below). Our subscription service automatically sends you new data as they are delivered from active NASA satellite missions. The service cannot be applied to past data already archived at NSIDC. This service is...
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FAQ
What data subsetting, reformatting, and reprojection services are available for MODIS data?
The following table describes the data subsetting, reformatting, and reprojection services that are currently available for MODIS data via the
NASA Earthdata Search tool.
Short Name
Title
Parameter Subsetting
Spatial Subsetting...
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What is NDSI snow cover and how does it compare to FSC?
What is NDSI?
The Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI) snow cover is an index that is related to the presence of snow in a pixel and is a more accurate description of snow detection as compared to Fractional Snow Cover (FSC). Snow typically has very high visible (VIS) reflectance and very low...
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Missing and delayed MODIS data
The lag time between observations and availability of MODIS products is only a few days. Lag time may be extended due to satellite maneuvers and extra quality assurance required for the geolocation data after the maneuver. The MODAPS...
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How do I convert an HDF/HDF-EOS file into binary format?
To convert HDF or HDF-EOS files into binary format you can use the hdp utility, which is part of the HDF4 distribution available from the HDF Group. How you install HDF4 depends on your operating system. Full instructions for installing and using hdp on
Mac/Unix and...
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