Enabling Access and Use of NASA Earth Science Data with Thematic Data Pathfinders

Abstract:

NASA’s Earth science data collections provide a wealth of information to aid in our understanding of Earth’s processes, in the development of innovative solutions for real-world challenges, and in making data-based decisions. The data are all freely and openly available via earthdata.nasa.gov.

Choosing the right datasets and tools to answer scientific questions often requires some guidance. Our team at NASA’s Earth Science Data Systems Program have created data pathfinders to help make data access, retrieval, and use easier. Each entryway to the data requires a different level of skill; many are challenging to those seeking data. There can often also be challenges to using the data once found.

Data pathfinders present background information in topical areas with guidance on how NASA observations can be used to aid in the assessment of certain variables, often in near real-time. The pathfinders provide information about spatial and temporal resolutions of, and direct links to, commonly-used datasets. In addition, they showcase tools that can be used for subsetting, visualizing, analyzing, and exporting the data in a variety of file formats.

Current pathfinder topics include:

• Agriculture and Water Resources
• Biological Diversity and Ecological Forecasting
• COVID-19
• Disasters (including Cyclones, Earthquakes and Volcanoes, Extreme Heat, Flooding, Landslides)
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
• Health and Air Quality
• Water Quality
• Wildfires

Each pathfinder provides a unique set of resources for the targeted discipline. Join us to learn more about how data pathfinders can help in your discovery, visualization, and analysis of NASA Earth science data.