{{Notability, date=May 2022
The Global Change Master Directory holds more than 28,000
data set A data set (or dataset) is a collection of data. In the case of tabular data, a data set corresponds to one or more database tables, where every column of a table represents a particular variable, and each row corresponds to a given record of the ...
descriptions, known as DIFs (Directory Interchange Format). This format is compatible with the
Federal Geographic Data Committee
The Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) is a United States government committee which promotes the coordinated development, use, sharing, and dissemination of geospatial data on a national basis. Its 32 members are representatives from the E ...
's (FGDC) standard and the international
ISO 19115
Geospatial metadata (also geographic metadata) is a type of metadata applicable to geographic data and information. Such objects may be stored in a geographic information system (GIS) or may simply be documents, data-sets, images or other objects, ...
standard. The purpose of the directory is to provide users with information on the availability of data and services that will meet their needs, along with efficient access to those data and services. Links are provided, when available, to connect directly to the data or services of interest.
The directory is part of
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil List of government space agencies, space program ...
's Earth Observing System Data and Information System (
EOSDIS
The Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) is a key core capability in NASA’s Earth Science Data Systems Program. Designed and maintained by Raytheon Intelligence & Space, it is a comprehensive data and information system de ...
) and also serves as NASA's contribution to the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS), through which it is also known as the International Directory Network (IDN) The international participants contribute descriptions of data and services that are held around the world and have provided valuable guidance in the development and direction of the project over the years.
The directory also offers an online metadata authoring tools for those wishing to share knowledge of available data. One of the cornerstones to effective searches within the directory is twelve sets of controlled keywords that assist in normalizing the search. The development of these keywords was initiated over a decade ago. Currently, over 7,000 keywords are controlled, with new sets created for better search refinements, as time permits. The keyword sets are widely used throughout the world and are being translated into many languages. Within the Global Change Master Directory and the IDN, these controlled keywords can be used in combination with a full-text search engine and also for search refinements.
Climate change
In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...
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OPeNDAP OPeNDAP is an acronym for "Open-source Project for a Network Data Access Protocol," an endeavor focused on enhancing the retrieval of remote, structured data through a Web-based architecture and a discipline-neutral Data Access Protocol (DAP). Widel ...
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Ozone
Ozone (), or trioxygen, is an inorganic molecule with the chemical formula . It is a pale blue gas with a distinctively pungent smell. It is an allotrope of oxygen that is much less stable than the diatomic allotrope , breaking down in the lo ...
Geospatial metadata
Geospatial metadata (also geographic metadata) is a type of metadata applicable to geographic data and information. Such objects may be stored in a geographic information system (GIS) or may simply be documents, data-sets, images or other object ...
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Solar variation
The solar cycle, also known as the solar magnetic activity cycle, sunspot cycle, or Schwabe cycle, is a nearly periodic 11-year change in the Sun's activity measured in terms of variations in the number of observed sunspots on the Sun's surfa ...