LANCE

NRT Data Applications

LANCE data are useful for a range of applications in hazards and disasters management, for example, to detect fires, track smoke, ash and dust plumes; to monitor aerosols, carbon monoxide (CO) and sulfur dioxide (SO₂), which in turn are useful for air quality assessments; and to determine the extent of sea ice, snow, and flooding which are useful to support shipping in the polar regions and to allow rapid assessment of areas worst affected by snow or flood water. Visualize the data by category in Worldview.

NRT data are available within the following Earth science topics:

Air Quality

Data from space-based platforms have been used to track many aspects of air quality such as propagation of toxic gases like CO from massive fires; accurate early warnings of such pollution spikes are useful because they give people the option to reduce their risk of exposure to poor air by limiting outdoor activity at these times.

Access air quality near-real time data.

Ash Plumes

Data from space-based platforms are useful for identifying and tracking ash plumes from volcanic eruptions. The use of NRT platform data for monitoring volcanic plumes is undergoing further developments to enable quantitative retrievals to be produced, which should enable a global capability for volcanic ash monitoring to be introduced.

Access ash plumes near-real time data.

Droughts

Agro-climatic monitoring programs and global food security risks related to drought are monitored using NRT platform data including the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET) and GEOGLAM.

Access droughts near real-time data.

Dust Storms

Dust storms can have an impact on human health, weather patterns as well as cause disruption through flight delays and the closure of highways. Data from LANCE are used to monitor and predict dust storms. This information is used by agencies within the Department of Defense to improve resource allocation in remote areas and help promote aircraft safety.

Access dust storms near-real time data.

Fires

Ultra Real-Time (URT), Real-Time (RT), and NRT data and imagery enable people on the ground, including those responsible for mobilizing fire-fighting resources around the world, to access detailed information about the locations of fires. URT, RT and NRT MODIS, VIIRS, and Landsat active fire/hotspot data are available in easy to use formats through the Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS).

Access fires near real-time data.

Floods

Mapping floodwater extent for active floods is critical for local and regional officials and for disaster relief organizations that need to ascertain where to focus their efforts.

Access floods near-real time data.

Severe Storms

MODIS data are used to revise or confirm 24-hour forecasts related to weather systems approaching the land from the oceans, which in turn provide greater confidence for flood warnings. Images from space-based platforms are also useful in providing everyone with the same 'big picture' of severe storms.

Access severe storms near real-time data.

Shipping

In the polar regions, NRT platform imagery provided by LANCE (in combination with other data) are routinely used to provide up-to-date information on sea ice conditions to ships and research vessels.

Access near real-time data related to ice extent and its effect on shipping.

Smoke Plumes

True color imagery and platform-derived aerosol and carbon monoxide products are frequently used to track the source, duration, and transport of smoke plumes across large areas. Smoke from large wildfires to be lofted high enough into the atmosphere that winds push plumes long distances; a process that can often be tracked in near-real time using data from LANCE.

Access smoke plumes near-real time data.

Vegetation

Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) images produced from LANCE data are used to monitor vegetation and crop condition. Groups such as the United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Desert Locust Information Service flag anomalies in vegetation.

Access vegetation near real-time data.

Related Links

NASA's Disasters Program - including data portal for specific disasters
NASA Earth Observatory - Natural Events
NASA Applied Remote Sensing Training - Disasters
SARVIEWS Hazard Portal - A SAR-based hazard monitoring service

LANCE was established to meet the timely needs of applications such as facilitating numerical weather and climate prediction; forecasting and monitoring natural hazards, assessing ecological/invasive species, agriculture, and air quality; providing help with disaster relief; and ensuring homeland security.

Read an Earthdata article celebrating LANCE's Top 10 milestones over a decade of service.

History

NASA’s Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) provides a wealth of data and products supporting scientific research of the atmosphere, oceans, and land. Data from the Earth Observing System (EOS) instruments aboard the Terra, Aqua, and Aura platforms make global measurements daily. The measurements are processed into higher-level "standard" products within 8 to 40 hours of observation and then made available to users, primarily Earth science researchers.

However, application users, operational agencies, and even researchers require EOS products to support research and applications, such as numerical weather and climate prediction; forecasting and monitoring natural hazards, ecological/invasive species, agriculture, and air quality; providing help with disaster relief; and homeland security. These users often need data much sooner than routine science processing allows, usually within three hours, and are willing to trade science product quality for timely access. In response to this need, NASA developed LANCE.

Building on the existing EOSDIS near real-time (NRT) capabilities, NASA’s Earth Science Division sponsored the development of LANCE. LANCE consists of special processing elements, co-located with selected EOSDIS Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs) and processing facilities. These elements process expedited data from the Earth Observing System (EOS) Data and Operations System (EDOS) using optimized science algorithms to provide data in near real-time. LANCE development is jointly sponsored by the Flight, Research and Analysis, and Applied Sciences Programs within NASA’s Earth Science Division (ESD).

The Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) on the International Space Station was decommissioned on November 16, 2023. There will be no further near real-time data from this instrument. Please see the Earthdata article Lightning Imaging Sensor's Nearly 25-Year Data Record Ends.

The processing of Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) NRT products has not resumed since the change in orbit altitude of NASA's Terra platform in October 2022, which required major updates to Level 1 and Level 2 products. The processing of MISR standard products resumed on November 1, 2023. These products are available through Earthdata search.

System Architecture

The LANCE architecture leverages existing near real-time satellite data processing systems that are managed by the Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS) Project at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

LANCE elements are located at the following facilities:

• Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer Science Investigator-led Processing System (AMSR SIPS) providing AMSR2 data and Lightning Information System (LIS) on the International Space Station (ISS)
• Atmospheric Science Data Center (ASDC) providing Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) data with support from the MISR Science Computing Facility at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
• Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) providing Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS), and Microwave Limb Sounder (MLS) data via the MLS SIPS at JPL
• Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Adaptive Processing System (MODAPS) providing MODIS and Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) data
• Measurement of Pollution in the Troposphere SIPS (MOPITT SIPS) providing MOPITT data via the National Center for Atmospheric Research
• Ozone Monitoring Instrument SIPS (OMI SIPS) providing OMI data
• Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) Ozone Mapping Profiler Suite (OMPS SIPS) providing OMPS data
• Suomi NPP Land SIPS providing VIIRS Land data
• Suomi NPP Atmosphere SIPS providing VIIRS Atmosphere data

Citation

View LANCE's citation and acknowledgments as part of the broader Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS) Project Data Use Policy.

Disclaimer

LANCE is operated by the ESDIS Project. The information presented through LANCE, GIBS, Worldview, and FIRMS are provided “as is” and users bear all responsibility and liability for their use of data, and for any loss of business or profits, or for any indirect, incidental or consequential damages arising out of any use of, or inability to use, the data, even if NASA or ESDIS were previously advised of the possibility of such damages, or for any other claim by you or any other person. Due to the spatial resolution and other characteristics of these data, their use for tactical decision-making or informing about conditions at a local scale are not advised.

ESDIS makes no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, including implied warranties of fitness for a particular purpose or merchantability, or with respect to the accuracy of or the absence or the presence or defects or errors in data, databases of other information. The designations employed in the data do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of ESDIS concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. For more information please contact Earthdata Support: earthdata-support@nasa.gov.

Other NRT Data

The following NRT data are also available from NASA.

Rainfall estimates - IMERG

NASA's Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) algorithm combines data from all passive-microwave instruments in the (Global Precipitation Measurement) GPM Constellation to provide rainfall estimates.

• Get IMERG data
• View IMERG data in Worldview

Ocean Biology Ocean Biology Distributed Active Archive Center (OB.DAAC)

Managed by NASA's Ocean Biology Processing Group (OBPG), OB.DAAC is responsible for archiving satellite ocean biology data produced or collected under NASA’s Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS). OB.DAAC's holdings include NRT data from both NASA and partner space organizations.

• Get NRT data from OB.DAAC

Physical Oceanography DAAC (PO.DAAC)

Visualize and download NRT data for ocean and climate research from the PO.DAAC web portal.