Skip to main content

What is Earthdata Search?

Earthdata Search is the powerful search and discovery application for NASA’s Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS). Developed by NASA’s Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS) Project and hosted in the Earthdata Cloud, Earthdata Search pulls together a number of EOSDIS services: the Common Metadata Repository (CMR), Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), EOSDIS Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC) services, Harmony, and Earthdata Login. Using CMR as a foundation, Earthdata Search enables sub-second searches through the nearly 50 petabytes (PB) of data in the EOSDIS collection.

Earthdata Search provides the only means for data discovery, filtering, visualization, and access across all of NASA’s Earth science data holdings. This tool allows a user to search by any topic, collection, or location. Using Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS), Earthdata Search enables high-performance, highly available data visualization when applicable. Learn more about Earthdata Search.

What Is the GHRC Search Portal?

The GHRC Search Portal is powered by Earthdata Search and provides access to only GHRC data. This search portal was made to be user friendly, concise, and easy to use.  A user is delivered to the GHRC Search Portal interface by selecting Find Data (GHRC Search Portal) from the FIND DATA dropdown in the menu bar or by going directly to the GHRC Search Portal. The GHRC Search Portal looks like the image below.

A screenshot of the GHRC Portal on Earthdata Search

How Do I Use the GHRC Search Portal?

Use the GHRC Search Portal to locate data within the NASA GHRC DAAC.
One can search for data by several means:

  • Use the interactive map on the left to select a subregion
  • Specify a study period using the temporal date range
  • Specify a science keyword, instrument, platform, project, processing level, data format, tiling system, or horizontal data resolution
  • Look for a thematic collection of data

To locate a dataset quickly, just type the name or part of a name into the search box. A user can then use the search filters to narrow down to the needed files.

Datasets that meet the selection requirements are listed. The order of listed datasets can be by oldest first, newest first, or ordered by relevance.  Relevance will deliver the datasets that best match your search terms, providing those with the term in the dataset name first.  If no search term is used, the most recent data are listed first.

A user can download data by a single granule (file), multiple granules, a single collection, or multiple collections. Granules can be viewed once a collection is selected. In granule view, a user will see only the granules for the collection that match the designated filters. Note that a user can further refine what granules are selected by using the “Granule Search” text field, the “Filter Granules”, or the date slider at the bottom of the screen.

A table that shows the different icons, their descriptions, and when to use them.
Image Caption

*More information on how to use these icons to download data can be found in the ‘How Do I Get The Data?’ section.

What Is Earthdata Login?

To obtain data from the NASA GHRC DAAC, all users are required to login using a central NASA Earthdata login account. Visit https://urs.earthdata.nasa.gov/.  If a user does not have an account, click the Register button. For more information, visit the Earthdata information web page.
 

How Do I Get The Data?

A user can download a single granule (file), multiple granules, a single collection, or multiple collections.

Downloading a single granule:

  1. Click on the desired collection to view the granules.
     
A screenshot showing the selected granule highlighted in a red box.

2. Sort, search, filter, and/or adjust the time bar as needed to find desired granules.

Screenshot showing the sort, search, filter, and time bar selections highlighted in red boxes.

3. Click on the Download single granule data button on the granule of interest.

Screenshot showing the single granule download button highlighted in a red box.

Downloading multiple granules:

  1. Click on collection to view the granules.
A screenshot showing the selected granule highlighted in a red box.

2. Filter the granules as necessary and click ‘Add to project’. Only the granules that match the spatial and temporal filter parameters will be downloaded or added to the project.

Screenshot showing the selection of multiple granules highlighted with multiple red boxes.

3. Once the user has added all of their desired collection to ‘My Project’, click on ‘My Projects’ to view the download options.

Screenshot with the "My Projects" button highlighted in a red box.

4. Click on Direct Download.

Screenshot with the Direct Download selection highlighted in a red box.

5. Click on Download Data.

The green download button at the bottom left of the screen is highlighted with a red box.

6. The ‘Order Status’ page will appear. For a detailed walk through on how to download and run the script to download the data, please reference the ‘How-To Guide’.
 

Downloading a single collection and/or multiple collections:

  1. Click on collection to view the granules.
A screenshot showing the selected granule highlighted in a red box.

Alternatively, click on Add collection to current project to add all of the granules in the collection that match the desired filters to ‘My Project’. Repeat step to add multiple collections to ‘My Project’.

The selected granule is highlighted in a red box.

2. Click on Download All to add all of the collection’s matching granules to ‘My Project’. Alternatively, filter the granules as necessary and click ‘Add to project’. Only the granules that match the spatial and temporal filter parameters will be downloaded or added to the project.

The green download all button in the bottom right corner of the screen is highlighted with a red box.

3. Once the user has added all of their desired collection to ‘My Project’, click on ‘My Projects’ to view the download options.

The green download all button in the bottom right corner of the screen is highlighted with a red box.

4. Click on Direct Download.

Screenshot with the Direct Download selection highlighted in a red box.

5. Click on Download Data.

The green download button at the bottom left of the screen is highlighted with a red box.

6. The ‘Order Status’ page will appear. For a detailed walk through on how to download and run the script to download the data, please reference the ‘How-To Guide’.

How do I Customize Data?

  1. Find a collection that supports customization. A box labeled ‘CUSTOMIZABLE’ will appear under collections that support customization. To filter search results to only show customizable collections, select the ‘Customizable’ feature.
Screenshot showing the customization buttons

2. Click on a collection to view the granules.

The collection is highlighted by a red box.

Alternatively, click on Add collection to current project to add all of the granules in the collection that match the desired filters to ‘My Project’. Repeat step to add multiple collections to ‘My Project’.

Screenshot with the "My Projects" button highlighted in a red box.

3. Click on Download All to add all of the collection’s matching granules to ‘My Project’. Alternatively, filter the granules as necessary and click ‘Add to project’. Only the granules that match the spatial and temporal filter parameters will be downloaded or added to the project.

The My Projects in the upper right corner and the Download all button at the bottom right corner are highlighted in red boxes.

4. Click on 'Customize'.

The customize selection is highlighted by a red box.

5. A user can edit the desired variables and output format of the data.

The blue Edit Variables button is highlighted with a red box, and the Output Format dropdown menu is also highlighted with a red box.

6. Once completed, select 'Download Data'.

The green Download Data button on the bottom left of the screen is highlighted by a red box.

7. The ‘Order Status’ page will appear. For a detailed walk through on how to download and run the script to download the data, please reference the ‘How-To Guide’.

Details

Last Updated

Published

Data Archive

Global Hydrometeorology Resource Center DAAC (GHRC DAAC)