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Earth Science Data Roundup: March 2025

A summary of datasets, products, and resources released by NASA’s Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACs) in February 2025.
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Joseph M. Smith
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Atmospheric Science Data Center (ASDC)

Atmospheric Science Data Center (ASDC)

PREFIRE Mission Releases Level 1 Beta Data Products

NASA’s ASDC DAAC announced that the Polar Radiant Energy in the Far InfraRed Experiment (PREFIRE) mission released its first Level 1A and Level 1B data. 

The Level 1A and 1B products are: 

  • PREFIRE_SAT1_1A-RAD_R00 - Level 1A Calibrated Spectral Radiance from PREFIRE Satellite 1 contains calibrated radiance data derived from data collected by the PREFIRE Thermal Infrared Spectrometer (TIRS-PREFIRE) aboard PREFIRE-SAT1. doi:10.5067/PREFIRE-SAT1/PREFIRE/RAD_L1A.R00
     
  • PREFIRE_SAT1_1B-RAD_R00 – Level 1B Spectral Radiance from PREFIRE Satellite 1 contains calibrated and geolocated radiance data derived from data collected by the TIRS-PREFIRE instrument. doi: 10.5067/PREFIRE-SAT1/PREFIRE/RAD_L1B.R00
     
  • PREFIRE_SAT2_1A-RAD_R00 - Level 1A Calibrated Spectral Radiance from PREFIRE Satellite 2 contains calibrated radiance data derived from data collected by the TIRS-PREFIRE instrument. doi: 10.5067/PREFIRE-SAT2/PREFIRE/RAD_L1A.R00
     
  • PREFIRE_SAT2_1B-RAD_R00 – Level 1B Spectral Radiance from PREFIRE Satellite 2 contains calibrated and geolocated radiance data derived from data collected by the TIRS-PREFIRE instrument. doi: 10.5067/PREFIRE-SAT2/PREFIRE/RAD_L1B.R00

The Level 1A products are calibrated, but not geolocated Earth-emitted spectral radiance measured by the TIRS instrument. The Level 1B products are calibrated and geolocated spectral radiance. Both products include radiance uncertainties and quality flags. The Level 1 radiance data products are provided in netCDF4 format.

These data are at beta maturity, which means the product is minimally validated but may still contain significant errors and is based on product quick looks using the initial calibration parameters. Because the products at this stage have minimal validation, users should refrain from making conclusive public statements regarding science and applications of the data products until a product is designated at the provisional validation status.

Access PREFIRE Level 1 beta data products and more information

This still image from a PREFIRE first light video shows a visualization of some PREFIRE-SAT2 data. The colored strips are the brightness temperatures (a measure of the intensity of infrared emissions) measured along the CubeSat's orbit swaths.

This still frame from a PREFIRE first light video shows a visualization of some PREFIRE-SAT2 data captured in July 2024. The colored strips are the brightness temperatures (a measure of the intensity of infrared emissions) measured along the CubeSat's orbit swaths. Red indicates intense infrared emissions from Earth, while blue/purple indicates less-intense infrared emissions. Credit: NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio

New Version of the CERES Level 2 CALIPSO-CloudSat-CERES-MODIS CCCM (or C3M) Product Available

ASDC released a new version of the CERES Level 2, Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO)-CloudSat-CERES-Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) CCCM (or C3M) product from the Radiation Budget Science Project (RBSP) of the Clouds and the Earth’s Radiant Energy System (CERES) mission team. This new product is a revised version of the publicly available D1 version of the CCCM product and its files report CALIPSO-, CloudSat-, and MODIS-derived cloud profiles; CALIPSO- and MODIS-derived aerosol profiles; and CERES-derived, top-of-atmosphere observed radiative fluxes and computed radiative flux profiles. 

The product is available from July 1, 2006, through December 31, 2017. However, data is missing from May 1, 2011, to June 30, 2012, while CloudSat had power issues. For the time period starting with July 2012, CloudSat transitioned to daytime-only operation.

Access data and more information about the CCCM (or C3M) Product

Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC)

TROPICS NNAVP Data Products Now Available

NASA's GES DISC released Neural Network (NN) Atmospheric Vertical Profiles (AVP) temperature and moisture profile data products from the Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats (TROPICS) mission. 

Data products included in this release include:

The data products consist of data from the four constellation CubeSats launched in May 2023 and the Pathfinder CubeSat launched in August 2021. These data products are similar to the TROPICS MIRS AVP products, however the MIRS AVP products use an iterative physics-based retrieval whereas the NNAVP products employ a neural network.

The release covers the entire historical record and any new data collected by TROPICS-03, TROPICS-05, and TROPICS-06, the remaining active TROPICS CubeSats). 

Access TROPICS NNAVP data products and more information

A swath of TROPICS Neural Network 3-kilometer moisture data.

This data visualization shows a swath of TROPICS Neural Network 3-kilometer moisture data on February 13, 2025. The swath captures cyclones Zelia and Taliah. Credit: GES DISC

Updated Aura OMI Total Ozone Products Now Available

The latest Total Ozone Products from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) aboard NASA’s AURA satellite are now available from GES DISC. 

This release includes the Total Column 1-Orbit L2 Swath 13x24 km V004 (OMTO3) product, as well as the gridded Total Column Daily L2 Global Gridded 0.25 degree x 0.25 degree V004 (OMTO3G), TOMS-Like Ozone, Aerosol Index, Cloud Radiance Fraction L3 1 day 1 degree x 1 degree V004 (OMTO3d), and TOMS-Like Ozone and Radiative Cloud Fraction L3 1 day 0.25 degree x 0.25 degree V004 (OMTO3e) products, which use the new Collection 4 Level 1B data and have been thoroughly evaluated and compared with the previous version using Collection 3. 

GES DISC recommends the use of the latest version due to improvements in the underlying Level 1B data, as well as improved row anomaly flags. There are no changes to the OMTO3 algorithm itself. The product formats are the same (HDF5), and there are no anticipated issues in switching to this new version for software previously using Collection 3. 

Access data and more information about the Aura OMI Total Ozone Products

A graphic showing OMI total column ozone concentrations.

A graphic showing OMI total column ozone concentrations for swath orbit No. 9108 on April 1, 2006. Yellow, orange, and red colors indicate higher concentrations of ozone. Credit: GES DISC

Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (LP DAAC)

Harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2 Vegetation Indices Data Products Released

NASA’s LP DAAC released the Harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2 (HLS) Vegetation Indices (VI) data products: 

These new HLS-derived datasets provide vegetation data from the Operational Land Imager (OLI) aboard the joint NASA/USGS Landsat 8 and 9 satellites and the Multi-Spectral Instrument (MSI) aboard the European Space Agency (ESA) Sentinel-2A, Sentinel-2B, and Sentinel-2C satellites. The combined instruments enable global observations of the land every 2–3 days at 30 meter (m) spatial resolution. These products are useful for many applications, including monitoring vegetation health, agriculture, and forest management.

The nine vegetation indices in each of the HLS-VI data products are: Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI), Modified Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (MSAVI), Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI), Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI), Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR), Normalized Burn Ratio 2 (NBR2), and Triangular Vegetation Index (TVI).

Data are currently available for February 2025 through the present with forward processing continuing as new observations are collected. Historical processing is planned in the near future. Once historical processing is complete, HLSL30-VI data will cover the period from April 2013 to the present, while HLSS30-VI data will span from December 2015 to the present.

Access data and more information about the HLS Vegetation Indices data products

Two side-by-side Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) images from the HLS project show the degree of land use change in a region of Western Brazil between 2016 and 2024. Green areas indicate healthy vegetation, while tan and brown images show areas of exposed soil or barren ground.

These side-by-side Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) images depict land use change in a region in Western Brazil between 2016 and 2024. High NDVI values in green indicate healthy vegetation and lower NDVI values in tan and brown correspond to soil or barren areas. Credit: Bradley Baker, HLS Project

LP DAAC Decommissions ECOSTRESS Resampled Radiance Version 1 Data Product

NASA's LP DAAC announced that the ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) Resampled Radiance Version 1 data product will no longer be available through the LP DAAC Data Pool, Earthdata Search, or AppEEARS as of February 14, 2025. Users are encouraged to transition to the ECOSTRESS Tiled Top of Atmosphere Calibrated Radiance Instantaneous Level 1C Version 2 or the ECOSTRESS Gridded Top of Atmosphere Calibrated Radiance Instantaneous Level 1C Version 2 data products.

Learn more about this decommissioned ECOSTRESS product

ECOSTRESS Version 1 Forward Processing Ended on January 6

LP DAAC announced that the forward processing of ECOSTRESS Version 1 Level 1 and 2 products has ended as of January 6, 2025. Version 1 collections will be decommissioned at the end of May 2025. Users are encouraged to transition to ECOSTRESS Version 2. The complete list of ECOSTRESS Version 2 datasets is listed in the ECOSTRESS Products Table.

Learn more about Version 2 improvements and additions

New ECOSTRESS Resource Is Now Available

A new Python-based command-line script to extract the Geolocation Accuracy QA flag from ECOSTRESS Version 2 data is now available from LP DAAC. The Geolocation Accuracy QA flag provides an indication of geolocation error. This flag is only available from the ECOSTRESS Swath Geolocation version 2 data and has not been carried over to higher-level data products. Users are encouraged to assess the geolocation accuracy and determine whether the error is acceptable for their applications.

Learn more about the script to extract the Geolocation Accuracy QA flag

An ECOSTRESS image showing the impact of center-pivot irrigation on agricultural land in Kansas.

This ECOSTRESS image of Garden City, Kansas, shows how center-pivot irrigation dominates the landscape with circular patterns distributed across this community. Blue circles and squares indicate recently irrigated fields. Credit: ECOSTRESS

Oceania Added to the Global Land Cover Mapping and Estimation (GLanCE) Data Product

LP DAAC announced the addition of Oceania data to the NASA Making Earth System Data Records for Use in Research Environments (MEaSUREs) Global Land Cover Mapping and Estimation (GLanCE) data product. With this addition, the GLanCE data product now contains continental coverage over North America, South America, Europe, and Oceania. Coverage for additional continents will be delivered in the coming months. 

GLanCE provides 30-meter global land cover and land cover change data for the period 2001 to 2019 and its datasets are designed for a wide range of applications, including ecosystem, climate, and hydrologic modeling; monitoring the response of terrestrial ecosystems to climate change; carbon accounting; and land management. 

Access data and more information about GlanCE

National Snow and Ice Data Center Distributed Active Archive Center (NSIDC DAAC)

SnowEx23 Apr23 AVIRIS-NG Surface Spectral Reflectance, Version 1 Dataset Released

NASA’s NSIDC DAAC released the SnowEx23 Apr23 Airborne Visible-Infrared Imaging Spectrometer - Next Generation (AVIRIS-NG) Surface Spectral Reflectance, Version 1 dataset. This dataset contains surface reflectance data collected from three boreal forest study sites around Fairbanks, Alaska, as part of the NASA SnowEx 2023 field campaign. Temporal coverage spans from April 7, 2023, to May 5, 2023.

Access SnowEx23 data and more information

This map of (most of) North America shows the locations of SnowEx field campaign locations in the contiguous United States and Alaska. The map also provides a legend on the left with snow classes and a legend on the right with site names.

SnowEx is a multi-year field experiment, which includes extensive surface-based observations to evaluate how to best combine different remote sensing technologies to accurately observe snow throughout the season in various landscapes. This map shows the names (numbers) and locations of SnowEx field sites (red dot), as well as the snow classes throughout the map area. Credit: SnowEx Campaign

SMOS-Based SMAP Level 2 Radiometer Half-Orbit 9 Kilometer EASE-Grid Soil Moisture, Version 1 and SMOS/SMAP L3 Radiometer 9 Kilometer EASE-Grid Soil Moisture, Version 1 Datasets Now Available

The Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS)-Based Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Level 2 Radiometer Half-Orbit 9 Kilometer (km) EASE-Grid Soil Moisture, Version 1 and SMOS/SMAP Level 3 Radiometer 9 km EASE-Grid Soil Moisture, Version 1 datasets are now available from NASA's NSIDC DAAC. These datasets contain integrated brightness temperature observations from both satellites. This reduces the revisit time to about one day, improving the ability to monitor fast-response processes such as groundwater drainage and recharge, early dry-down after storms, and pre-storm soil moisture conditions for runoff determination.

Access data and more information about the SMAP Level 2 and Level 3 Datasets

IceBridge Sander AIRGrav Level 1B Geolocated Free Air Gravity Anomalies, Version 2 Dataset Released

Version 2 of the IceBridge Sander AIRGrav Level 1B Geolocated Free Air Gravity Anomalies dataset is now available from NSIDC DAAC. This new version is a re-analysis of the entire dataset using continuous flights of data instead of sub-sections of flights based on aircraft motion. This improvement removes discontinuities in the data that had been present when the sections were joined back together. In addition, gravity data is provided regardless of flight conditions, eliminating previous coverage gaps. Acceleration variables (ACC_HOR, ACC_VER) are now available to assess flight conditions.

Version 1 of this dataset will be retired from the NSIDC DAAC archive in the beginning of March 2025. On retirement, the version 1 data will no longer be accessible but all related documentation will remain available on the dataset landing page for future reference.

Access data and more information about the AIRGrav Level 1B Geolocated Free Air Gravity Anomalies Version 2 Dataset

NASA Earthdata Cloud Access Option for the SMAP Validation Collection Now Available

NSIDC DAAC added 61 datasets from the Soil Moisture Active-Passive (SMAP) Validation collection to the NASA Earthdata Cloud on February 18, 2025. The Earthdata Cloud HTTPS data access URL will be available from each dataset landing page using the HTTPS File System link under Data Access and Tools after the publication date.

The URL for access to the legacy HTTPS File System will be removed from the dataset landing page when the data are added to Earthdata Cloud. However, users can continue to find legacy HTTPS URLs in the Programmatic Data Access Guide.

Earthdata Cloud is NASA’s archive of Earth observations, hosted in Amazon Web Services (AWS). The NSIDC DAAC User Services Office currently supports users with direct data download from the Earthdata Cloud HTTPS and with basic access to our AWS Simple Storage Service (S3) buckets. For more details on the access options, please see the NASA Earthdata Cloud Data Access Guide.

Learn more about the addition of the SMAP Validation Collection to the Earthdata Cloud

New NASA Earthdata Cloud Access Option for the AMSR-E and AMSR Unified Collections Now Available

NSIDC DAAC added 31 datasets from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS (AMSR-E) and AMSR-E/Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2) unified collections to the NASA Earthdata Cloud on February 18, 2025. Although these data sets will continue to be available via their current URLs and workflows, these legacy access methods will soon be retired. Users are encouraged to update their direct download workflows, including any data download scripts, to use the new Earthdata Cloud HTTPS location after February 18. The Earthdata Cloud HTTPS data access URL will be available from each dataset landing page using the HTTPS File System link under Data Access and Tools after the publication date.

Learn more about the addition of the AMSR-E and AMSR Unified Collections to the Earthdata Cloud

Oak Ridge National Laboratory Distributed Active Archive Center (ORNL DAAC)

BioSoundSCape Acoustic Recordings, South Africa, 2023 Dataset Released

NASA’s ORNL DAAC released the BioSoundSCape Acoustic Recordings South Africa 2023 dataset, which offers in-situ sound recordings from sites in Greater Cape Floristic Region (GCFR) in South Africa from June to December 2023. 

The recordings were collected as part of the Biodiversity Survey of the Cape (BioSCape) project, a multiagency, NASA-led research project that integrates airborne imaging spectroscopy and lidar with a suite of measurements of biodiversity. BioSoundSCape is a BioSCape subproject seeking to relate ground-based measures of bioacoustic diversity to remote imagery.

The dataset includes site information in tabular form and photographs of field sites.

Access data and more information about the BioSoundSCape acoustic recordings

Images of AudioMoth recording devices used in the BioSoundscape Project.

The AudioMoth automated recording devices used in the BioSoundscape Project were deployed in a variety of habitats. Credit: ORNL DAAC

MASTER: Western Diversity Time Series Campaign, Western Diversity Time Series, Spring 2024 Dataset Released

NASA's ORNL DAAC released the Western Diversity Time Series Campaign (WDTS) Spring 2024 dataset, which includes Level 1B data products from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)/Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) Airborne Simulator (MASTER) instrument: georeferenced multispectral imagery of calibrated radiance in 50 bands at approximately 50-meter spatial resolution. Derived Level 2 data products are emissivity in five bands in thermal infrared range and land surface temperature. The spectral data were collected as part of the WDTS (formerly HyspIRI) airborne campaign during four flights aboard a NASA ER-2 aircraft over California and Nevada from June 4-28, 2024. 

The Level 1B products are in HDF4 format and the Level 2 products are provided in ENVI and KMZ formats. In addition, the dataset includes the flight path, spectral band information, instrument configuration, ancillary notes, and summary information for each flight, and browse images derived from each Level 1B data file.

Access data and more information about the WDTS Spring 2024 dataset

During the WDTS campaign the MASTER instrument was flown over California and Nevada. The flight paths are represented on this map as rectangular polygons.

During the WDTS campaign, the MASTER instrument was flown on NASA's ER-2 aircraft at altitudes of 19,500–20,360 meters above sea level. This image shows the ER-2's flight tracks over California and Nevada represented as rectangular polygons. Credit: ORNL DAAC. Basemap: OpenStreetMap contributors.

MASTER: Geological Earth Mapping Experiment (GEMx), Spring 2024 Dataset Now Available

The MASTER Geological Earth Mapping Experiment (GEMx), Spring 2024 dataset is now available from ORNL DAAC. The dataset includes Level 1B data products from the MASTER instrument: georeferenced multispectral imagery of calibrated radiance in 50 bands at approximately 50-meter spatial resolution and the derived Level 2 data products are emissivity in five bands in thermal infrared range and land surface temperature. The spectral data were collected during 26 flights aboard a NASA ER-2 aircraft over California, Oregon, Nevada, and Arizona from April 2 to June 24, 2024. 

The Level 1B products are in HDF4 format and the Level 2 products are provided in ENVI and KMZ formats. The dataset also includes the flight path, spectral band information, instrument configuration, ancillary notes, and summary information for each flight, and browse images derived from each Level 1B data file.

Access data and more information about the GEMx Spring 2024 dataset

Final Report of the PANGEA Scoping Study Now Available

ORNL DAAC released the final report from the PAN tropical investigation of bioGeochemistry and Ecological Adaptation (PANGEA) scoping study. The report provides the scientific rationale; an initial study design concept; a presentation of science questions, goals, and objectives; the rationale in terms of state-of-the-art, relevance, and expected advances; implementation concepts; and other information to enable NASA to fully evaluate the project. The report is provided in five languages: English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, and Indonesian.

PANGEA is one of the two scoping studies funded by NASA in 2023 to identify the scientific questions and develop the initial study design and implementation concept for a new NASA Terrestrial Ecology field campaign. 

Learn more about the PANGEA scoping study report

Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center (PO.DAAC)

GHRSST Level 2P Sea Surface Temperature from EWSG2 Released

NASA's PO.DAAC released the Group for High-Resolution Sea Surface Temperature (GHRSST) Level 2P Sea Surface Temperature (SST) Version 1.0 data product from the Electro-Optical Infrared Weather System Geostationary (EWSG2) dataset. The dataset is produced by the Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVO) from the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES) imager on the Electro-Optical Infrared Weather System – Geostationary satellite (EWS-G2), formerly known as GOES-15.

The EWS-G2 Level 2P SST product provides daytime and nighttime SST from the band 2 and band 4 channels and covers the Indian Ocean region. The data are packaged according to the GHRSST Data Specification version 2 (GDS2) in netCDF4 format.

Access data and more information about the GHRSST Level 2P SST Version 1.0 data product

A graphic showing NAVO GHRSST Level 2P Sea Surface Temperature v1.0 data.

This graphic shows NAVO GHRSST Level 2P Sea Surface Temperature v1.0 data derived from the GOES Imager aboard the Electro-Optical Infrared Weather System. The yellow, orange, and red colors indicate the areas with the warmest sea surface temperatures. Credit: PO.DAAC

Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC)

Africa Climate Mobility Initiative (ACMI): Internal Migration Projections, v1 (2020 – 2050) Dataset Now Available

NASA's SEDAC released the Africa Climate Mobility Initiative (ACMI): Internal Migration Projections, v1 (2020 – 2050) dataset. The ACMI Internal Migration Projections project provides internal migration flows at 5-year intervals from 2020 to 2050 for a combination of 2 sets of Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) scenarios and 3 sets of Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) scenarios. 

The unit of analysis is 7.5 arc-minutes, covering the entire African continent (approximately 15 kilometers at the equator). These grid cells are drawn using a vector representation, and not a tessellation of grid cells (rasters). While the calibration and projection took place at a grid cell resolution of 2.5 arc-minutes, these data have been aggregated to a 7.5 arc-minute resolution. 

Access data and more information about the ACMI Internal Migration Projections, version 1 (2020 – 2050) dataset

Details

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Data Center/Project

Atmospheric Science Data Center (ASDC)
Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC)
Land Processes DAAC (LP DAAC)
National Snow and Ice Data Center DAAC (NSIDC DAAC)
Oak Ridge National Laboratory DAAC (ORNL DAAC)
Physical Oceanography DAAC (PO.DAAC)
Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC)