A global data set of soil types is available at 1-degree latitude by 1-degree longitude resolution. There are 26 soil units based on Zobler?s assessment of FAO Soil Units (Zobler, 1986). The data set was compiled as part of an effort to improve modeling of the hydrologic cycle portion of global climate models. A more extensive version of these data, including 106 soil units as well as soil texture and slope, is available from NCAR, Scientific Computing Division, Data Support Section; the more extensive data set is entitled "Staub and Rosenweig's GISS Soil & Sfc Slope, 1-Deg" [http://www.dss.ucar.edu/datasets/ds770.0/]. A help file prepared by Matthews and Fung (1987) (soil1x1.help) is provided as a companion file. Image of 26 soil types available at 1-degree by 1-degree resolution. Additional documentation from Zobler?s assessment of FAO soil units is available from the NASA Center for Scientific Information