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These documents contain a series of recommendations made by NASA's Earth Science Data System Working Groups (ESDSWG) Dataset Interoperability Working Group (DIWG) increase and enhance the interoperability of Earth Science data product files. The DIWG recommendations herein embody best practices to reduce and bridge gaps between geoscience dataset formats widely used at NASA and elsewhere and to help ensure that Earth science datasets smoothly interoperate with each other regardless of their origin.

Status

The Dataset Interoperability Recommendations for Earth Science document was recommended for use in NASA Earth Science Data Systems in July 2016. Part 2 was added in April 2019 and Part 3 in September 2025.

Specification Documents

Recommendations

Dataset Interoperability Recommendations for Earth Science

  • Maximize HDF5/netCDF4 interoperability via API accessibility
  • Include Basic CF Attributes
  • Use CF "bounds" attributes
  • Verify CF compliance
  • Distinguish clearly between HDF and netCDF packing conventions
  • When to employ packing attributes
  • Mapping between ACDD and ISO
  • Make HDF5 files netCDF4-Compatible and CF-compliant within Groups
  • Include time dimension in grid structured data
  • Order dimensions to facilitate readability of grid structure datasets
  • Consider “balanced” chunking for 3-D datasets in grid structures
  • Include datum attributes for data in grid structures

Dataset Interoperability Recommendations for Earth Science: Part 2

  • Character set for user-defined group, dataset, and attribute names
  • Consistent units attribute value for variables across one data collection
  • Use the units attribute only for variables with physical units
  • Include time coordinate in swath structured data
  • Keep coordinate values in coordinate variables
  • Include Georeference Information with Geospatial Coordinates
  • Not-a-Number (NaN) Value
  • Standardize file extensions for HDF5/netCDF files
  • Ensure Granule's Filename Uniqueness Across Different Dataset Releases
  • Adopt Semantically Rich Dataset Release Identifiers
  • Date-Time Information in Granule Filenames

Dataset Interoperability Recommendations for Earth Science: Part 3

  • Attach the CF flag_values and/or flag_masks Attributes Along With the CF flag_meanings Attribute to Each Flag Variable
  • Avoid Use of the missing_value Attribute
  • Define the Projection Ellipsoid to Match the Reference Datum
  • Include Only One Science Variable per GeoTIFF File
  • Indicate in CRS Metadata the Order of Elements in Horizontal Coordinate Pairs
  • Make a Variable's Valid Data Range Consistent Within Each Product Release
  • Make a Variable's Valid Data Range Useful
  • Use a Number Outside of the Valid Data Range for a Variable's Fill Value
  • Use DOIs for Referencing Documentation
  • Use Double Precision When Archiving Time in Seconds Since a Specific Epoch
  • Use Only Officially Supported Compression Filters on NetCDF-4-Compatible Data
  • Use the ASCII Null Character (0x00) as the Fill Value for String Data and Metadata