Atmosphere Data Access and Tools

Earth observation data range from measuring the light reflected by snow and ice to tracking the atmospheric conditions around hurricanes. Our datasets and tools help researchers translate these interconnected data points into actionable knowledge.

Dataset	Potential Application Areas	Related Subtopics
ACTIVATE Falcon In-Situ Meteorological and Navigational Data	Validation data for satellite and remote sensing observations Observation of local meteorological conditions during aerosol-cloud interaction events Boundary layer dynamics characterization Flight path reconstruction for correlating with other measurements Numerical weather prediction model verification Analysis of atmospheric conditions during science flights Mapping meteorological parameters across flight transects	aerosols, atmospheric water vapor, atmospheric winds, weather events
Aqua/AIRS L3 Daily Standard Physical Retrieval (AIRS+AMSU) 1 degree x 1 degree V7.0	Global atmospheric temperature profile monitoring Water vapor distribution and humidity analysis Tracking of greenhouse gas concentrations, especially CO2 Weather forecasting and model initialization Climate change studies and trend analysis Cloud property characterization across the globe Atmospheric research on multiple vertical layers Long-term climate record development	air quality, atmospheric chemistry, atmospheric pressure, atmospheric temperature, atmospheric water vapor, clouds, weather events
CALIPSO Lidar Level 1B profile data, V4-51	Raw lidar backscatter measurement analysis for atmospheric composition studies Development and validation of aerosol and cloud retrieval algorithms Detection of thin clouds, aerosol layers, and boundary layer heights Input for higher-level CALIPSO data product generation Calibration reference for other remote sensing instruments Study of nighttime versus daytime atmospheric structure differences Detection of stratospheric features including polar stratospheric clouds Scientific research requiring processing of raw lidar returns with custom algorithms	aerosols, atmospheric chemistry, clouds
CALIPSO Lidar Level 2 Aerosol Profile, V4-51	Aerosol vertical structure mapping Aerosol data integration in climate modelling Aerosol long-term distribution trends Aerosols and their effect on cloud formation and cloud properties Air quality monitoring Validation Data for other satellite aerosol measurements Tracking long-range aerosol transport patterns globally Input data for calculating Earth’s radiation budget	aerosols, atmospheric chemistry
CALIPSO Lidar Level 2 Cloud Profile, V4-51	Global 3D cloud structure mapping and classification Detection and characterization of optically thin cirrus clouds Multi-layer cloud analysis for atmospheric radiation studies Climate model validation and improvement of cloud parameterizations Study of cloud formation and evolution processes Investigation of cloud-aerosol interactions and their climate impacts Monitoring of polar clouds and their seasonal variations Identification of cloud thermodynamic phase (ice/water) distribution	aerosols, clouds
Daymet: Annual Climate Summaries on a 1-km Grid for North America, Version 4 R1	Regional climate trend analysis Ecological research on climate impacts Agricultural planning and risk assessment Water resource management Forest management and planning Wildlife habitat suitability modeling Disease vector habitat potential mapping Natural resource conservation planning	atmospheric radiation, atmospheric temperature, atmospheric water vapor, precipitation
Daymet: Daily Surface Weather Data on a 1-km Grid for North America, Version 4 R1	Hydrological modeling at watershed scales Crop growth modeling and yield prediction Wildfire danger assessment Ecological process modeling Pest and disease outbreak risk assessment Energy demand forecasting Recreation planning and management Public health risk modeling for extreme weather	atmospheric radiation, atmospheric temperature, atmospheric water vapor, precipitation, weather events
DARTE Annual On-road CO2 Emissions on a 1-km Grid, Conterminous USA, V2, 1980-2017	Transportation emissions planning and management Urban air quality modeling Climate action plan development Environmental justice analysis Transportation infrastructure planning Emission reduction policy assessment Urban planning for sustainability Public health impact assessment of traffic emissions	air quality, atmospheric chemistry
ECOSTRESS Tiled Land Surface Temperature and Emissivity Instantaneous L2 Global 70 m	High-resolution urban heat island analysis Plant water stress monitoring Agricultural irrigation management Ecosystem thermodynamics research Microclimate analysis at field scale Water use efficiency assessment Fire risk evaluation Environmental temperature extremes monitoring	atmospheric temperature
EMIT L2A Estimated Surface Reflectance and Uncertainty and Masks 60 m	Surface mineralogy mapping Geological exploration and resource assessment Dust source region characterization Mining impact monitoring Soil composition analysis Environmental impact assessment Critical mineral identification Spectral library development for earth materials	aerosols
GLDAS Noah Land Surface Model L4 3 hourly 0.25 x 0.25 degree V2.1	Global soil moisture distribution monitoring Agricultural modeling and crop yield forecasting Evapotranspiration assessment for water cycle studies Hydrological cycle research and water resource management Land-atmosphere interaction studies Weather prediction model improvement Climate change impact assessment on land surfaces Flood forecasting and monitoring Energy flux analysis between land and atmosphere	atmospheric pressure, atmospheric radiation, atmospheric temperature, atmospheric water vapor, atmospheric winds, precipitation, weather events
GOES-R Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) Gridded Data Products	Real-time severe storm monitoring and tracking Lightning safety warning systems Convective storm intensification prediction Wildfire ignition detection from lightning strikes Aviation hazard avoidance for flight planning Precipitation estimation improvement Thunderstorm electrification research Validation of numerical weather prediction models	atmospheric electricity, weather events
GPM IMERG Final Precipitation L3 Half Hourly 0.1 degree x 0.1 degree V07	Global high-resolution precipitation monitoring Extreme rainfall event detection and analysis Hydrological modeling and flood forecasting Agricultural drought monitoring and management Water resource planning and management Climate variability studies of precipitation patterns Validation of weather and climate models Storm evolution tracking and analysis	precipitation, weather events
High-rate Hatanaka-compressed GNSS observation data	Atmospheric Science (High-Resolution Ionosphere/Troposphere) Precise Positioning/Navigation Geodesy/Geodynamics (Detailed Crustal Motion, Rapid Changes) Space Weather Monitoring (Rapid Event Detection) Scientific Research (Dynamic Phenomena Studies) IGS Support (High-Frequency Analysis) Data Quality Control (Improved Temporal Resolution)	atmospheric pressure
High-resolution mean North American methane fluxes for 2010-2015 optimized with GOSAT satellite data V1	Methane emission hotspot identification across North America Validation of greenhouse gas inventory reporting Oil and gas industry emission monitoring Agricultural methane source assessment Wetland methane flux quantification Urban methane leakage detection Climate policy development and assessment Carbon budget analysis for North America	atmospheric chemistry
Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) CPEX V1	Specialized precipitation analysis for CPEX field campaign Convective process studies in tropical environments Validation of satellite rainfall estimates with field observations Storm system evolution and lifecycle research Cloud microphysics process understanding Improvement of precipitation retrieval algorithms Air-sea interaction studies during convective events Field campaign support and data integration	precipitation, weather events
Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) on TRMM Science Data V4	Tropical and subtropical lightning activity monitoring Thunderstorm intensity characterization Rainfall estimation improvement in tropical regions Severe weather climatology across the tropics Global electrical circuit studies Lightning-nitrogen oxide production estimation Tropical convective system research Climate change impact assessment on thunderstorm activity	atmospheric electricity, precipitation, weather events
LIS 0.1 DEGREE VERY HIGH RESOLUTION GRIDDED LIGHTNING ANNUAL CLIMATOLOGY (VHRAC) V1	Global lightning distribution pattern analysis Severe storm climatology studies Lightning risk assessment for infrastructure planning Thunderstorm activity trend analysis Climate model validation for convective processes Aviation safety planning based on lightning patterns Global electrical circuit research Wildfire ignition risk assessment	atmospheric electricity, weather events
LIS/OTD 0.5 Degree High Resolution Full Climatology (HRFC) V2.3.2015	Global lightning distribution and frequency analysis Long-term lightning trend studies Severe storm risk assessment across regions Climate model validation and improvement Lightning-caused wildfire risk mapping Thunderstorm energetics research Global electrical circuit modeling Agricultural planning based on lightning patterns	atmospheric electricity, weather events
MAIAC Daily V01	High-resolution aerosol optical depth monitoring over land and coastal areas Enhanced retrieval of surface reflectance for vegetation studies Urban air quality assessment and monitoring Detection of smoke plumes from wildfires at finer spatial scales Land cover and land use change analysis through improved atmospheric correction Support for regional climate and air quality modeling Detailed aerosol transport tracking near source regions Time series analysis of aerosol patterns with daily temporal resolution	aerosols
MERRA-2 tavg1_2d_flx_Nx: 2d,1-Hourly,Time-Averaged,Single-Level,Assimilation,Surface Flux Diagnostics 0.625 x 0.5 degree V5.12.4	Surface energy balance studies and monitoring Evaporation and precipitation pattern analysis Heat flux quantification between surface and atmosphere Land-atmosphere moisture exchange assessment Climate model validation for surface processes Hydrological cycle component analysis Agricultural modeling for crop water requirements Urban heat island effect studies and monitoring	altitude, atmospheric radiation, atmospheric temperature, atmospheric water vapor, atmospheric winds, precipitation
MERRA-2 tavg1_2d_rad_Nx: 2d,1-Hourly,Time-Averaged,Single-Level,Assimilation,Radiation Diagnostics 0.625 x 0.5 degree V5.12.4	Solar and thermal radiation budget analysis Cloud radiative effect studies Climate model validation and improvement Energy balance assessment for climate studies Surface radiation input for ecosystem models Solar energy resource assessment Radiation-related climate feedback research Long-term radiation trend analysis	atmospheric radiation, atmospheric temperature, clouds
MERRA-2 tavg1_2d_slv_Nx: 2d,1-Hourly,Time-Averaged,Single-Level,Assimilation,Single-Level Diagnostics 0.625 x 0.5 degree V5.12.4	Weather pattern analysis and atmospheric dynamics research Climate variability studies across different timescales Extreme weather event investigation Boundary layer process research Air quality model input for pollution studies Wind resource assessment for renewable energy Validation of weather prediction models Long-term climate trend analysis	altitude, atmospheric chemistry, atmospheric pressure, atmospheric temperature, atmospheric water vapor, atmospheric winds, clouds, weather events
MetOp-B ASCAT Level 2 Ocean Surface Wind Vectors Optimized for Coastal Ocean	Coastal wind field monitoring Maritime operations planning Storm development tracking near coasts Coastal upwelling prediction Wind energy resource assessment Coastal erosion risk assessment Maritime safety enhancement Ocean model forcing data	atmospheric winds, weather events
MODIS/Aqua Aerosol 5-Min L2 Swath 10km - NRT	Near real-time air quality monitoring Wildfire smoke plume tracking Dust storm detection and monitoring Regional pollution event assessment Aviation hazard awareness Public health warning systems for particulate matter Support for field campaign operations Rapid response to volcanic ash events	aerosols, atmospheric radiation
MODIS/Aqua Cloud Mask and Spectral Test Results 5-Min L2 Swath 250m and 1km	Weather forecasting model initialization Clear-sky scene identification for other applications Cloud cover analysis for climatology studies Surface observation filtering based on cloud presence Cloud property retrieval preprocessing Aviation planning and operations Solar energy resource assessment Satellite image compositing for clear views	clouds, weather events
MODIS/Terra Aerosol 5-Min L2 Swath 10km - NRT	Morning air quality condition assessment Transboundary pollution monitoring Dust storm tracking across continental scales Rapid response to wildfire smoke emissions Complementary observations to afternoon Aqua passes Urban pollution pattern analysis in morning hours Air quality forecast model data assimilation Early warning for deteriorating air quality	aerosols, air quality, atmospheric radiation
MODIS/Terra+Aqua Land Aerosol Optical Depth Daily L2G Global 1 km SIN Grid	Daily air quality assessment and monitoring Regional pollution pattern analysis Smoke and dust plume mapping Long-range pollution transport tracking Visibility degradation assessment Climate forcing by aerosols research Public health impact studies Combined morning/afternoon aerosol pattern analysis	aerosols, air quality
MODIS/Terra Clouds 5-Min L2 Swath 1km and 5km	Cloud optical thickness and effective radius mapping Cloud phase (water/ice) determination Weather system analysis and tracking Aviation hazard assessment Cloud top pressure and temperature monitoring Climate model validation for cloud properties Precipitation potential assessment Radiation budget calculations	atmospheric radiation, atmospheric pressure, clouds, precipitation, weather events
NLDAS Primary Forcing Data L4 Hourly 0.125 x 0.125 degree V2.0	High-resolution hydrological modeling for North America Driving land surface models for water resource applications Drought monitoring and analysis Agricultural planning and crop modeling Extreme weather event impact assessment Regional climate studies with detailed meteorological inputs Watershed management and flood forecasting Energy demand modeling based on weather conditions	atmospheric temperature, atmospheric water vapor, atmospheric winds, precipitation, weather events
PACE OCI Level-2 Regional Cloud Optical Properties - NRT Data, version 3.0	Cloud microphysical property monitoring Weather system characterization Radiation budget studies Aviation hazard assessment Climate model validation Precipitation potential estimation Cloud evolution tracking Storm intensity analysis	atmospheric radiation, clouds, precipitation, weather events
RSS MONTHLY 1-DEG MICROWAVE TOTAL PRECIPITABLE WATER NETCDF V7R01	Global atmospheric moisture pattern monitoring Climate variability studies of water vapor Water cycle research and modeling Weather system moisture content analysis Drought monitoring and assessment Climate change impact on atmospheric water content Precipitation potential assessment Climate model validation for moisture representation	atmospheric water vapor
RSS SMAP Level 2C Sea Surface Salinity V6.0 Validated Dataset	Ocean circulation studies Water mass formation tracking Rainfall impact on ocean salinity Evaporation-precipitation balance analysis River plume monitoring in coastal areas Climate model validation for ocean processes Marine ecosystem habitat characterization El Niño-Southern Oscillation monitoring	precipitation
RSS SSMIS OCEAN PRODUCT GRIDS 3-DAY AVERAGE FROM DMSP F17 NETCDF V7	Medium-range maritime operations planning Reduced noise assessment of ocean parameters Tropical cyclone environment monitoring Ocean current pattern analysis Marine heatwave tracking and monitoring Sea ice edge mapping in polar regions Weather system evolution over oceans Fishing operations guidance based on ocean conditions	atmospheric water vapor, atmospheric winds, clouds, precipitation, weather events
RSS SSMIS OCEAN PRODUCT GRIDS DAILY FROM DMSP F16 NETCDF V7	Daily ocean surface wind speed monitoring Sea surface temperature tracking across global oceans Marine weather forecasting support Climate variability studies over ocean regions Tropical cyclone intensity monitoring Ocean heat content estimation Maritime operations planning based on ocean conditions Climate model validation for marine environments	atmospheric water vapor, atmospheric winds, clouds, precipitation, weather events
RSS SSMIS OCEAN PRODUCT GRIDS MONTHLY AVERAGE FROM DMSP F17 NETCDF V7	Long-term ocean climate monitoring Seasonal ocean pattern analysis Climate model validation and improvement Marine ecosystem research support Ocean circulation studies Sea surface temperature anomaly detection Global climate teleconnection research Seasonal forecasting model initialization	atmospheric water vapor, atmospheric winds, clouds, precipitation
STAQS JSC GV GEOstationary Coastal and Air Pollution Events (GEO-CAPE) Airborne Simulator Data	Simulation and validation of future GEO-CAPE satellite observations High-resolution mapping of coastal pollution events and dynamics Air quality assessment in urban and industrial corridors Study of trace gas distributions and their diurnal variations Investigation of pollution transport and atmospheric chemistry processes Coastal ecosystem monitoring and water quality assessment Development of retrieval algorithms for future satellite missions Integration with atmospheric models for improved pollution forecasting	atmospheric chemistry
TEMPO gridded formaldehyde total column V03 (PROVISIONAL)	Tracking of volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from natural and anthropogenic sources Monitoring of photochemical pollution episodes in urban areas Identification of biogenic emissions from vegetation during growing seasons Assessment of industrial emissions and their spatial distribution Study of wildfire smoke plume chemistry and composition Investigation of formaldehyde as an ozone precursor in pollution events Evaluation of diurnal patterns in atmospheric chemistry processes Support for public health research on respiratory irritant exposure	aerosols, atmospheric chemistry
TEMPO gridded NO2 tropospheric and stratospheric columns V03 (PROVISIONAL)	High-temporal resolution monitoring of urban and industrial NO2 pollution Traffic emission pattern analysis throughout the day across North America Assessment of emission control policy effectiveness in near real-time Identification of point source pollution from power plants and industrial facilities Study of NO2 transport and chemical transformation processes Investigation of weekend/weekday emission pattern differences Monitoring of stratospheric NO2 variations and their influences on tropospheric chemistry Integration with air quality forecasting models for improved predictions	air quality, atmospheric chemistry
TEMPO NO2 tropospheric and stratospheric columns V03 (PROVISIONAL)	Hourly monitoring of nitrogen dioxide pollution across North America Detailed mapping of traffic emission patterns in urban centers Tracking of power plant and industrial facility emissions at unprecedented temporal resolution Observation of NO2 plume transport and dispersion processes throughout the day Separation of tropospheric pollution from stratospheric NO2 influences Study of diurnal chemical transformation processes affecting NO2 concentrations Near real-time air quality assessment for public health applications Evaluation of emission control strategies and their immediate impacts	air quality, atmospheric chemistry
TEMPO ozone total column V03 (PROVISIONAL)	High-temporal resolution monitoring of total ozone column across North America Detection of stratospheric ozone intrusions affecting air quality Tracking of diurnal patterns in tropospheric ozone formation and destruction Assessment of photochemical pollution episodes in urban environments Study of ozone transport across political and geographic boundaries Monitoring of seasonal variations in both stratospheric and tropospheric ozone Support for public health warnings during high-ozone events Validation and improvement of air quality forecasting models	air quality, atmospheric chemistry
VIIRS/NOAA20 Cloud Mask and Spectral Test Results 6-Min L2 Swath 750m	Weather forecasting support Clear-sky determination for surface observations Cloud detection for aviation operations Sea surface temperature retrieval preprocessing Land surface temperature quality filtering Cloud climatology studies Satellite product quality control Radiation budget analysis input	aerosols, atmospheric radiation, clouds, weather events
VIIRS/Suomi-NPP Cloud Mask 6-Min Swath 750 m	Clear/cloudy pixel identification Cloud fraction estimation Preprocessing for surface observation products Weather pattern analysis Flight planning support Satellite image compositing Cloud climatology development Radiative transfer modeling input	clouds, weather events
Quality Controlled Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) on International Space Station (ISS) Science Data V2	Mid-latitude lightning activity monitoring Diurnal cycle research of thunderstorm activity Severe weather nowcasting improvement Validation of ground-based lightning detection networks Atmospheric chemistry studies related to lightning NOx production Climate model thunderstorm parameterization improvement Global lightning mapping with extended coverage Lightning safety research and applications	atmospheric electricity, weather events

Atmosphere Data Tools

View All Data Tools

Tool Sort descending	Description	Services
AppEEARS	The The Application for Extracting and Exploring Analysis Ready Samples (AppEEARS) offers users a simple and efficient way to perform data access and transformation processes.	Search and Discovery, Subsetting, Customization, Downloading, Visualization
ASDC CALIPSO Search and Subset Tool	The CALIPSO Search and Subset web application enables a more sophisticated approach to selecting and ordering CALIPSO lidar data by date, time and geolocation.	Analysis, Search and Discovery, Visualization
CASEI	The Catalog of Archived Suborbital Earth Science Investigations (CASEI) is a comprehensive inventory of contextual information for NASA's Earth Science airborne and field campaigns.	Search and Discovery, Cataloging
Earthdata Search	Earthdata Search enables data discovery, search, comparison, visualization, and access across NASA’s Earth science data holdings.	Search and Discovery, Access, Cataloging, Cloud Computing, Downloading
Field Campaign Explorer	The Field Campaign Explorer is an open source, cloud-based tool that combines multiple datasets to generate 3D views of atmospheric phenomena.	Analysis, Search and Discovery, Visualization
FIRMS	The Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS) provides access to satellite imagery, active fire/hotspots, and related products to identify the location, extent, and intensity of wildfire activity.	Access, Visualization
Giovanni	Giovanni is a web application for accessing, visualizing, and analyzing Earth science remote sensing data without downloading the data.	Search and Discovery, Analysis, Access, Visualization, Downloading, Subsetting
GUARDIAN	The GNSS-based Upper Atmospheric Realtime Disaster Information and Alert Network (GUARDIAN) is a near real-time (NRT) ionospheric monitoring tool for natural hazards warning.	Monitoring Natural Events
LIS Space Time Domain Search	The Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) Space Time Domain Search allows users to quickly perform a space time domain search of LIS science products.	Search and Discovery
Panoply	Panoply is a cross-platform application that plots geo-referenced and other arrays from netCDF, HDF, GRIB, and other datasets.	Visualization, Customization, Reformatting, Subsetting, Comparison

SHOWING 10 OF 14

Items

Datasets

View All Datasets

Dataset	N Lat	S Lat	E long	W Long
Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) CPEX V1	62.05	-15.77	-7.97	-133.33
AAMH CPEX	44.97	0.64	-19.56	154.72
Microwave Atmospheric Sounder on Cubesat (MASC) CPEX V1	29.05	16.54	-69.04	-94.41
ER-2 X-band Radar (EXRAD) 3D Winds IMPACTS	44.73	33.28	-71.52	-90.89
Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) CPEX V1	39.95	5.05	-45.05	-99.95
High Altitude MMIC Sounding Radiometer (HAMSR) CPEX V1	39.95	5.05	-45.05	-99.95
GOES CPEX	49.90	8.03	-57.10	-130.92
P-3 Meteorological and Navigation Data IMPACTS	48.24	33.26	-64.99	-95.24
Global Forecast System (GFS) CPEX	40.00	5.00	-45.00	-100.00
Airborne Precipitation Radar 3rd Generation (APR-3) CPEX	28.90	16.81	-69.30	-96.03

SHOWING 10 OF 571

Items

Frequently Asked Questions

Earthdata Forum

Our online forum provides a space for users to browse thousands of FAQs about research needs, data, and data applications. You can also submit new questions for our experts to answer.

Submit Questions to Earthdata Forumand View Expert Responses

Atmosphere Data Access and Tools

Commonly Used Datasets for Applications in Atmosphere

Atmosphere Data Tools

Datasets

Earthdata Forum

EarthdataForum

Earthdata
Forum