Biosphere Data Access and Tools

NASA biosphere data range from surface reflectance data useful for measuring the greenness of vegetation to measurements of nighttime lights that disrupt the behaviors of wildlife. Our datasets and tools help researchers translate these interconnected data points into actionable knowledge.

Dataset	Geographic Region	Temporal Extent	Data Format	Potential Application Areas	Related Subtopics
ALOS-2 PALSAR-2 Level 1 ScanSAR Product	Global	2014-08-01 to Present		Wide-area monitoring of land surface changes Regional vegetation and forest monitoring Large wetland area mapping and monitoring Continental-scale land use change detection Regional soil moisture assessment Broad geological feature identification	ecosystems, vegetation
ATLAS/ICESat-2 L2A Global Geolocated Photon Data V006	Global	2018-10-13 to Present	HDF5	Vegetation structure analysis High-precision elevation measurement Ground truth for other elevation datasets Fine-scale topographic change detection	vegetation
ATLAS/ICESat-2 L3A Land and Vegetation Height V006	Global	2018-10-14 to Present	HDF5	Precise forest canopy height mapping Biomass estimation and carbon stock assessment Habitat structure characterization Forest degradation and regrowth monitoring Urban tree canopy assessment Forest inventory support Vegetation structure biodiversity studies	vegetation
Daymet: Annual Climate Summaries on a 1-km Grid for North America, Version 4 R1	North America, Atlantic Ocean	1950-01-01 to 2023-12-31	GeoTiff	Ecological research on climate impacts Forest management and planning Wildlife habitat suitability modeling Disease vector habitat potential mapping Natural resource conservation planning	ecosystem, vegetation
ECOSTRESS Land Surface Temperature and Emissivity Daily L2 Global 70m V001	Global Land	2018-07-09 to 2025-01-06	HDF5	Plant water stress detection at field scale High-resolution thermal mapping Microclimate analysis in complex landscapes Ecosystem function monitoring	vegetation
ECOSTRESS Tiled Land Surface Temperature and Emissivity Instantaneous L2 Global 70 m	Global Land	2018-07-09 to Present	Cloud Optimized GeoTIFF (COG)	Plant water stress monitoring Ecosystem thermodynamics research Environmental temperature extremes monitoring	vegetation
GEDI L2A Elevation and Height Metrics Data Global Footprint Level V002	Global Land	2019-04-04 to 2023-03-16 2024-04-04 to Present	HDF5	Forest canopy structure characterization Biomass estimation for carbon accounting Biodiversity habitat structure assessment Ecosystem structure monitoring Terrain model refinement under vegetation Carbon sequestration potential assessment	ecological dynamics, vegetation
GEDI L4A Footprint Level Aboveground Biomass Density, Version 2.1	Global	2019-04-17 to 2024-11-27	HDF5	Carbon stock assessment in forests Forest management planning Biodiversity habitat structure analysis Sustainable forestry certification support Forest degradation assessment Ecosystem service valuation	ecosystems, terrestrial ecosystems, vegetation
GEDI L4C Footprint Level Waveform Structural Complexity Index, Version 2	Global	2019-04-17 to 2023-03-16	Binary	Habitat complexity analysis for biodiversity Old-growth forest identification Forest succession stage mapping Wildlife habitat quality assessment Forest management impact evaluation Forest restoration planning Canopy architecture research	ecosystems, terrestrial ecosystems, vegetation
Global Aboveground and Belowground Biomass Carbon Density Maps for the Year 2010	Global Land	2010-01-01 to 2010-12-31	GeoTIFF	Global carbon stock accounting Forest conservation priority setting Carbon offset project development Ecosystem service valuation Land use policy development Biodiversity conservation planning	ecosystems, ecological dynamics, vegetation
HLS Landsat Operational Land Imager Surface Reflectance and TOA Brightness Daily Global 30m v2.0	Global	2013-04-11 to Present	Cloud Optimized GeoTiff (COG)	Land cover and land use change monitoring Forest disturbance detection Ecosystem service assessment Environmental impact monitoring	vegetation
HLS Sentinel-2 Multi-spectral Instrument Surface Reflectance Daily Global 30m v2.0	Global	2013-04-11 to Present	Cloud Optimized GeoTiff (COG)	High temporal frequency vegetation monitoring Forest health assessment Biodiversity and habitat monitoring	vegetation
MAIAC Daily V01	Global	2015-06-13 to Present	PNG	Enhanced retrieval of surface reflectance for vegetation studies	vegetation
MODIS/Terra Land Surface Temperature/Emissivity Daily L3 Global 1 km SIN Grid	Global	2000-02-24 to Present	HDF-EOS2	Climate model validation for land surface processes Wildlife habitat thermal condition assessment Land surface process energy balance studies	ecological dynamics
MODIS/Terra Surface Reflectance Daily L2G Global 250m SIN Grid V061	Global	2000-02-24 to Present	HDF-EOS2	Vegetation condition monitoring Land cover change detection Drought impact evaluation on vegetation	vegetation
SENTINEL-1A_SLC	Global	2014-04-03 to Present		Interferometric analysis for surface deformation detection Coherence-based change detection Phase-based classification of land cover Development of advanced SAR processing algorithms Time-series analysis for subtle change detection	terrestrial ecosystems
SENTINEL-1B_DUAL_POL_GRD_HIGH_RES	Global	2016-04-25 to 2021-12-24		Forest disturbance monitoring Land subsidence detection in urban areas	terrestrial ecosystems, vegetation
SENTINEL-1B_SLC	Global	2016-04-25 to 2021-12-24		Complex coherence analysis for vegetation structure Time-series analysis for seasonal change patterns	terrestrial ecosystems, vegetation
VIIRS/JPSS1 Land Surface Temperature/Emissivity Daily L3 Global 1km SIN Grid Day V002	Global	2018-01-01 to Present	HDF-EOS5	Daily thermal environment monitoring Ecological habitat thermal characterization	ecological dynamics
VIIRS/NPP Burned Area Monthly L4 Global 500m SIN Grid V002	Global	2012-03-01 to Present	HDF-EOS5	Ecosystem disturbance tracking Protected area management Forest management and restoration planning Biodiversity impact assessment after fires	ecological dynamics, vegetation
VIIRS/JPSS1 Land Surface Temperature/Emissivity Daily L3 Global 1 km SIN Grid Day	Global	2018-01-01 to Present	HDF-EOS5	Climate change impact studies on land surface Wildlife habitat thermal condition assessment	ecological dynamics

Biosphere Datasets

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Dataset Sort descending	Version	Platform	Instrument	Temporal Extent	Spatial Extent	Spatial Resolution	Data Format
ASTER Global Emissivity Dataset 100 meter Binary	003	Terra	ASTER	2000-04-01 to 2008-12-31	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180	100 Meters x 100 Meters	Binary
ASTER Global Emissivity Dataset, 100 meter, HDF5 V003	003	Terra	ASTER	2000-01-01 to 2008-12-31	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180	100 Meters x 100 Meters	HDF5
ATLAS/ICESat-2 L3A Land and Vegetation Height Quick Look V005	005	ICESat-2	ATLAS	2022-01-11 to 2023-01-14	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180		HDF5
ATLAS/ICESat-2 L3A Land and Vegetation Height Quick Look V006	006	ICESat-2	ATLAS	2023-01-15 to 2025-06-17	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180		HDF5
ATLAS/ICESat-2 L3A Land and Vegetation Height Quick Look V007	007	ICESat-2	ATLAS	2026-03-01 to Present	N: 88 S: -88 E: 180 W: -180		HDF5
ATLAS/ICESat-2 L3A Land and Vegetation Height V001	001	ICESat-2	ATLAS	2018-10-14 to 2019-01-14	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180		HDF5
ATLAS/ICESat-2 L3A Land and Vegetation Height V002	002	ICESat-2	ATLAS	2018-10-14 to 2019-11-15	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180		HDF5
ATLAS/ICESat-2 L3A Land and Vegetation Height V003	003	ICESat-2	ATLAS	2018-10-14 to 2020-11-11	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180		HDF5
ATLAS/ICESat-2 L3A Land and Vegetation Height V004	004	ICESat-2	ATLAS	2018-10-14 to 2021-07-15	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180		HDF5
ATLAS/ICESat-2 L3A Land and Vegetation Height V005	005	ICESat-2	ATLAS	2018-10-14 to 2022-10-13	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180		HDF5
ATLAS/ICESat-2 L3A Land and Vegetation Height V007	007	ICESat-2	ATLAS	2018-10-14 to Present	N: 88 S: -88 E: 180 W: -180		HDF5
ATLAS/ICESat-2 L3B Mission Composite Gridded Terrain and Canopy Elevation Parameters V001	001	ICESat-2	ATLAS	2018-10-01 to Present	N: 90 S: -70 E: 180 W: -180	1 Kilometers x 1 Kilometers	COG
ATLAS/ICESat-2 L3B Monthly Gridded Terrain and Canopy Elevation Parameters V001	001	ICESat-2	ATLAS	2018-10-01 to Present	N: 90 S: -70 E: 180 W: -180	1 Kilometers x 1 Kilometers	COG
Baseline Wetland Type and Land Cover Map of the Great Lakes Basin, 2010	1	LANDSAT-5, COMPUTERS, ALOS	TM, Computer, PALSAR	2007-04-01 to 2011-04-15	N: 52.5534 S: 38.712 E: -71.5681 W: -97.2815		multiple
BASIN TCP Stable Isotope Composition of CO2 in Terrestrial Ecosystems	1	FIELD INVESTIGATION, LABORATORY	IRGA, MASS SPECTROMETERS	2001-06-05 to 2005-01-02	N: 45.2 S: 45.2 E: -68.73 W: -68.73		CSV
BigFoot Field Data for North American Sites, 1999-2003	1	FIELD INVESTIGATION	IR CO2 ANALYZER, LICOR LEAF AREA METER, QUADRATS, BALANCE	1999-01-01 to 2003-12-31	N: 71.2719 S: 34.32 E: -72.25 W: -156.613		multiple
BigFoot GPP Surfaces for North and South American Sites, 2000-2004	1	FIXED OBSERVATION STATIONS, FIELD INVESTIGATION	EDDY CORRELATION DEVICES, BALANCE	2000-01-01 to 2004-12-31	N: 71.2719 S: -2.86 E: -54.96 W: -156.613		Shapefile
BigFoot Leaf Area Index Surfaces for North and South American Sites, 2000-2003	1	LANDSAT-7	ETM+	2000-01-01 to 2003-12-31	N: 71.2719 S: -2.86 E: -54.96 W: -156.613		Shapefile
BIGFOOT Meteorological Data for North and South American Sites, 1991-2004	1	METEOROLOGICAL STATIONS	LICOR QUANTUM SENSOR, PYRANOMETERS, RAIN GAUGES, THERMOMETERS	1991-01-01 to 2004-12-31	N: 71.2719 S: -2.8697 E: -54.96 W: -156.613		multiple
BigFoot NPP Surfaces for North and South American Sites, 2000-2004	1	FIXED OBSERVATION STATIONS, FIELD INVESTIGATION	EDDY CORRELATION DEVICES, BALANCE	2000-01-01 to 2004-12-31	N: 71.2719 S: -2.86 E: -54.96 W: -156.613		Text File
Biomass Allocation and Growth Data of Seeded Plants	1	NOT APPLICABLE	NOT APPLICABLE	1922-07-15 to 2003-07-15	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180		CSV
Biomass Burning 5x5 degree data in Native Format	1	GROUND STATIONS, GROUND-BASED OBSERVATIONS	NOT APPLICABLE	1980-01-01 to 1980-12-31	N: 35 S: -30 E: 155 W: -110		ASCII
Biomass of Sacrificed Spruce/Aspen (SNF)	1	FIELD INVESTIGATION	BALANCE, STEEL MEASURING TAPE, VISUAL OBSERVATIONS	1983-08-01 to 1984-08-14	N: 48.1697 S: 47.6575 E: -91.7658 W: -92.5058		ASCII
Biome-BGC: Modeling Carbon Dynamics in Ponderosa Pine Stands (Law et al. 2003)	1	NOT APPLICABLE	NOT APPLICABLE	2003-04-15 to 2003-04-15	N: 44.49 S: 44.49 E: -121.62 W: -121.62		multiple
Biome-BGC: Modeling Effects of Disturbance and Climate (Thornton et al. 2002)	1	NOT APPLICABLE	NOT APPLICABLE	2002-12-02 to 2002-12-02	N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180		multiple

Biosphere Data Tools

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Tool Sort descending	Description	Services
AppEEARS	The Application for Extracting and Exploring Analysis Ready Samples (AppEEARS) offers a simple and efficient way to perform data access and transformation processes.	Search and Discovery, Subsetting, Customization, Downloading, Visualization
Biomass Earthdata Dashboard	Observe global forest biomass harmonization activity with the Biomass Earthdata Dashboard.	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
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
OpenAltimetry	OpenAltimetry is a map-based visualization tool for exploring surface elevation data across Earth over time.	Analysis, Search and Discovery, Visualization
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
POWER DAV	The POWER project’s Data Access Viewer (DAV) is an interactive web-mapping application that provides access to NASA’s customized solar and meteorological data catalog.	Analysis, Downloading, Subsetting, Visualization
STREAM	STREAM is a rapid water quality monitoring tool that processes satellite imagery to create maps showing chlorophyll-a, Total Suspended Solids, and water clarity at 20-30 meter resolution.	Processing

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Biosphere Data Access and Tools

Commonly Used Datasets for Applications in the Biosphere

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Biosphere Data Tools

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