Earth Science Data Roundup: August 2025

Global Hydrometeorology Resource Center Distributed Active Archive Center (GHRC DAAC)

North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array (NALMA) Version 1 Dataset Now Available

The North Alabama Lightning Mapping Array (NALMA) dataset is now available from NASA’s GHRC DAAC. These data are used to validate the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) on the International Space Station (ISS), the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) instrument, and other lightning measurements. They are also used in convective storm process studies, including but not limited to validation of convection-resolving models that predict lightning. The NALMA data files are available from Dec. 17, 2019, to the present and are available in ASCII format.

Access the NALMA Version 1 dataset and more information.

Short-term Prediction Research and Transition Land Information System (SPoRT-LIS) Dataset Released

NASA's GHRC DAAC released the Short-term Prediction Research and Transition Land Information System (SPoRT-LIS) dataset. The SPoRT-LIS dataset is a gridded observations-driven run of the Noah land surface model (LSM) in both reanalysis and real-time mode. The SPoRT-LIS consists of a 1929 x 929 grid of the Noah LSM at 0.03-deg grid spacing in the West-East and South-North dimensions. A climatology run was made spanning the years 1981 to 2013, then extended into real-time beginning in April of 2015. The real-time production run has continued to the present, running in a cycled mode every six hours.

Access the SPoRT-LIS dataset and more information.

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

AQUA MODIS High Resolution Level 3 Daily Aerosol Data 0.1 x 0.1 Degree Grid Version 001 Dataset Now Available

The AQUA MODIS High Resolution Level 3 daily Aerosol Data, 0.1 x 0.1 Degree Grid Version 001 dataset is now available from NASA’s GES DISC. This product is generated by combining two operational algorithms, namely the Deep Blue (DB) and Dark Target (DT) algorithms of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard NASA’s Aqua satellite. The dataset is provided in daily files ranging from July 4, 2002, to the present. The spatial coverage is global and the dataset is gridded at 0.1 x 0.1 degree spatial resolution.

Access the Aqua MODIS dataset and more information.

Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (LP DAAC)

New VIIRS Version 2 Gross Primary Productivity and Net Photosynthesis Data Products 

A new suite of Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Version 2 Gross Primary Productivity and Net Photosynthesis data products at 500-meter resolution are available from NASA's LP DAAC. These data products, which feature data from both the joint NASA-NOAA Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (Suomi NPP) satellite and the NOAA-20 satellite (previously known as the Joint Polar Satellite System-1 or JPSS-1), include layers for gross primary productivity and net photosynthesis along with a quality control layer.

Users are encouraged to use the higher quality gap-filled products which are generated at the end of each year. Forward processing is available for the VIIRS/ Suomi NPP Gross Primary Productivity and Net Photosynthesis 8-Day L4 Global 500 m SIN Grid V002 and VIIRS/JPSS1 Gross Primary Productivity and Net Photosynthesis 8-Day L4 Global 500m SIN Grid V002 8-day products for users who need access to more recent data.

Access the VIIRS Version 2 Gross Primary Productivity and Net Photosynthesis data products and more information.

VIIRS Version 2 Actual and Potential Evapotranspiration Data Products Released

NASA's LP DAAC released a new suite of VIIRS Version 2 Actual and Potential Evapotranspiration data products at 500-meter resolution. These Version 2 products include layers for composited Evapotranspiration, Latent Heat Flux, Potential Evapotranspiration, and Potential Latent Heat Flux, along with a quality control layer, and are created with data from both the Suomi NPP and NOAA-20 satellites. 

Users are encouraged to use the gap-filled products which are generated only at the end of a given year. Forward processing is available for the VIIRS/Suomi NPP Actual and Potential Evapotranspiration 8-Day Level 4 Global 500 m SIN Grid V002 and VIIRS/JPSS1 Actual and Potential Evapotranspiration 8-Day Level 4 Global 500 m SIN Grid V002 for users who need more recent data.

Access the VIIRS Version 2 Actual and Potential Evapotranspiration data products and more information.

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

VIIRS Suomi NPP and JPSS1 Snow Cover Daily Level 3 Global 375 m Climate Modeling Grid, Version 2 Data Now Available

The VIIRS/Suomi NPP Snow Cover Daily Level 3 Global 375 Meter Climate Modeling Grid (CMG) Version 2 and VIIRS/JPSS-1 Snow Cover Daily Level 3 Global 375 Meter CMG, Version 2 datasets are now available from NASA’s NSIDC DAAC. These datasets provide a daily global view of cloud-gap-filled snow cover at 375-meter resolution and are produced by reprojecting all of the VIIRS Suomi NPP and JPSS-1 (also known as NOAA-20) 10A1F product tiles from each day to a global geographic projection. The dataset’s temporal range spans from Jan. 5, 2018, to the present.

Access the VIIRS Suomi NPP and JPSS1 Snow Cover Daily Level 3 Global 375 m Climate Modeling Grid, Version 2 data and more information.

ICESat-2 Derived Canopy Height Model, Version 1 Dataset Released

The ICESat-2 Derived Canopy Height Model, Version 1 dataset is now available from NSIDC DAAC. This dataset provides a regression-based canopy height model of the contiguous United States (CONUS) using data from Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS)/ICESat-2 Level 3A Land and Vegetation Height (ATL08) data product, as well as data from Landsat, LANDFIRE, and NASADEM. The temporal coverage of the input data is from Jan. 1, 2019, to Dec. 31, 2021.

Access the ICESat-2 Derived Canopy Height Model, Version 1 dataset and more information.

Near Real-Time MODIS/Terra Level 3 Global Daily 500 m SIN Grid Snow Cover, Grain Size, and Dust Radiative Forcing, Version 1 Dataset Updated

The Near Real-Time Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)/Terra Level 3 Global Daily 500 m SIN Grid Snow Cover, Grain Size, and Dust Radiative Forcing, Version 1 dataset available at NSIDC DAAC has been updated. Spatial coverage has been expanded to include six new tiles over the Andes mountains in Chile, South America. Data are available from Nov. 1, 2023, to the present for 16 tiles over North America, and from April 1, 2025, to the present for two tiles over the South Island of New Zealand and six tiles over the Andes mountains in Chile.

Access updated Version 1 data and more information.

SnowEx21 Time Series Snow Depth Measurements, Version 1 Dataset Now Available

The SnowEx21 Time Series Snow Depth Measurements, Version 1 dataset is now available from NSIDC DAAC. The dataset contains manual snow depth measurements collected as part of the NASA SnowEx 2021 Time Series campaign. Data were collected at five study sites: Cameron Pass, Fraser Experimental Forest, and Senator Beck, Colorado; Boise River Basin, Idaho; and the Central Agriculture Research Center, Montana. Temporal coverage spans from Nov. 18, 2020, to May 27, 2021.

Access the SnowEx21 Time Series Snow Depth Measurements, Version 1 dataset and more information.

SnowEx21 Prairie Station Digital Surface Models from UAV-LiDAR, Version 1 Dataset Updated

NSIDC DAAC has updated the SnowEx21 Prairie Station Digital Surface Models from Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-LiDAR, Version 1 dataset. A high-resolution orthomosaic GeoTIFF derived from UAV-Lidar collected on Jan. 21, 2021, has been added to the dataset.

Access the SnowEx21 Prairie Station Digital Surface Models from Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-LiDAR, Version 1 dataset and more information.

Legacy Data Archive for High Mountain Asia (HMA) Retired

NSIDC DAAC announced that access to High Mountain Asia (HMA) datasets in its legacy, on-premises archive will be retired on Aug. 19, 2025. The NASA Earthdata Cloud is now the primary data archive for HMA data. Users who currently access data through the legacy, on-premises archive, including through the HTTPS File System or through the Earthdata Search Stage for Delivery (ECHO Orders) option, should update their data access workflows and scripts to use the Earthdata Cloud archive. 

Learn more about the HMA dataset retirement.

New Version of MEaSUREs ITS_LIVE Regional Glacier and Ice Sheet Surface Velocities, Version 2 Dataset Released

NSIDC DAAC released Version 2 of MEaSUREs ITS_LIVE Regional Glacier and Ice Sheet Surface Velocities dataset. This new version contains mean annual surface velocities for the years 1984 to 2022, plus climatological mean velocities for the years 2014 to 2022, for 16 glacier-covered regions. Velocities are derived by applying the autonomous Repeat Image Feature Tracking (autoRIFT) processing chain to imagery acquired by the Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, and Landsat 4, 5, 7, 8, and 9 satellites, and data are provided on 120 m resolution grids. This dataset is part of the Making Earth System Data Records for Use in Research Environments (MEaSUREs) Program.

Version 1 of this dataset will be retired from NSIDC DAAC on Aug. 26, 2025. On retirement, data will no longer be accessible, but all related documentation will remain available on the dataset web page for future reference.

Access the MEaSUREs ITS_LIVE Regional Glacier and Ice Sheet Surface Velocities, Version 2 dataset and more information.

Near Real-Time SMAP Level 1B and Level 2 Radiometer Product Datasets Updated

The Near Real-Time Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) Level 1B Radiometer Half-Orbit Time-Ordered Brightness Temperatures, Version 105, and Near Real-Time SMAP Level 2 Radiometer Half-Orbit 36 kilometer EASE-Grid Soil Moisture, Version 107 datasets available at NSIDC DAAC have been updated. This update incorporates new data inputs and revised algorithms that match those used in their respective current SMAP standard dataset versions: SMAP Level 1B Radiometer Half-Orbit Time-Ordered Brightness Temperatures, Version 6, and SMAP Level 2 Radiometer Half-Orbit 36 km EASE-Grid Soil Moisture, Version 9. This change is identified by the new Composite Release ID (CRID) N19241 in the filenames and metadata, replacing the previous CRID N17701.

Access updated SMAP datasets and more information.

User Notice: OpenAltimetry GLAS/ICESat Data Access Update

NSIDC DAAC has announced that with the migration of Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS)/ICESat data to the NASA Earthdata Cloud, transformation services will be retired and no replacement services in the cloud are planned for GLAS/ICESat Level 1B Global Elevation Data (HDF5), Version 34 (GLAH06). As a result, downloading a subsetted GLAH06 file in HDF5 format is no longer an option within the OpenAltimetry web application.

Downloading CSV files containing the elevation data continues to be an option in OpenAltimetry. These CSV files include the name of the corresponding GLAH06 file so that users may access the full HDF5 files using another method (e.g., NASA Earthdata Search). These changes do not apply to the ATLAS/ICESat-2 side of the web application. 

Users are encouraged to visit the OpenAltimetry webpage for guidance on using OpenAltimetry to access GLAS/ICESat data. In addition, users with questions should contact the NSIDC User Services Office.

EASE Grids Ancillary Grid Information, Version 1 and the Polar Stereographic Ancillary Grid Information, Version 1 Dataset Updated

The Equal-Area Scalable Earth (EASE) Grids Ancillary Grid Information, Version 1 and the Polar Stereographic Ancillary Grid Information, Version 1 datasets available at NSIDC DAAC have been updated. This update includes minor changes to the metadata and attributes to be more in line with NSIDC's netCDF guidelines.

Access updated EASE data and more information.

AMSR2 Daily Polar Gridded Sea Ice Concentrations and AMSR2 Daily Polar Gridded Brightness Temperatures Datasets Released

NSIDC DAAC released two new data products based on the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2):

• AMSR2 Daily Polar Gridded Brightness Temperatures, Version 1
• AMSR2 Daily Polar Gridded Sea Ice Concentrations, Version 1

These datasets provide daily files of brightness temperature data and sea ice concentrations for both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. These data products serve as a replacement for the Near Real-Time Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I)/Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder (SSMIS) Daily Polar Gridded Brightness Temperature (NSIDC-0080) and Near-Real-Time DMSP SSMIS Daily Polar Gridded Sea Ice Concentrations (NSIDC-0081) data products whose availability ended July 31, 2025.

Note: Users should refer to the Earthdata Status Update On DMSP Data Products for further details on the transition from DMSP SSMIS data for additional information on product replacement.

Access the new AMSR2 data products and more information.

Calibrated Enhanced-Resolution Passive Microwave Daily EASE-Grid 2.0 Brightness Temperature ESDR, Version 2 Dataset Updated

The Calibrated Enhanced-Resolution Passive Microwave Daily EASE-Grid 2.0 Brightness Temperature ESDR, Version 2 dataset available from NSIDC DAAC has been updated to include Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer 2 (AMSR2) data from 2012 to the present that it is now being updated daily. 

These data are gridded to three EASE-Grid 2.0 projections (north azimuthal, south Azimuthal, and cylindrical) and include enhanced-resolution imagery as well as coarse-resolution, averaged imagery. Inputs include brightness temperature data from the Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR), Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I), Special Sensor Microwave Imager/Sounder (SSMIS), Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-Earth Observing System (AMSR-E), and AMSR2.

Note: As noted above, the Department of Defense stopped processing and delivering SSMIS data on July 31, 2025. The SSMIS data available in the NSIDC-0630 dataset will end after this date, but the dataset will continue to update with data from the AMSR2 instrument.

Access the updated Calibrated Enhanced-Resolution Passive Microwave Daily EASE-Grid 2.0 Brightness Temperature ESDR, Version 2 dataset  and more information.

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

New MASTER FireSense and Flight Line Geospatial Polygons and Contextual Data Datasets Released

NASA's ORNL DAAC released two new datasets from the MODIS/ASTER Airborne Simulator (MASTER) instrument. They include:

MASTER FireSense, California and Southern United States, Spring 2025

The MASTER FireSense, California and Southern United States, Spring 2025 dataset includes Level 1B and Level 2 data products from the MASTER instrument. The spectral data were collected as part of the FireSense project during seven flights aboard a NASA B200 aircraft over California, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida from March 17 to April 18, 2025. 

Data products include Level 1B georeferenced multispectral imagery of calibrated radiance in 50 bands covering wavelengths of 0.460 to 12.879 micrometers at approximately 10-meter spatial resolution. The Level 1B file format is HDF-4, and Level 2 products are provided in HDF-5 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 the MASTER FireSense, California and Southern United States, Spring 2025 dataset and more information.

MASTER: Flight Line Geospatial Polygons and Contextual Data 

The MASTER Flight Line Geospatial Polygons and Contextual dataset provides resources for identifying flight lines of interest for the MASTER instrument based on spatial and temporal criteria. This dataset includes a table of flight lines with dates, bounding coordinates, site names, investigators involved, flight attributes, and associated campaigns for the MASTER Facility Instrument Collection. 

A shapefile containing flights for all years, a GeoJSON version of the shapefile, and separate KMZ files for all years allow users to visualize flight line locations using Geographic Information System (GIS) software.

Access the MASTER Flight Line Geospatial Polygons and Contextual dataset and more information.

New AVIRIS-Classic Datasets Now Available

Two new datasets from the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) are now available from ORNL DAAC. These datasets include:

AVIRIS-Classic Level 1B Calibrated Radiance, Facility Instrument Collection, Version 1 

The AVIRIS-Classic Level 1B Calibrated Radiance, Facility Instrument Collection, Version 1 dataset contains Level 1B orthocorrected, scaled radiance image files as well as files of observational geometry and illumination parameters and supporting sensor band information from the AVIRIS instrument. 

The primary data files include: orthocorrected calibrated radiance image files, geometric lookup table, and orthocorrected observation geometry and illumination files. Also included are unprojected files of input geometry and parameters relating to the geometry of observation and illumination. Additional files provide information on spectral and radiometric calibration, spatial resolution, aircraft and sensor position, deployment notes, and data processing. 

Quicklook images (JPEG) and polygon outlines of imagery footprints (kmz) are provided for each flight line. The primary AVIRIS Level 1B data are provided in ENVI binary format, which includes a flat binary file accompanied by a header file holding metadata in text format. The ancillary files include JPEG mages, maps in Keyhole Markup Language, and calibration files in binary and text formats. This archive currently includes data from 2004, and from 2006 to 2024. Additional Level 1B data will be added as they become available. 

Access the AVIRIS-Classic Level 1B Calibrated Radiance, Facility Instrument Collection, Version 1 dataset and more information.

AVIRIS-Classic Level 2 Calibrated Reflectance, Facility Instrument Collection, Version 1

This dataset contains Level 2 orthocorrected reflectance from the AVIRIS instrument. For each flight line, two types of Level 2 data files may be included: (a) calibrated surface reflectance and (b) water vapor and optical absorption paths for liquid water and ice. The Level 2 data are provided in ENVI format, which includes a flat binary file accompanied by a header file holding metadata in text format. This archive currently includes data from 2008 to 2024. Additional AVIRIS facility instrument Level 2 data will be added as they become available.

Access the AVIRIS-Classic Level 2 Calibrated Reflectance, Facility Instrument Collection, Version 1 dataset and more information.

Mangrove Extent Baseline from Landsat MSS, 1972-1977 Dataset Released

ORNL DAAC released the Mangrove Extent Baseline from the Landsat Multispectral Scanner (MSS), 1972-1977 dataset, which includes a regional map of mangrove extent for Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia for the period of 1972 to 1977. The map was developed from Landsat 1-2 MSS Collection 1 Tier 2 imagery. 

Mangrove extent was generated using a Random Forest machine learning algorithm that effectively mapped a total of 15,420.51 square kilometers at the nominal Landsat scale of 30 meters. The data are provided in Cloud optimized GeoTIFF format at 60-meter resolution. In addition, a shapefile outlines the region of analysis.

Access the Mangrove Extent Baseline from Landsat MSS, 1972-1977 dataset and more information.

NACP MsTMIP: Global 0.5-degree Model Outputs in Standard Format, Version 2.0 dataset Now Available

The North American Carbon Program (NACP) Multi-scale synthesis and Terrestrial Model Intercomparison Project (MsTMIP) Global 0.5-degree Model Outputs in Standard Format, Version 2.0 dataset is now available from the ORNL DAAC. This dataset provides an updated version of global gridded estimates of carbon, energy, and hydrologic fluxes between the land and atmosphere from 17 Terrestrial Biosphere Models (TBMs) in a standard format. 

Model estimates are at monthly and yearly time steps for the period 1900 to 2010, with a spatial resolution of 0.5 degree x 0.5 degree globally, excluding Antarctica. In addition to estimates from individual models, this dataset also contains an ensemble of estimates (including mean and spread) for selected variables across models. Model ensembles are provided at monthly time steps. The data are provided in Climate and Forecast (CF) convention compatible netCDF version 4 format.

Access the NACP MsTMIP: Global 0.5-degree Model Outputs in Standard Format, Version 2.0 dataset and more information.

SHIFT: Wetland Spectra, Salinity, and Fractional Cover, Devereux Slough, CA, 2022 Dataset Released 

The ORNL DAAC released the Surface Biology Geology (SBG) High Frequency Time series (SHIFT) Wetland Spectra, Salinity, and Fractional Cover, Devereux Slough, California 2022 dataset. This dataset includes field data, analysis code, and corresponding airborne imagery collected and generated during the 2022 NASA SHIFT campaign in the Devereux Slough estuary in Santa Barbara County, California. The SHIFT campaign collected field data contemporaneously with weekly flights of the NASA's Airborne Visible-Infrared Imaging Spectrometer-Next Generation (AVIRIS-NG) instrument over the study areas. The data are provided in cloud-optimized GeoTIFF, ENVI, comma separated values (CSV), and shapefile formats.

Access the SHIFT Wetland Spectra, Salinity, and Fractional Cover, Devereux Slough, California 2022 dataset and more information.

Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center (PO.DAAC)

SWOT River Reach GIS Feature Service Now Available

The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) Level 2 River Single-Pass Vector Data Product as a GIS service is now available from NASA’s PO.DAAC. The SWOT Level 2 River Single-Pass Vector Data Product (SWOT_L2_HR_RiverSP_D) provides hydrologic measurements for predefined river reaches and nodes, derived from high-resolution radar observations collected by the Ka-band Radar Interferometer (KaRIn) aboard the SWOT satellite. This product reports water surface elevation, slope, width, area, and discharge estimates for each reach, along with corresponding node-level details. All features are defined by the Prior River Database, which encodes river geometry and topology across global basins.

These data are made available through NASA’s Earthdata GIS. These services allow users to access, visualize, and analyze SWOT River data through the GIS software of their choice without the need to download.

The following services are available as both ArcGIS REST Feature Service and Image Service endpoints, as well as Open Geospatial Consortium endpoints:

• SWOT_L2_HR_RiverSP_reach_vD
• SWOT_L2_HR_RiverSP_reach_vD_BASIC
• SWOT_L2_HR_RiverSP_reach_vC_BASIC
• SWOT_L2_HR_RiverSP_reach_vC: (In Progress; Released at a later date)

Each SWOT L2 River Single-Pass Vector Data version has two separate services available (vC and vD). The first includes the full attribute table catalog. The “BASIC” services include a subset of the Basic SWOT attributes (see the SWOT product data description for more information), which allows for faster visualization and querying of the collection. For more information on all available services users should consult the PO.DAAC Cookbook. Note: the Cookbook’s GIS chapter offers information on how to access the services in ArcGIS Pro, QGIS, and Python. 

Learn more about the SWOT River Reach GIS Feature Service.