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Welcome to NASA's Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). The directory
now hosts a new look - as of January 30, 2004. We hope you will
experience improved navigation throughout the site. Please
provide your feedback through gcmduso@gcmd.nasa.gov.
Our goal is to enable users to locate and obtain access to Earth science
data sets and services relevant to the global change and Earth science
research. The GCMD database holds more than 15,000 descriptions of Earth
science data sets and services covering all aspects of Earth and
environmental sciences. One can use the search box or select from the
available keywords to search for data and services. We encourage your
participation in writing and maintaining the information in our
databases and you will find authoring tools to assist you.
Subscription services are available to notify you of new entries.
The Interoperability Forum is available to discuss content and database
issues.
Short History of the GCMD
The GCMD began as the prototype NASA Master Directory (NMD) as part of
the National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC) at NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center to promote the exchange of scientific data sets (both Earth and space sciences)
through the Catalog Interoperability (CI) project. In the summer of 1987, the CI Working Group (consisting of several U.S. Federal and international agencies)
defined the type of information and level of detail that would be contained within the NMD. The first version of the NMD was released in 1987.
In 1989, the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) Data Working Group (DWG) established the CEOS International Directory Network (IDN)
to foster the exchange of information among international agencies. In 1990, the Interagency Working Group on Data Management for Global Change
(IWGDMGC) adopted the directory as a prototype to facilitate global change research - in response to the challenge by the Earth System Science Committee (ESSC).
Thereafter, the NMD was renamed the Global Change Master Directory (GCMD)
for its Earth sciences applications. In 1994, the GCMD became part of the Global Change Data Center within the Earth Sciences Directorate at
NASA/GSFC, where it still resides.
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Data Sets