Federation Of Earth Science Information Partners
Earth observation information from satellites and ground-based collection sites has the potential for providing scientifically valid answers to many of the world’s most pressing environmental problems. However, the data sets tend to be very large, poorly cataloged, widely distributed and difficult to access.
The Federation of Earth Science Information Partners is a unique consortium of more than 110 organizations that collect, interpret and develop applications for Earth observation information. Included in the ESIP network are NASA, NOAA and USGS data centers, research universities, government research laboratories, supercomputing facilities, education resource providers, information technology innovators, nonprofit organizations and commercial enterprises.
With our Strategic Partners the National Aeronautical and Space Administration and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Federation and its operations arm, the Foundation for Earth Science, are working to make observation information relating to a broad spectrum of Earth science issues more available and understandable to researchers, educators, policy makers and the general public. By so doing, the Federation hopes to contribute significantly to the creation of a healthy and sustainable planet.
Featured ESIP Partner - NSIDC
The National Snow and Ice Data Center offers some of their data in the form of images and maps.
NSIDC created Google Earth files that enable you to overlay data - based images on a virtual globe. Their goal is to help people better understand the cryosphere - where the world is frozen - by making their data more visible and interactive. You can use Google Earth to view snow, ice, glaciers, permafrost, and sea ice on the globe.
The NSIDC "Atlas of the Cryosphere" Web site allows visitors to explore and dynamically map the Earth's frozen regions. Viewed from a polar perspective, the available scenes include snow cover, sea ice extent and concentration, glaciers,permafrost, and other critical components of the Earth's cryosphere.
View NSIDC Data on Virtual Globes: Google Earth or through the MapServer application Atlas of the Cyosphere.