GCMD Metadata

NASA’s Global Change Master Directory (GCMD)

The Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) enables users to locate and obtain access to Earth science data sets and services relevant to global change and Earth science research.

http://globalchange.nasa.gov/

GCMD also maintains a DIF portal (portals are views; subsets) and a SERF portal representing the subset of ESIP data within the GCMD database.

Contact Person

GCMD Staff

DIF Metadata Contact:
Scott Ritz

• 301-614-5126
• http://gcmd.nasa.gov/MailComments/MailComments.jsf?rcpt=ritz

SERF Metadata Contact:
Tyler Stevens

• 301-352-4619
• http://gcmd.nasa.gov/MailComments/MailComments.jsf?rcpt=stevens

Software Contact:
Thomas Cherry

• 301-614-6588
• http://gcmd.nasa.gov/MailComments/MailComments.jsf?rcpt=cherry

Types of Metadata

• Directory Interchange Format (DIF)
• Service Entry Resource Format (SERF)
• Ancillary Description-Instrument (AD-I)
• Ancillary Description-Platform (AD-Pl)
• Ancillary Description-Project (AD-Pr)
• Ancillary Description-Data Center (AD-DC)
• Import/Export FGDC metadata
• Import ISO 19115 metadata

Approximate number of Metadata Records

• 25,000 (DIFs and SERFs combined)

Rate at which Metadata are being created/added

• For DIFs on average, 173 new and 585 updates per month.
• For SERFs on average, 22 new and 61 updates per month.

Locally hosted metadata services

• http://gcmd.nasa.gov/Connect/
• OpenSearch
  • Direct link to the OpenSearch Description file (ESIP subset)
• Z39.50
• OAI PMH
• CSW
• GCMD Specific
  • KMS
    • KMS (requires an EOSDIS URS account)
    • Static KMS (no login required)
  • MWS (requires an EOSDIS URS account)

External Metadata Registries

• FGDC Clearinghouse
• Geospatial One-Stop
• GeoConnections

External Links

• http://gcmd.nasa.gov/add/difguide
• http://gcmd.nasa.gov/add/serfguide
• http://gcmd.nasa.gov/Connect
• http://gcmd.nasa.gov/KeywordSearch/Home.do?Portal=esip
• http://gcmd.nasa.gov/KeywordSearch/Home.do?Portal=esip_svcs&MetadataType=1