GES DAAC tools for accessing Terra and Aqua MODIS data

The unique position of the NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Distributed Active Archive Center (GES DAAC), as an intermediary between users and Terra and Aqua/MODIS data, let us to explore and develop tools that could help users access and manipulate data. The search and order tools include DAAC-unique extensions such as: the Web-based hierarchical ordering mechanism, the multi-product ordering system, and moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) Level 1B channel subsetting. Visualization and data manipulation tools, exemplified by HDFLook_MODIS, resulted from a joint collaboration between GES DAAC, University of Science and Technology, Lillie, and MODIS Science team; furthermore, simple interactive data language (IDL) tools were developed at GES DAAC as work aids. The key features of some of the improved tools available from the GES DAAC are described. (C) 2003 COSPAR. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.