The LP DAAC Prospectus: 2017 to 2019
The Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center,
or LP DAAC, operates as a partnership between the U.S.
Geological Survey and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
It has been located at the USGS Earth Resources Observation and
Science Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, since 1990.
The LP DAAC is one of 12 DAACs within NASA’s Earth Observing
System Data and Information System.
The NASA Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center ingests and
archives NASA land products, and distributes that data to NASA
Principal Investigators, Department of Interior research scientists and
land managers, and users worldwide.
By curating and providing access to these important land
remote sensing data records we really aim to advance the
understanding, the access, and the use of these data
for a very large and diverse user community.
The LP DAAC distributes more than 250 distinct, different global
data products derived from sensors located onboard Earth observing
satellites, space shuttles, or airborne sensors.
When data are received from producers, they are reviewed
for quality, safely stored, and then distributed to users.
The LP DAAC also provides user support and conducts outreach activities.
These data and services are provided to many different types of users
for a wide variety of applications such as researching the impacts of
land use change, identifying impacts of natural disasters, and exploring
trends in vegetation health.
The data products, services, and users are supported by the LP DAAC team.
NASA and the USGS first announced their plans to establish the LP DAAC
at the USGS EROS Center in 1990. Over the next decade, staff began
preparing for ingest of the first data products and operating
a new archive center. The 2000’s saw improvements
to data storage, management and delivery methods as the archive
continued to grow with new data products.
Since 2000, the LP DAAC has archived more than 3,000 terabytes
or 3 petabytes of data, the equivalent of watching 40 years
worth of HD-TV. Nearly 20,000 terabytes of data
have been distributed to users. The LP DAAC archive will continue
to grow with the addition of Mission-level data from two new
innovative sensors over the next few years.
Both of the sensors will be housed on the International Space Station.
ECOSTRESS will collect information essential for detecting water
stress in plants and improved drought estimations.
GEDI will provide valuable lidar data for measuring forest canopy
height and structure, as well as surface elevation.
Over the course of 2016 and 2017, the LP DAAC provided new, innovative
ways to access and interact with data, as well as distributed
new data products. New functionality was added to
AppEEARS, enabling point and area sampling of data from several
federal archives and making the data preparation process more efficient.
All ASTER data began to be distributed to the global remote
sensing community at no cost. Distribution of NASA-produced data
products from the VIIRS sensor onboard the joint NOAA/NASA Suomi
National Polar-orbiting Partnership satellite began.
In addition, Earthdata login was implemented on all data
access points to better understand the user community
Many exciting opportunities are on the horizon for 2018 and 2019,
including distribution of additional S-NPP NASA VIIRS land datasets and
the operational release of remaining MEaSUREs 2012 Data Collections
The number of data products accessible through AppEEARS
will continue to grow with the addition of Landsat Analysis
Ready Data and several other datasets external to the LP DAAC.
There will also be additional operational releases of web
services for key LP DAAC datasets for the GIS user community
As the archive expands, there will be more of a focus on cloud
architecture to optimize and harden approaches for archiving,
distributing, and analyzing data in the cloud.
To inform the public remote sensing community about these
activities, and learn about user needs, multiple web-based
platforms from NASA, the USGS, and partners are leveraged.
All final content is primarily located on the LP DAAC website.
Both technical and science staff frequently attend domain-relevant
conferences and meetings to present on current LP DAAC
activities, interact directly with users, and receive valuable
feedback from the community. Science Communications staff also
organize and lead workshops for specific user groups.
The primary point of contact for all user inquiries is the LP DAAC
User Services Team. They, including answer questions about data, tools,
and services and provide solutions.
Each year the support and services provided by the LP DAAC are assessed
through the American Customer Satisfaction Index or ACSI survey.
The LP DAAC has seen a continual growth in customer satisfaction
since the survey began in 2006. The survey results are used to
develop new ways to make data and services more accessible
and usable for the community. Thank you for watching the
LP DAAC Prospectus for 2017 to 2019. If you have questions
or are interested in additional information, please contact User
Services or visit the LP DAAC website.