Documentation for GHRC products comes in a variety of forms:
- Guide Document
- A guide document contains detailed information about
the dataset, such as what instruments were used to gather the data and what the
processing algorithms were. This documentation is suitable for use by serious
researchers intending to use the dataset for further work.
- Dataset Home Page
- Sometimes a dataset has its own home page on the web. You may find
more detailed information, browse images, or data references on the home page.
Note that in many cases the home page is outside the GHRC web page domain, so
the GHRC cannot be responsible for its contents.
- Dataset README
- The README for a dataset contains a brief description of the
dataset. It may also contain a description of the data file structure as
well as sample code in FORTRAN and/or C to read the data. A hardcopy of
the README is usually shipped with orders filled on tape or CD.
- Dataset Catalog Entry
- The dataset catalog entry for a dataset contains a brief description
of the dataset and often a link to "more information". The dataset catalog provides an overview of
all of the holdings at the GHRC.
- Important Dataset Information
- The dataset information link for a dataset, if present, provides
important, up-front information you should know about the dataset. For
example, several of our datasets are stored in proprietary formats which
require the purchase of third-party software. We're sorry, but we cannot
provide you with this software.
In addition to documentation, the following are often available for the GHRC
data holdings:
- Browse Image
- Many of our datasets have browse images which you can access online
via your web browser. These are most often pictorial representations of some
or all of the dataset's granules, or smallest orderable unit. You can
use the browse images to determine, for example, if a particular dataset
contains data for your area-of-interest for a particular day. Other browse
images show storm activity (or lack thereof).
- Download Data via FTP
- Many of our datasets (or portions of them) are kept online for immediate
download to your workstation. Simply click on the "Download" icon and
select the file(s) you want.
- Subset the Data
- Some of our datasets (or portions of them) can be subsetted using one
of our subsetting engines.
If the data you want are online, you can specify that they be subsetted for FTP
pickup. If the data are not online, you can specify subsetting in your
"Special Instructions" on your order form.
If the data you want is not online, check the "order" box next to the dataset
name(s) and submit your order. Depending on the dataset and the size of your
order, you may have your order retrieved from near-line storage and queued
for FTP access. Large orders or pre-packaged datasets are shipped to you
via tape or CD-ROM. There is currently no charge for this service.
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