[GRASS-user] How to work with the NASA Blue Marble dataset

Elvis_Dowson · September 29, 2008, 5:40pm

Hi,
I’m new to GRASS and would like to know how I can work with the NASA Blue Marble dataset.

I went to the NASA site http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view_rec.php?id=2429 but don’t know where or how to start. There are some references to using a Bit Torrent client to download a data set.

Q1. How can I obtain the torrent files for downloading the NASA Blue Marble dataset?

Q2. Which file format is the NASA Blue Marble dataset stored in?

Q3. Which grass modules should I use to import the NASA Blue Marble dataset?

Q4. What is the difference between the NASA onearth WMS server ( http://wms.jpl.nasa.gov/ ) and the NASA Blue Marble data set server ( ftp://veftp.gsfc.nasa.gov/bluemarble ) ? Is it the same thing?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Best regards,

Elvis Dowson

Elvis_Dowson · September 29, 2008, 6:00pm

Hi,
I’d also like to know the difference between the data sets provided in these two links

Visible Earth: Earth - The Blue Marble

Visible Earth: January, Blue Marble Next Generation w/ Topography and Bathymetry

Best regards,

Elvis Dowson

Soeren_Gebbert1 · September 29, 2008, 7:07pm

A short description can be found here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blue_Marble

Soeren

-------- Original-Nachricht --------

Datum: Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:00:44 +0400
Von: Elvis Dowson <elvis.dowson@mac.com>
An: GRASS User <grass-user@lists.osgeo.org>
CC: "Sören Gebbert" <soerengebbert@gmx.de>
Betreff: Re: How to work with the NASA Blue Marble dataset

Hi,
I'd also like to know the difference between the data sets
provided in these two links

Visible Earth: Earth - The Blue Marble

Visible Earth: January, Blue Marble Next Generation w/ Topography and
Bathymetry

Best regards,

Elvis Dowson

--
GMX Kostenlose Spiele: Einfach online spielen und Spaß haben mit Pastry Passion!
http://games.entertainment.gmx.net/de/entertainment/games/free/puzzle/6169196

Soeren_Gebbert1 · September 29, 2008, 7:19pm

Hi Elvis,
-------- Original-Nachricht --------

Datum: Mon, 29 Sep 2008 21:40:14 +0400
Von: Elvis Dowson <elvis.dowson@mac.com>
An: GRASS User <grass-user@lists.osgeo.org>
CC: "Sören Gebbert" <soerengebbert@gmx.de>
Betreff: How to work with the NASA Blue Marble dataset

Hi,
I'm new to GRASS and would like to know how I can work with
the NASA Blue Marble dataset.

I went to the NASA site http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view_rec.php?id=2429
but don't know where or how to start. There are some references to
using a Bit Torrent client to download a data set.

Q1. How can I obtain the torrent files for downloading the NASA Blue
Marble dataset?

You do not need to use torrent.

Q2. Which file format is the NASA Blue Marble dataset stored in?

.tif, .png or .jpg outside of grass and as grass raster map insinde of grass.

Q3. Which grass modules should I use to import the NASA Blue Marble
dataset?

http://www-pool.math.tu-berlin.de/~soeren/grass/modules/r.in.onearth.tar.gz

Q4. What is the difference between the NASA onearth WMS server (
http://wms.jpl.nasa.gov/
) and the NASA Blue Marble data set server (
ftp://veftp.gsfc.nasa.gov/bluemarble
) ? Is it the same thing?

No. The first one is a wms server which provides more data than just blue marble: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_Map_Service
The second one is a ftp server providing blue marble image files.

Best regards
Soeren

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Best regards,

Elvis Dowson

--
GMX startet ShortView.de. Hier findest Du Leute mit Deinen Interessen!
Jetzt dabei sein: http://www.shortview.de/wasistshortview.php?mc=sv_ext_mf@gmx

Elvis_Dowson · September 29, 2008, 7:22pm

Thanks Soren,
From what I’ve learnt there are three types of data, with the one with the topography and bathymetry being the nicest looking.

I think the latest image set is the december next generation one found here: Visible Earth: December, Blue Marble Next Generation w/ Topography and Bathymetry

Any tips on how I can get this into grass-6.4.0? Which modules should I use, should I use the r.in.onearth ? What sort of reprojection or processing should I do to get this into grass-6.4.0?

Best regards,

Elvis Dowson

On Sep 29, 2008, at 11:07 PM, Sören Gebbert wrote:

A short description can be found here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blue_Marble

Soeren

-------- Original-Nachricht --------

Datum: Mon, 29 Sep 2008 22:00:44 +0400

Von: Elvis Dowson elvis.dowson@mac.com

An: GRASS User grass-user@lists.osgeo.org

CC: “Sören Gebbert” soerengebbert@gmx.de

Betreff: Re: How to work with the NASA Blue Marble dataset

Hi,

I’d also like to know the difference between the data sets

provided in these two links

Visible Earth: Earth - The Blue Marble

Visible Earth: January, Blue Marble Next Generation w/ Topography and

Bathymetry

Best regards,

Elvis Dowson

–
GMX Kostenlose Spiele: Einfach online spielen und Spaß haben mit Pastry Passion!
http://games.entertainment.gmx.net/de/entertainment/games/free/puzzle/6169196

Elvis_Dowson · September 29, 2008, 7:45pm

Hi Soren,
I just downloaded a file called world.topo.bathy.200412.3x5400x2700.jpg It’s a small one.

What should I do next? The description file for the r.in.onearth module give an example, but I’m not sure how to adapt it for this jpeg image and display it using grass.

EXAMPLEDownload Landsat Global Mosaik for Spearfish (SD, USA) area:

g.region res=15 -pa
r.in.onearth -l output=spearfish tmband=visual
d.rgb b=spearfish_LandsatTM_visual.blue g=spearfish_LandsatTM_visual.green r=spearfish_LandsatTM_visual.red

Best regards,

Elvis Dowson

Soeren_Gebbert1 · September 29, 2008, 8:12pm

Hi Elvis,
please read the documentation of r.in.onearth carefully.

You dont need to download any data by hand from the wms server.
Please read the wikipedia doc about wms.

You need to start r.in.onearth within a grass session.
Starting the scrript in the commandline for blue marbel images (set the resolution to 500m
of the current location) of june:

g.region res=500
./r.in.onearth -b time=Jun

Three Images will be downloaded and imported into grass.
After downloading you will be able to visualize them in grass.
Take a look at this grass feature video, which shows how to visualize data in grass:
http://www-pool.math.tu-berlin.de/~soeren/grass/modules/screenshots/grass63feature_tour.html

Please read the documentation of grass, nasa and so on carefully.

Best regards
Soeren

-------- Original-Nachricht --------

Datum: Mon, 29 Sep 2008 23:45:47 +0400
Von: Elvis Dowson <elvis.dowson@mac.com>
An: "Sören Gebbert" <soerengebbert@gmx.de>
CC: grass-user@lists.osgeo.org
Betreff: Re: How to work with the NASA Blue Marble dataset

Hi Soren,
I just downloaded a file called world.topo.bathy.
200412.3x5400x2700.jpg It's a small one.

What should I do next? The description file for the r.in.onearth
module give an example, but I'm not sure how to adapt it for this jpeg
image and display it using grass.
EXAMPLE

Download Landsat Global Mosaik for Spearfish (SD, USA) area:
g.region res=15 -pa
r.in.onearth -l output=spearfish tmband=visual
d.rgb b=spearfish_LandsatTM_visual.blue
g=spearfish_LandsatTM_visual.green r=spearfish_LandsatTM_visual.red
Best regards,
Elvis Dowson

--
GMX Kostenlose Spiele: Einfach online spielen und Spaß haben mit Pastry Passion!
http://games.entertainment.gmx.net/de/entertainment/games/free/puzzle/6169196

Elvis_Dowson · September 29, 2008, 8:15pm

Hi Soren,
Is there a way to use already downloaded data?

I'll read the docs that you have suggested! Thanks!

Best regards,

Elvis Dowson

On Sep 30, 2008, at 12:12 AM, Sören Gebbert wrote:

Hi Elvis,
please read the documentation of r.in.onearth carefully.

You dont need to download any data by hand from the wms server.
Please read the wikipedia doc about wms.

You need to start r.in.onearth within a grass session.
Starting the scrript in the commandline for blue marbel images (set the resolution to 500m
of the current location) of june:

g.region res=500
./r.in.onearth -b time=Jun

Three Images will be downloaded and imported into grass.
After downloading you will be able to visualize them in grass.
Take a look at this grass feature video, which shows how to visualize data in grass:
http://www-pool.math.tu-berlin.de/~soeren/grass/modules/screenshots/grass63feature_tour.html

Please read the documentation of grass, nasa and so on carefully.

Best regards
Soeren

Hamish · September 30, 2008, 6:38am

Elvis Dowson wrote:

From what I've learnt there are three types of data, with the one
with the topography and bathymetry being the nicest looking.

I think the latest image set is the december next generation one found
here: Visible Earth: December, Blue Marble Next Generation
w/ Topography and Bathymetry

well, technically the Dec 2004 image IS the most recent, but the idea of Jan-Dec is to show variation in ice cover and vegetation throughout the year -- not that they gave up after a year of making marbles.

Any tips on how I can get this into grass-6.4.0? Which modules should
I use, should I use the r.in.onearth ? What sort of reprojection or
processing should I do to get this into grass-6.4.0?

I have now added a page in the GRASS wiki to cover this,
http://grass.osgeo.org/wiki/Blue_Marble

feel free to improve. I've only downloaded the 2002 version + "Earth at
Night" image, so 2004 next-generation info is a bit thin. But I think you can adjust the 2002 method to suit.

I slightly copied the method from this old post:
http://article.gmane.org/gmane.comp.linux.gps/1437/

If you want global topography + sea floor bathymetry elevations, see the instructions for getting the 1' global dataset:
http://grass.osgeo.org/wiki/Marine_Science#Bathymetric_data
http://topex.ucsd.edu/marine_topo/mar_topo.html

enjoy,
Hamish