Researchers can use tools like IDV and Panoply when they obtain data by OpenDAP

AIRS data acquired by OPenDAP displayed with IDV

The GES DISC features new capabilities in OPeNDAP that enhance visualization of Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) data, including AIRS Level-2 and Level-1B data sets. The new capabilities in OPeNDAP enable user tools such as IDV and Panoply to open and visualize a greater variety of data, particularly including HDF-EOS Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 data. Also, GrADs handles AIRS Level 3 data with a simple sdfopen call. The new capabilities make it considerably easier for researchers to analyze and comprehend AIRS data via OPeNDAP servers. Please follow the link below to get access to AIRS data through OPeNDAP.

http://disc.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/AIRS/data-holdings/by-access-method

Mirador (http://mirador.gsfc.nasa.gov/) also provides an OPenDAP capability for Level 1B and Level 2 data. In particular, Mirador can be utilized for spatial search on AIRS Level 1B and Level 2 data; when the list of files ("granules") is returned, the OPenDAP links in the search results can be accessed. The image below shows the results for a single file returned by a Mirador search; clicking the OpenDAP link accesses the data file on the OpenDAP server.

The image at left (below) shows an example "Lat-Lon" plot of AIRS Level-2 swath data from Panoply. The figure at right is an example of AIRS Level-1B data from IDV. When using IDV, a user must first choose “Grid Files” from Data Source Type, then copy the URL from the OPeNDAP server in order to correctly access the data.

Users can obtain the above-mentioned tools at the following sites; IDV from http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/idv/ and Panoply from http://www.giss.nasa.gov/tools/panoply/. The new capabilities described above were developed by the HDF GROUP.