Interoperability standards help reduce the barriers to accessing distributed data in varying formats. Data delivery at the GES DAAC has historically not been implemented according to interoperability specifications. This has made it difficult for users to combine different data sets from within the GES DAAC as well as from externally sources.

The GES DAAC is developing a Web-based mapping tool that implements interoperability standards set by the Open GIS Consortium (OGC). OGC-compliant client-server applications allow users to combine geographic data from multiple sources without the need to convert between data formats. This application interacts with multiple map servers at the GES DAAC and elsewhere, including a Distributed Oceanographic Data System (DODS) server with an OGC-compliant gateway that accepts OGC requests (WMT-DODS). Users search for data based on time, location, and environmental parameter (i.e., surface rainfall rate, vegetation index, chlorophyll levels). The application then requests, based on the search criteria, custom images from the relevant map servers and displays the images for users. Future plans include the ability to perform online analysis, save the resulting map/analysis to a standard image format, and retrieve the original data. The GES DAAC's web mapping software offers users a new, convenient, graphical way to examine GES DAAC and other data holdings. As it matures, it is expected to greatly increase the number and variety of users of data and information stored at the GES DAAC.