.jpg) | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1965 (1965) |
| Preceding agency |
|
| Dissolved | 2015 |
| Superseding agency | |
| Status | merged |
| Headquarters | Boulder, Colorado |
| Employees | 50 |
| Parent department | National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service |
| Website | www.ngdc.noaa.gov |
The United StatesNational Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) provided scientific stewardship, products and services forgeophysicaldata describing thesolid earth,marine, and solar-terrestrialenvironment, as well as earth observations fromspace. It was established in 1965 as part of the newEnvironmental Science Services Administration until that organization became theNational Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in 1970. In 2015, NGDC was merged with theNational Climatic Data Center (NCDC) and theNational Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) into theNational Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).[1]
Since 1972 the NGDC was located inBoulder, Colorado as a part of theUS Department of Commerce (USDOC),National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service (NESDIS).[2]
NGDC's data holdings contained more than 300digital andanalogdatabases, with over 37 terabytes of unique digital records plus paper, film, slides and microfilm in 2003.[3] As technology advanced, so did the search for more efficient ways of preserving these data. This data is now maintained by the NCEI.
NGDC worked closely with contributors of scientific data to prepare documented, reliable data sets. They welcomed cooperative projects with other government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and universities, and encourage data exchange.
NGDC's data users included:
The Data Center developed data management programs that reflect the changing world ofgeophysics. These programs are now part of theNational Centers for Environmental Information.
