Introduction

NASA data and models are used to observe, characterize and understand Earth systems all around the world. Complete metadata are needed in order for users to discover, access, use and understand these data and models. The metadata must be available in standard forms that users and tools all over the world can understand. ESDIS is addressing this challenge by adopting International Metadata Standards developed by ISO Technical Committee 211. These standards cover metadata for data sets and services and include acquisition information, provenance, data quality, and other elements required for interoperable use and detailed understanding.

The ISO metadata standards are comprehensive and designed to be broadly applicable, so there is significant room for community-specific interpretations, applications, decisions, and, if need be, extensions. This wiki provides a place for the ESDIS community to share ISO metadata information, experiences and examples and to come to consensus on how we will best use the ISO Standards to address our documentation needs. 

Check out the webinar about implementing ISO 19115 standards into NASA Earth science data that was held on February 19, 2015.