PANGAEA search

The most convenient and fastes way to find data is using the search engine PangaVista. Each predefined dataset in its granularity as defined by the PI can be found by keywords and any expressions matching the data set description. Keywords can be combined to create Boolean expressions using a syntax identical to those used by search engines. As a result of a query the titles of datasets are listed, linking to the full meta-description. At the end data are provided online in both html (View dataset as HTML) and text formats (Download dataset as tab-delimited text). The meta-description provided with each set contains the fields according to standards for describing geodata (ISO19115). PangaVista is not case-sensitive. Opening data sets with more than some ten thousand data points as html may result in browser freezing.

A map server based on the open source UMN can be used to visualize PangaVista results on a map. Data sets located at on pair of latitude/longitude are presented as red dots, data sets consisting of serveral geographical locations are shown as shaded blue areas. The search can be limited to a certain area by setting geographical constraints graphicaly or by typing in coordinates in the fields of the search engine. As geographical background information standard maps (ETOPO, GEBCO) can be used.

By prefixing keywords (using the format "prefix:keyword") with a tag name from the PANGAEA XML schema you can search inside specific parts of the schema.

Links

 * Online-Help of PangaVista