NASA Earthdata

A QGIS plugin for searching, visualizing, and downloading NASA Earthdata products. Provides access to NASA’s Earth science data catalog directly within QGIS, supporting Cloud Optimized GeoTIFF (COG) visualization and data footprint display.

• Repository: https://github.com/opengeos/qgis-nasa-earthdata-plugin

• License: MIT

• Requires: QGIS 3.28+, NASA Earthdata account

Features¶

• Search NASA Earthdata Catalog: Browse and search thousands of NASA Earth science datasets using keywords, bounding boxes, and temporal filters.

• Visualize Data Footprints: Display search result footprints directly on the QGIS map canvas.

• Cloud Optimized GeoTIFF (COG) Support: Stream and visualize COG files directly without downloading.

• Data Download: Download granules for local processing and visualization.

• Earthdata Login Integration: Seamless authentication with NASA Earthdata Login credentials.

• Settings Panel: Configure credentials, download preferences, and plugin options.

Video Tutorials¶

Installation¶

Prerequisites¶

1. QGIS 3.28 or higher.

2. A NASA Earthdata account (sign up at urs.earthdata.nasa.gov).

Install QGIS with Pixi¶

1. Install Pixi¶

Linux/macOS (bash/zsh):

curl -fsSL https://pixi.sh/install.sh | sh

Windows (PowerShell):

powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -c "irm -useb https://pixi.sh/install.ps1 | iex"

Close and re-open your terminal, then confirm with pixi --version.

2. Create a Pixi Project¶

pixi init geo
cd geo

3. Install the Environment¶

pixi add qgis earthaccess geopandas

Installing the Plugin¶

Method 1: From QGIS Plugin Manager (Recommended)¶

1. Open QGIS using pixi run qgis.

2. Go to Plugins > Manage and Install Plugins....

3. Go to the Settings tab.

4. Click Add... under “Plugin Repositories”.

5. Give a name for the repository, e.g. “OpenGeos”.

6. Enter the URL of the repository: https://qgis.gishub.org/plugins.xml.

7. Click OK.

8. Go to the All tab.

9. Search for “NASA Earthdata”.

10. Select the plugin and click Install Plugin.

Method 2: From ZIP File¶

1. Download the latest release ZIP from https://qgis.gishub.org.

2. In QGIS, go to Plugins > Manage and Install Plugins.

3. Click Install from ZIP and select the downloaded file.

4. Enable the plugin in the Installed tab.

Method 3: Manual Installation¶

Copy the nasa_earthdata folder to your QGIS plugins directory:

• Linux: ~/.local/share/QGIS/QGIS3/profiles/default/python/plugins/

• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/QGIS/QGIS3/profiles/default/python/plugins/

• Windows: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\QGIS\QGIS3\profiles\default\python\plugins\

Restart QGIS and enable the plugin.

Usage¶

Authentication¶

Before using the plugin, configure your NASA Earthdata credentials:

1. Click NASA Earthdata > Settings in the menu.

2. Enter your Earthdata username and password.

3. Click Test Credentials to verify.

4. Click Save Settings.

Alternatively, configure credentials via:

• Environment variables: EARTHDATA_USERNAME and EARTHDATA_PASSWORD.

• A .netrc file with an entry for urs.earthdata.nasa.gov.

Searching Data¶

1. Click the NASA Earthdata Search button in the toolbar.

2. Filter datasets by keyword (optional).

3. Select a dataset from the dropdown.

4. Set the bounding box (or use the current map extent).

5. Set the date range.

6. Click Search.

Visualizing Data¶

• Footprints: Search results are automatically displayed as footprints on the map.

• COG Layers: Select results and click Display COG to stream Cloud Optimized GeoTIFFs.

• Downloaded Data: After downloading, raster files can be added directly to the map.

Downloading Data¶

1. Select the granules to download from the results table.

2. Click Download.

3. Choose a destination folder.

4. Wait for the download to complete.

5. Optionally add downloaded files to the map.

Supported Datasets¶

The plugin provides access to thousands of NASA datasets including:

• GEDI: Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (forest structure, biomass)

• MODIS: Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer

• Landsat: Landsat 8 and 9 imagery

• VIIRS: Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite

• SMAP: Soil Moisture Active Passive

• ICESat-2: Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite

• OPERA: Observational Products for End-Users from Remote Sensing Analysis

• And many more

Troubleshooting¶

Authentication Issues¶

1. Verify credentials at https://urs.earthdata.nasa.gov/.

2. Confirm you’ve accepted the EULA for the datasets you are accessing.

3. Try running earthaccess.login() in the QGIS Python console.

Missing Dependencies¶

# Using pip
pip install earthaccess geopandas

# Using the QGIS Python environment (Linux)
~/.local/share/QGIS/QGIS3/profiles/default/python/plugins/nasa_earthdata/
python3 -m pip install earthaccess geopandas

COG Visualization Issues¶

• Ensure GDAL has network support enabled.

• Check that the data URL is accessible.

• Some datasets may require authentication for streaming.

Links¶

• GitHub Repository

• Issue Tracker

• NASA Earthdata

• NASA Earthdata Login

Acknowledgments¶

• NASA Earthdata for providing access to Earth science data.

• earthaccess for the NASA Earthdata API access library.

• leafmap for GUI design inspiration.

• QGIS for the open-source GIS platform.