NSIDC Web Service Documentation Index

nsidc · Data

Data No Auth Free & Open open_data

This API allows programmers to build National Snow and Ice Data Center data and metadata services into their applications.

Authentication

No authentication requiredFree to use with no key needed.

Sample Requests

GET View the facet information corresponding to a search

In the NSIDC Search and Arctic Data Explorer interfaces, this endpoint is used in conjunction with /OpenSearch whenever a user submits a new search. Consequently, it has the same parameters as /OpenSearch.

https://api.apis.guru/v2/specs/nsidc.org/1.0.0/Facets?count=25&source=NSIDC&endDate=example&spatial=-180.0,-90.0,180.0,90.0&sortKeys=score,,desc&startDate=example&startIndex=1&searchTerms=example&facetFilters=example

Hover any highlighted part to learn what it does

curl -X GET "https://api.apis.guru/v2/specs/nsidc.org/1.0.0/Facets?count=25&source=NSIDC&endDate=example&spatial=-180.0%2C-90.0%2C180.0%2C90.0&sortKeys=score%2C%2Cdesc&startDate=example&startIndex=1&searchTerms=example&facetFilters=example"

import requests
params = {
    "count": "25",
    "source": "NSIDC",
    "endDate": "example",
    "spatial": "-180.0,-90.0,180.0,90.0",
    "sortKeys": "score,,desc",
    "startDate": "example",
    "startIndex": "1",
    "searchTerms": "example",
    "facetFilters": "example"
}
response = requests.get(
    "https://api.apis.guru/v2/specs/nsidc.org/1.0.0/Facets",
    params=params,
)
print(response.json())

const url = new URL('https://api.apis.guru/v2/specs/nsidc.org/1.0.0/Facets');
url.searchParams.set('count', '25');
url.searchParams.set('source', 'NSIDC');
url.searchParams.set('endDate', 'example');
url.searchParams.set('spatial', '-180.0,-90.0,180.0,90.0');
url.searchParams.set('sortKeys', 'score,,desc');
url.searchParams.set('startDate', 'example');
url.searchParams.set('startIndex', '1');
url.searchParams.set('searchTerms', 'example');
url.searchParams.set('facetFilters', 'example');

const response = await fetch(url); 
const data = await response.json();
console.log(data);

package main

import (
	"fmt"
	"io"
	"net/http"
	"net/url"
)

func main() {
	baseURL, _ := url.Parse("https://api.apis.guru/v2/specs/nsidc.org/1.0.0/Facets")
	q := baseURL.Query()
	q.Set("count", "25")
	q.Set("source", "NSIDC")
	q.Set("endDate", "example")
	q.Set("spatial", "-180.0,-90.0,180.0,90.0")
	q.Set("sortKeys", "score,,desc")
	q.Set("startDate", "example")
	q.Set("startIndex", "1")
	q.Set("searchTerms", "example")
	q.Set("facetFilters", "example")
	baseURL.RawQuery = q.Encode()
	targetURL := baseURL.String()
	req, _ := http.NewRequest("GET", targetURL, nil)

	client := &http.Client{}
	resp, _ := client.Do(req)
	defer resp.Body.Close()
	body, _ := io.ReadAll(resp.Body)
	fmt.Println(string(body))
}

require "net/http"
require "json"

uri = URI("https://api.apis.guru/v2/specs/nsidc.org/1.0.0/Facets")
uri.query = URI.encode_www_form({
  "count" => "25",
  "source" => "NSIDC",
  "endDate" => "example",
  "spatial" => "-180.0,-90.0,180.0,90.0",
  "sortKeys" => "score,,desc",
  "startDate" => "example",
  "startIndex" => "1",
  "searchTerms" => "example",
  "facetFilters" => "example"
})

http = Net::HTTP.new(uri.host, uri.port)
http.use_ssl = uri.scheme == "https"

req = Net::HTTP::Get.new(uri)

res = http.request(req)
puts JSON.parse(res.body)

<?php
$url = "https://api.apis.guru/v2/specs/nsidc.org/1.0.0/Facets?" . http_build_query([
    "count" => "25",
    "source" => "NSIDC",
    "endDate" => "example",
    "spatial" => "-180.0,-90.0,180.0,90.0",
    "sortKeys" => "score,,desc",
    "startDate" => "example",
    "startIndex" => "1",
    "searchTerms" => "example",
    "facetFilters" => "example"
]);
$opts = ["http" => [
    "method" => "GET",
]];
$ctx = stream_context_create($opts);
$res = file_get_contents($url, false, $ctx);
print_r(json_decode($res, true));

GET Search documents using the OpenSearch 1.1 Specification

This endpoint uses parameters from the OpenSearch 1.1 specification, as well as parameters from the OpenSearch Geo (1.0) and SRU (1.0) extensions.

https://api.apis.guru/v2/specs/nsidc.org/1.0.0/OpenSearch?count=25&source=NSIDC&endDate=example&spatial=-180.0,-90.0,180.0,90.0&sortKeys=score,,desc&startDate=example&startIndex=1&searchTerms=example&facetFilters=example

Hover any highlighted part to learn what it does

curl -X GET "https://api.apis.guru/v2/specs/nsidc.org/1.0.0/OpenSearch?count=25&source=NSIDC&endDate=example&spatial=-180.0%2C-90.0%2C180.0%2C90.0&sortKeys=score%2C%2Cdesc&startDate=example&startIndex=1&searchTerms=example&facetFilters=example"

import requests
params = {
    "count": "25",
    "source": "NSIDC",
    "endDate": "example",
    "spatial": "-180.0,-90.0,180.0,90.0",
    "sortKeys": "score,,desc",
    "startDate": "example",
    "startIndex": "1",
    "searchTerms": "example",
    "facetFilters": "example"
}
response = requests.get(
    "https://api.apis.guru/v2/specs/nsidc.org/1.0.0/OpenSearch",
    params=params,
)
print(response.json())

const url = new URL('https://api.apis.guru/v2/specs/nsidc.org/1.0.0/OpenSearch');
url.searchParams.set('count', '25');
url.searchParams.set('source', 'NSIDC');
url.searchParams.set('endDate', 'example');
url.searchParams.set('spatial', '-180.0,-90.0,180.0,90.0');
url.searchParams.set('sortKeys', 'score,,desc');
url.searchParams.set('startDate', 'example');
url.searchParams.set('startIndex', '1');
url.searchParams.set('searchTerms', 'example');
url.searchParams.set('facetFilters', 'example');

const response = await fetch(url); 
const data = await response.json();
console.log(data);

package main

import (
	"fmt"
	"io"
	"net/http"
	"net/url"
)

func main() {
	baseURL, _ := url.Parse("https://api.apis.guru/v2/specs/nsidc.org/1.0.0/OpenSearch")
	q := baseURL.Query()
	q.Set("count", "25")
	q.Set("source", "NSIDC")
	q.Set("endDate", "example")
	q.Set("spatial", "-180.0,-90.0,180.0,90.0")
	q.Set("sortKeys", "score,,desc")
	q.Set("startDate", "example")
	q.Set("startIndex", "1")
	q.Set("searchTerms", "example")
	q.Set("facetFilters", "example")
	baseURL.RawQuery = q.Encode()
	targetURL := baseURL.String()
	req, _ := http.NewRequest("GET", targetURL, nil)

	client := &http.Client{}
	resp, _ := client.Do(req)
	defer resp.Body.Close()
	body, _ := io.ReadAll(resp.Body)
	fmt.Println(string(body))
}

require "net/http"
require "json"

uri = URI("https://api.apis.guru/v2/specs/nsidc.org/1.0.0/OpenSearch")
uri.query = URI.encode_www_form({
  "count" => "25",
  "source" => "NSIDC",
  "endDate" => "example",
  "spatial" => "-180.0,-90.0,180.0,90.0",
  "sortKeys" => "score,,desc",
  "startDate" => "example",
  "startIndex" => "1",
  "searchTerms" => "example",
  "facetFilters" => "example"
})

http = Net::HTTP.new(uri.host, uri.port)
http.use_ssl = uri.scheme == "https"

req = Net::HTTP::Get.new(uri)

res = http.request(req)
puts JSON.parse(res.body)

<?php
$url = "https://api.apis.guru/v2/specs/nsidc.org/1.0.0/OpenSearch?" . http_build_query([
    "count" => "25",
    "source" => "NSIDC",
    "endDate" => "example",
    "spatial" => "-180.0,-90.0,180.0,90.0",
    "sortKeys" => "score,,desc",
    "startDate" => "example",
    "startIndex" => "1",
    "searchTerms" => "example",
    "facetFilters" => "example"
]);
$opts = ["http" => [
    "method" => "GET",
]];
$ctx = stream_context_create($opts);
$res = file_get_contents($url, false, $ctx);
print_r(json_decode($res, true));

GET Suggest search terms based on a partial query

In NSIDC Search and the Arctic Data Explorer, this endpoint is queried whenever the user types into the search terms box, and the returned suggestions are displayed in a dropdown beneath the search terms box. The q parameter and returned JSON follow the specifications of the OpenSearch Suggestions 1

https://api.apis.guru/v2/specs/nsidc.org/1.0.0/suggest?q=test&source=NSIDC

Hover any highlighted part to learn what it does

curl -X GET "https://api.apis.guru/v2/specs/nsidc.org/1.0.0/suggest?q=test&source=NSIDC"

import requests
params = {
    "q": "test",
    "source": "NSIDC"
}
response = requests.get(
    "https://api.apis.guru/v2/specs/nsidc.org/1.0.0/suggest",
    params=params,
)
print(response.json())

const url = new URL('https://api.apis.guru/v2/specs/nsidc.org/1.0.0/suggest');
url.searchParams.set('q', 'test');
url.searchParams.set('source', 'NSIDC');

const response = await fetch(url); 
const data = await response.json();
console.log(data);

package main

import (
	"fmt"
	"io"
	"net/http"
	"net/url"
)

func main() {
	baseURL, _ := url.Parse("https://api.apis.guru/v2/specs/nsidc.org/1.0.0/suggest")
	q := baseURL.Query()
	q.Set("q", "test")
	q.Set("source", "NSIDC")
	baseURL.RawQuery = q.Encode()
	targetURL := baseURL.String()
	req, _ := http.NewRequest("GET", targetURL, nil)

	client := &http.Client{}
	resp, _ := client.Do(req)
	defer resp.Body.Close()
	body, _ := io.ReadAll(resp.Body)
	fmt.Println(string(body))
}

require "net/http"
require "json"

uri = URI("https://api.apis.guru/v2/specs/nsidc.org/1.0.0/suggest")
uri.query = URI.encode_www_form({
  "q" => "test",
  "source" => "NSIDC"
})

http = Net::HTTP.new(uri.host, uri.port)
http.use_ssl = uri.scheme == "https"

req = Net::HTTP::Get.new(uri)

res = http.request(req)
puts JSON.parse(res.body)

<?php
$url = "https://api.apis.guru/v2/specs/nsidc.org/1.0.0/suggest?" . http_build_query([
    "q" => "test",
    "source" => "NSIDC"
]);
$opts = ["http" => [
    "method" => "GET",
]];
$ctx = stream_context_create($opts);
$res = file_get_contents($url, false, $ctx);
print_r(json_decode($res, true));

Postman Setup Guide

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See official documentation for authentication and setup.

What can you build with NSIDC Web Service Documentation Index?

NSIDC Web Service Documentation Index is a Data API. Developers commonly use data APIs for:

enriching your app with third-party datasets
building data pipelines and ETL workflows
querying and searching large datasets
powering research, analysis, and reporting tools
syncing reference data into your own systems

No authentication required. This API is open — no signup or key needed. Ideal for quick prototypes and public-facing features. NSIDC Web Service Documentation Index is free to use, making it a low-risk choice to experiment with.

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