gov.noaa.nodc:0304143 eng utf8 dataset NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information ncei.info@noaa.gov https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/contact HTTPS NOAA Contact Information Information for contacts at NCEI. information custodian 2026-05-06T13:21:21Z ISO 19115-2 Geographic Information - Metadata - Part 2: Extensions for Imagery and Gridded Data ISO 19115-2:2009(E) A Global Self-consistent, Hierarchical, High-resolution Geography Database from 2010-02-19 to 2017-06-15 (NCEI Accession 0304143) 2025-05-14 publication 2025-05-09 creation International DOI Foundation (IDF) 10.25921/fe3s-bq64 NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information gov.noaa.nodc:0304143 NCEI Archive Management System 0304143 NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information ncei.info@noaa.gov https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/contact HTTPS NCEI Contact Information Information for contacts at NCEI. information publisher Barry W. Eakins NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) barry.eakins@noaa.gov resourceProvider NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) resourceProvider BARRY EAKINS NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) barry.eakins@noaa.gov https://www.colorado.edu/ HTTPS NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) website Institution web page information pointOfContact Brian Meyer NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) brian.meyer@noaa.gov collaborator Wessel, Paul SOEST, University of Hawaiʻi https://manoa.hawaii.edu/ HTTPS University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (UHM) website Institution web page information author Smith, Walter H. F. NOAA Geosciences Lab, National Ocean Service author NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) contributor tableDigital A Global Self-consistent, Hierarchical, High-resolution Geography Database is a high-resolution geography data set amalgamated from three data bases in the public domain: World Vector Shorelines (WVS). CIA World Data Bank II (WDBII). Atlas of the Cryosphere (AC). The WVS is our basis for shorelines except for Antarctica while the WDBII is the basis for lakes, although there are instances where differences in coastline representations necessitated adding WDBII islands to GSHHG. The WDBII source also provides all political borders and rivers. The addition of AC since 2.3.0 allows us to offer two choices for Antarctica coastlines: Ice-front or Grounding line. These are encoded as levels 5 and 6, respectively and users of GSHHG can choose which set to use. GSHHG data have undergone extensive processing and should be free of internal inconsistencies such as erratic points and crossing segments. The shorelines are constructed entirely from hierarchically arranged closed polygons. A modified version of GSHHG is used by GMT, the Generic Mapping Tools. Starting with version 2.2.2, GSHHG has been released under the GNU Lesser General Public License. NCEI decommissioned the Global Self-consistent, Hierarchical, High-resolution Geography Database in May 2025 with no further updates. Comments and questions may be sent to: ncei.info@noaa.gov. We present a high-resolution shoreline data set amalgamated from two databases in the public domain. The data have undergone extensive processing and are free of internal inconsistencies such as erratic points and crossing segments. The shorelines are constructed entirely from hierarchically arranged closed polygons. The data can be used to simplify data searches and data selections or to study the statistical characteristics of shorelines and landmasses. The data set can be accessed both electronically over Internet and from the National Geophysical Data Center, Boulder, Colorado; it comes with access software and routines to facilitate decimation based on a standard line-reduction algorithm. completed historicalArchive NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information ncei.info@noaa.gov https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/contact HTTPS NCEI Contact Information Information for contacts at NCEI. information pointOfContact asNeeded https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/metadata/landing-page/bin/gfx?id=gov.noaa.nodc:0304143 Preview graphic PNG 0304143 NCEI ACCESSION NUMBER 2025-05-09 publication SHORELINE theme NODC DATA TYPES THESAURUS satellite sensor - general instrument NODC INSTRUMENT TYPES THESAURUS atlas GIS product satellite data theme NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information dataCentre NODC COLLECTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information dataCentre NODC SUBMITTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS World-Wide Distribution place NODC SEA AREA NAMES THESAURUS oceanography theme WMO_CategoryCode 2012-09-15 publication DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/NCEI > National Centers for Environmental Information, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce dataCentre Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Data Center Keywords 2026 revision 23 Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Greenbelt MD https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD%2BKeywords HTTPS GCMD Keyword Forum Page Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2025. GCMD Keywords, Version 21. Greenbelt, MD: Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). URL (GCMD Keyword Forum Page): https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD+Keywords information custodian EARTH SCIENCE > LAND SURFACE > GEOMORPHIC LANDFORMS/PROCESSES > COASTAL LANDFORMS > SHORELINES EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > COASTAL PROCESSES > SHORELINES EARTH SCIENCE > TERRESTRIAL HYDROSPHERE > SURFACE WATER > SURFACE WATER FEATURES > RIVERS/STREAMS theme Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords 2026 revision 23 Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Greenbelt MD https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD%2BKeywords HTTPS GCMD Keyword Forum Page Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2025. GCMD Keywords, Version 21. Greenbelt, MD: Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). URL (GCMD Keyword Forum Page): https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD+Keywords information custodian ocean/land interface theme Provider Keywords GEOGRAPHIC REGION > GLOBAL OCEAN place Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords 2026 revision 23 Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Greenbelt MD https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD%2BKeywords HTTPS GCMD Keyword Forum Page Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2025. GCMD Keywords, Version 21. Greenbelt, MD: Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). URL (GCMD Keyword Forum Page): https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD+Keywords information custodian M7MMF1 Send2NCEI Submission Package ID accessLevel: public otherRestrictions Cite as: Wessel, Paul; Smith, Walter H. F. (2025). A Global Self-consistent, Hierarchical, High-resolution Geography Database from 2010-02-19 to 2017-06-15 (NCEI Accession 0304143). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://doi.org/10.25921/fe3s-bq64. Accessed [date]. Distribution liability: NOAA and NCEI make no warranty, expressed or implied, regarding these data, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty. NOAA and NCEI cannot assume liability for any damages caused by any errors or omissions in these data. If appropriate, NCEI can only certify that the data it distributes are an authentic copy of the records that were accepted for inclusion in the NCEI archives. otherRestrictions Use liability: NOAA and NCEI cannot provide any warranty as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of furnished data. Users assume responsibility to determine the usability of these data. The user is responsible for the results of any application of this data for other than its intended purpose. license This dataset has been dedicated to the public domain under a Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication. SPDX License: Creative Commons Zero v1.0 Universal (CC0-1.0) Wessel, P., and W. H. F. Smith, A Global Self-consistent, Hierarchical, High-resolution Shoreline Database, J. Geophys. Res., 101, 8741-8743, 1996 1996 publication https://www.soest.hawaii.edu/pwessel/gshhg/Wessel+Smith_1996_JGR.pdf HTTPS https://www.soest.hawaii.edu/pwessel/gshhg/Wessel+Smith_1996_JGR.pdf Related journal article information Wessel, P. author Smith, W. H. F. author Journal of Geophysical Research publisher crossReference sciencePaper eng; USA utf8 environment oceans imageryBaseMapsEarthCover -180 180 -90 90 2010-02-19 2017-06-15 NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information +1-301-713-3277 ncei.info@noaa.gov pointOfContact In most cases, electronic downloads of the data are free. However, fees may apply for custom orders, data certifications, copies of analog materials, and data distribution on physical media. Contact NCEI for other distribution options and instructions. SHP netCDF TXT 626.724 https://doi.org/10.25921/fe3s-bq64 HTTPS Web browser NCEI Dataset Landing Page Navigate directly to the URL for a descriptive web page with download links. information https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/oas/304143 HTTPS Web browser Descriptive Information Navigate directly to the URL for a descriptive web page with download links. information https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/download/304143 HTTPS Web browser HTTPS Navigate directly to the URL for data access and direct download. download ftp://ftp-oceans.ncei.noaa.gov/nodc/archive/arc0234/0304143/ FTP Any FTP client FTP These data are available through the File Transfer Protocol (FTP). FTP is no longer supported by most internet browsers. You may copy and paste the FTP link to the data into an FTP client (e.g., FileZilla or WinSCP). download dataset NCEI Accession 0304143 v1.1 was published. 2025-05-14T16:12:39Z NCEI Accession 0304143 v1.1 publication https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0304143/1.1 HTTPS NCEI Accession 0304143 v1.1 published 2025-05-14T16:12:39Z download dataset Parameter or Variable: ocean/land interface (calculated); Units: meter; Observation Category: satellite; Sampling Instrument: satellite sensor - general; Sampling and Analyzing Method: citation - Wessel, P., and W. H. F. Smith, A Global Self-consistent, Hierarchical, High-resolution Shoreline Database, J. Geophys. Res., 101, 8741-8743, 1996 (https://www.soest.hawaii.edu/pwessel/gshhg/Wessel+Smith_1996_JGR.pdf). asNeeded Metadata are developed, maintained and distributed by NCEI. Updates are performed as needed to maintain currentness. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information custodian satellite sensor - general satellite sensor - general A generic class used for unknown satellite sensor type, or datasets consisting of blended, merged, or otherwise mixed observations from multiple satellite sensor types