Monday, October 7, 2019

Add Mars Web Mapping Tile Server datasets from NASA to QGIS

NASA publishes Mars dataset such as the Viking Color Mosaic or the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter Color Hillshade  for public access at this web site https://api.nasa.gov/api.html. The dataset are published as OGC RESTful Web Mapping and Tile Services - hence they can be pulled down and displayed in QGIS.

For convenience, the full list of the dataset extracted from the service is shown below:
Layer Url
Viking Color Mosaic - Global Map https://api.nasa.gov/mars-wmts/catalog/Mars_Viking_MDIM21_ClrMosaic_global_232m/1.0.0//default/default028mm/{z}/{y}/{x}.jpg
CTX Mosaic - Curiosity Landing Site https://api.nasa.gov/mars-wmts/catalog/curiosity_ctx_mosaic/1.0.0//default/default028mm/{z}/{y}/{x}.png
HiRISE Mosaic - Curiosity Landing Site https://api.nasa.gov/mars-wmts/catalog/curiosity_hirise_mosaic/1.0.0//default/default028mm/{z}/{y}/{x}.png
HiRISE Mosaic - ESP_040776_2115 https://api.nasa.gov/mars-wmts/catalog/ESP_040776_2115_RED_A_01_ORTHO/1.0.0//default/default028mm/{z}/{y}/{x}.png
HiRISE Mosaic - ESP_042252_1930_RED_B_01_ORTHO https://api.nasa.gov/mars-wmts/catalog/ESP_042252_1930_RED_B_01_ORTHO/1.0.0//default/default028mm/{z}/{y}/{x}.png
HiRISE Mosaic - ESP_042647_1760_RED_B_01_ORTHO https://api.nasa.gov/mars-wmts/catalog/ESP_042647_1760_RED_B_01_ORTHO/1.0.0//default/default028mm/{z}/{y}/{x}.png
HRSC Mosaic - Martian East https://api.nasa.gov/mars-wmts/catalog/HRSC_Martian_east/1.0.0//default/default028mm/{z}/{y}/{x}.png
HRSC Color Mosaic - MC11 https://api.nasa.gov/mars-wmts/catalog/MC11E_HRMOSCO_COL/1.0.0//default/default028mm/{z}/{y}/{x}.png
HRSC Mosaic - MC11 https://api.nasa.gov/mars-wmts/catalog/MC11E_HRMOSND_ND5/1.0.0//default/default028mm/{z}/{y}/{x}.png
HiRISE Mosaic - Spirit Landing Site https://api.nasa.gov/mars-wmts/catalog/spirit_hirise_mosaic/1.0.0//default/default028mm/{z}/{y}/{x}.png
HiRISE Mosaic - Opportunity Landing Site https://api.nasa.gov/mars-wmts/catalog/opportunity_hirise_mosaic/1.0.0//default/default028mm/{z}/{y}/{x}.png
HiRISE Mosaic - Phoenix Landing Site https://api.nasa.gov/mars-wmts/catalog/phoenix_hirise_mosaic/1.0.0//default/default028mm/{z}/{y}/{x}.png
HiRISE Mosaic - Sojourner Landing Site https://api.nasa.gov/mars-wmts/catalog/sojourner_hirise_mosaic/1.0.0//default/default028mm/{z}/{y}/{x}.png
Albedo Mosaic - Thermal Emission Spectrometer https://api.nasa.gov/mars-wmts/catalog/Mars_MGS_TES_Albedo_mosaic_global_7410m/1.0.0//default/default028mm/{z}/{y}/{x}.png
DEM Grayscale - Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter https://api.nasa.gov/mars-wmts/catalog/Mars_MGS_MOLA_DEM_mosaic_global_463m_8/1.0.0//default/default028mm/{z}/{y}/{x}.png
Color Hillshade - Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter https://api.nasa.gov/mars-wmts/catalog/Mars_MGS_MOLA_ClrShade_merge_global_463m/1.0.0//default/default028mm/{z}/{y}/{x}.jpg
Experience Curiosity - Curiosity Landing Site https://api.nasa.gov/mars-wmts/catalog/mars_pahrump_patch_8k_256m/1.0.0//default/default028mm/{z}/{y}/{x}.png
Atlas Mosaic - Mars Orbiter Camera https://api.nasa.gov/mars-wmts/catalog/msss_atlas_simp_clon/1.0.0//default/default028mm/{z}/{y}/{x}.png
Infrared Night - Thermal Emission Imaging System https://api.nasa.gov/mars-wmts/catalog/Mars_MO_THEMIS-IR-Night_mosaic_60N60S_100m_v14_clon0_ly/1.0.0//default/default028mm/{z}/{y}/{x}.jpg
Infrared Day - Thermal Emission Imaging System https://api.nasa.gov/mars-wmts/catalog/Mars_MO_THEMIS-IR-Day_mosaic_global_100m_v12_clon0_ly/1.0.0//default/default028mm/{z}/{y}/{x}.jpg
HRSC Mosaic - Mawrth Vallis https://api.nasa.gov/mars-wmts/catalog/hrsc_mawrth_vallis/1.0.0//default/default028mm/{z}/{y}/{x}.png
HRSC Color Mosaic - Mawrth Vallis https://api.nasa.gov/mars-wmts/catalog/hrsc_mawrth_vallis_color/1.0.0//default/default028mm/{z}/{y}/{x}.png

To add a MARS dataset to QGIS, do the following:
  1. Start QGIS. In the Browser panel, mouse right click on the Tile Server (XYZ). Select New Connection.


     
  2.  In the New XYZ tile layer, type in the URL for the chosen dataset, e.g. https://api.nasa.gov/mars-wmts/catalog/Mars_MGS_MOLA_ClrShade_merge_global_463m/1.0.0//default/default028mm/{z}/{y}/{x}.jpg

  3. Click OK.
  4. Type in the name of the tile layer, e.g. Color Hillshade - Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter.

  5. Click OK.

    The tile layer connection is added to the Tile Server (XYZ) node.
  6. Mouse right click on the newly added tile server node. Choose Add layer.

    The selected layer is displayed in QGIS.

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