Better data on terrestrial variables such as soil moisture are now available for assimilation into models. Previously unobtainable data, such as sea ice thickness, may soon be available. On the flip side, not only are data feeding the models, but the models are helping to interpret observations and fill-in data gaps. M odels are also helping us bridge boundaries between different disciplines by integrating data from a variety of sources. This interdisciplinary approach to Earth science is a central goal of the Mission to Planet Earth, so it is encouraging to see that DAAC data are indeed helping us move toward that goal.
P erhaps the major boundaries, though, are the links between data and models.
Although many of the following articles show that DAAC data are currently very useful to modellers, EOS data will further lessen the dichotomy between available data and the needs of Earth system scientists. EOS and the DAACs are actively working toward that goal, and scientists seeking to understand our marvelously complex planet eagerly await the deluge of data from new sensors in the EOS era. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .