Full Text Searching Users may search the entire descriptions for a word or phrase. For example, searching for Colorado and ice retrieves all metadata records that include the words colorado and ice anywhere in the record, including descriptions of data sets which mention the word ice stored at Data Centers located in Colorado . Searching for 'Gulf of Mexico' , on the other hand, will find all records that include the phrase Gulf of Mexico . Searches Restricted to Particular Fields Users may also restrict their word searches to particular fields. For example, searching for Colorado in a location field and ice in a parameter or keyword field retrieves only those records describing data sets about ice in Colorado .
Users can similarly restrict their phrase searches.
For example, searching for 'Gulf of Mexico' in the title field will return all records with that phrase in their title. Available fields include the title of the description, summary information, and the dates on which data was taken. To restrict searches to particular fields, users can design their own customized search interfaces. Once the form is generated, users fill in the form by typing query words into the small text input area adjacent to the desired field. Environmental data is often stored in vastly different formats.