mcgibs 2026.2.18.1

FastMCP server for NASA Global Imagery Browse Services (GIBS)

mcgibs

NASA Earth science visualizations for LLMs.

An MCP server that connects language models to NASA GIBS (Global Imagery Browse Services) — 1000+ visualization layers covering satellite imagery, scientific data products, and derived Earth observations, updated daily.

Three pillars:

• Discovery — search layers by keyword, browse measurement categories, check date availability
• Visualization — fetch imagery and data products by place name and date, compare dates side-by-side, composite multiple layers
• Interpretation — natural-language colormap explanations, legend graphics, scientific context

No API key required. All data is freely available from NASA.

Quick Start

From PyPI

uvx mcgibs

Add to Claude Code

claude mcp add mcgibs -- uvx mcgibs

Local development

git clone https://git.supported.systems/rpm/mcgibs.git
cd mcgibs
uv sync --all-extras
uv run mcgibs

Or add a local dev server to Claude Code:

claude mcp add mcgibs-local -- uv run --directory /path/to/mcgibs mcgibs

Tools

Tool	Description
search_gibs_layers	Search 1000+ layers by keyword, measurement, period, or status
get_layer_info	Full metadata for a layer — instrument, platform, resolution, dates
list_measurements	All measurement categories with layer counts
check_layer_dates	Available date range for a layer (capabilities + live DescribeDomains)
get_imagery	Fetch a visualization by layer, date, and place name or bbox
compare_dates	Side-by-side comparison of two dates for change detection
get_imagery_composite	Overlay up to 5 layers into a single composite image
explain_layer_colormap	Natural-language explanation of what colors represent
get_legend	Pre-rendered legend graphic for a layer
resolve_place	Geocode a place name to coordinates and bounding box
build_tile_url	Construct a direct WMTS tile URL for embedding

Resources

URI	Description
gibs://catalog	Full layer catalog grouped by measurement category
gibs://layer/{layer_id}	Individual layer metadata as JSON
gibs://colormap/{layer_id}	Colormap explanation for a layer
gibs://dates/{layer_id}	Available date range for a layer
gibs://projections	Supported GIBS projections and endpoints

Prompts

Prompt	Parameters	Description
earth_overview	(none)	Introduction to GIBS with suggested explorations
investigate_event	event_type, location, date	Guided workflow for investigating natural events
satellite_snapshot	place, date	Quick satellite view of any location
climate_monitor	indicator, location, start_date, end_date	Track climate changes over time
layer_deep_dive	layer_id, location, date	Full scientific analysis of a single layer
multi_layer_story	topic, location, date	Data journalism — composite layers to tell a story
polar_watch	pole, date, compare_date	Arctic/Antarctic ice and snow monitoring

Example Workflows

Investigating a wildfire

User: Use the investigate_event prompt for the 2025 LA wildfires

→ search_gibs_layers("fire")
→ search_gibs_layers("true color")
→ check_layer_dates("MODIS_Terra_CorrectedReflectance_TrueColor")
→ get_imagery("MODIS_Terra_CorrectedReflectance_TrueColor", "2025-01-08", place="Los Angeles")
→ get_imagery("MODIS_Fires_Terra", "2025-01-08", place="Los Angeles")
→ compare_dates("MODIS_Terra_CorrectedReflectance_TrueColor", "2025-01-01", "2025-01-10", place="Los Angeles")
→ explain_layer_colormap("MODIS_Fires_Terra")

Monitoring sea ice decline

User: Use climate_monitor to track Arctic sea ice from March to September

→ search_gibs_layers("sea ice")
→ check_layer_dates("AMSR2_Sea_Ice_Concentration_12km")
→ explain_layer_colormap("AMSR2_Sea_Ice_Concentration_12km")
→ compare_dates("AMSR2_Sea_Ice_Concentration_12km", "2025-03-01", "2025-09-01", bbox=[-180,60,180,90])
→ get_legend("AMSR2_Sea_Ice_Concentration_12km")

Quick look at anywhere on Earth

User: Use satellite_snapshot for the Great Barrier Reef

→ resolve_place("Great Barrier Reef")
→ get_imagery("MODIS_Terra_CorrectedReflectance_TrueColor", "2025-06-01", place="Great Barrier Reef")
→ search_gibs_layers("chlorophyll")
→ get_imagery_composite(["MODIS_Terra_CorrectedReflectance_TrueColor", "MODIS_Terra_Chlorophyll_A"], "2025-06-01", place="Great Barrier Reef")

Projections

EPSG	Description	Use case
4326	Geographic (WGS84)	Default — global coverage, most layers
3857	Web Mercator	Web map tiles, Leaflet/Mapbox integration
3413	Arctic Polar Stereographic	Arctic-focused imagery
3031	Antarctic Polar Stereographic	Antarctic-focused imagery

Development

uv sync --all-extras

# Lint
uv run ruff check src/ tests/

# Tests
uv run pytest

# Build
uv build

Architecture

src/mcgibs/
  server.py       MCP server — tools, resources, prompts, middleware
  client.py       GIBS HTTP client — WMS, WMTS, colormaps, geocoding
  capabilities.py WMTS GetCapabilities parser and layer search
  colormaps.py    Colormap XML parser and natural-language interpreter
  models.py       Pydantic models — Layer, BBox, GeoResult, ColormapEntry
  constants.py    API endpoints, projections, tile matrix definitions
  geo.py          Bounding box math and geocoding helpers

License

MIT

Links

• NASA GIBS
• GIBS API Documentation
• Worldview — NASA's browser-based GIBS viewer
• FastMCP — the MCP framework powering this server
• Source