The Cryosphere Innovation REST API accepts requests at two endpoints. One for data and another for metadata.
Data is raw data from an instrument, like air_temp or surface_distance, metadata is information about the deployment and instrument, like deployment_start_date or location.
All deployments in our public database accept read-only GET requests from any user with a valid API key. Write-acesss is restricted to instrument owners & deployment collaborators. Responses are always returned as JSON.
Authentication & authorization
All requests to the Cryosphere Innovation REST API must include an API key passed as an Authorization header. This tells our system who you are and allows us to determine if you have access to the information you asked for.
Get your API key
If you have an account, you get generate a key from your settings. If you need to make an account, you can register for one here.
How to pass the key
The API key must be passed as a string in the form of "Authorization: Bearer Your API Key", where "Your API Key" is the key retreived from your user settings.
Authorization: Bearer <Your API KEY>
If making queries in Matlab, Python, or Javascript, consider using the Instant Query snippet available on the deployment data page.
Expiration & API Key Security
By default, API keys do not expire. You can, however, revoke a key by deleting it from your settings. If accessing the API via a browser it is recommended that you rotate the keys often as they are exposed to the public.
API keys uniquely identify a user and therefore should be treated with a similar level of consideration as a password. That being said, keys are read-only by default and will only grant read-access to your resources.