Getting started

Get up and running with Earth Data Hub in just a few minutes.

1. Set up your environment

For the best experience, we recommend using Python with Xarray.

To install the required packages, run this command in your terminal:

pip install xarray "zarr>3" dask aiohttp

2. Open your first dataset

To access a dataset, you only need two things: its URL and your personal API key.

Every dataset in the EDH Catalogue includes a ready-to-use code snippet like the one below.

Insert your API key into the snippet below, or log in to see the snippet with your key already inserted.

1import xarray as xr
2
3xr.open_dataset(
4    # Replace the API key placeholder with your actual key
5    "https://edh:<your API key>@data.earthdatahub.destine.eu/private/test-dataset-v1.zarr",
6    chunks={},
7    engine="zarr",
8)

That’s it. You now have an xarray.Dataset ready to stream data directly into your workflows.

3. Go further

You’re ready to start crunching data.

Before diving in, we recommend exploring the Data Access section in the EDH documentation. You’ll find practical examples, performance tips, and best practices, including how to:

• Access
  restricted
  datasets (e.g., Climate DT)
• Store your API key securely in a .netrc file
• Speed up repeated reads with local caching

…and much more.