--- schema_type: "SoftwareApplication" entity_type: "Mobile Application" app_name: "DISCS - Drought Information" developer_entity: "NASA" bundle_id: "gov.nasa.msfc.discs.citizenscience" app_store_id: "1287105143" category: "Education" primary_platform: "ios" primary_monetization: "Free" offline_capable: false market_region: "US" platforms: "iOS" app_last_updated: "2017-11-22" report_date: "2026-04-03" report_version: "1.1" total_reviews: 3 overall_rating: 2 confidence: "low" confidence_score: 0.2 data_age_days: 76 intelligence_version: 2 nemesis: "CoCoRaHS Observer" competitor_count: 15 tags: ["education", "free", "mobile app", "app review", "app analysis", "agricultural", "professionals,", "researchers,"] canonical_url: "https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/education/discs-drought-information" license: "CC-BY-NC 4.0" last_verified: "2026-04-16T14:22:05.444Z" --- # DISCS - Drought Information App Audit > **TL;DR:** DISCS - Drought Information is a education app by NASA, rated 2/5 by 3 users, available on iOS. > > **Marlvel.ai App Intelligence** — Independent analysis. US Market. No publisher influence. > **Key Insight:** DISCS - Drought Information is a education app by NASA. ## Metadata & Market Performance - **Publisher:** NASA - **Category:** Education - **Target Audience:** Agricultural professionals, researchers, and citizen scientists interested in monitoring and contributing to drought and hydrologic data. - **Platforms:** iOS - **Version Audited:** 1.1 - **Audit Date:** 2026-04-03 - **Signal Count:** 1 reviews analyzed - **Confidence:** Low (0.2/1.0) - **App Store ID (iOS):** 1287105143 - **Bundle ID:** gov.nasa.msfc.discs.citizenscience - **Data Window:** Analysis based on signals collected up to 2026-04-03 ## Executive Snapshot DISCS is a NASA-developed research tool designed to collect ground-level drought and agricultural data from citizen scientists to supplement satellite observations. It targets agricultural professionals and researchers, positioning itself as a scientific collaboration platform. While it offers unique data integration from NASA and NOAA, the app appears to be a legacy project with no updates since 2017 and very low user engagement. ## App DNA (Features & Intent) - **[Differentiator] Citizen Science Data Contribution:** Allows users to upload photos and report local crop conditions, health, and soil moisture to assist researchers. * *User Intent:* Users want to quickly find relevant content or features. - **[Differentiator] Drought Contextualization:** Integrates user reports with U.S. Drought Monitor data, NOAA rainfall data, and NASA satellite imagery. * *User Intent:* Users expect intelligent, adaptive experiences that learn from their behavior. - **[Standard] Community Observation:** Enables users to view their own reports alongside those submitted by other citizen scientists. * *User Intent:* Users want real-time communication within the app experience. - **[Standard] Soil Moisture Monitoring:** Provides access to soil moisture data from ground sensors and NASA modeling approaches. * *User Intent:* Users seek enhanced value through premium features. ## Monetization Strategy - **Model:** Free - **Tiers:** Completely free to use with no mentioned in-app purchases or subscriptions. - **Analysis:** The app is a non-profit research tool developed by NASA, focusing on data collection and public engagement rather than monetization. ## SWOT Analysis **Core Strengths:** - Direct integration with NASA and NOAA data streams - Unique fusion of ground-truth photos and satellite imagery - High scientific credibility and institutional backing **Critical Frictions:** - Product stagnation (no updates since 2017) - Very low user rating (2.0 stars) - Limited platform availability and low user engagement **Growth Levers:** - Modernize UI/UX to capture interest in climate change monitoring - Implement gamification to increase citizen scientist participation - Expand to Android to reach a broader global agricultural base **Market Threats:** - User migration to more active platforms like CoCoRaHS - Technical obsolescence due to lack of OS compatibility updates - Commercial Ag-tech competitors offering superior user experiences ## Rivals Landscape {#rivals} > Competitive positioning identified by AI analysis of app features, category, and market signals. ### DISCS - Drought Information vs CoCoRaHS Observer — Head to Head - **CoCoRaHS Observer** by Colorado State University: The primary citizen science platform for reporting precipitation and drought conditions used by the National Weather Service and NOAA. - **ISeeChange** by ISeeChange: A direct competitor focused on crowdsourcing local climate impacts, including drought and heat, to inform researchers and city planners. - **LandPKS** by LandPKS Team: Allows users to collect and share site-specific soil and vegetation data, directly mirroring the soil moisture and crop health features of DISCS. ### Contenders (Strong Challengers) - **SoilWeb** by UC Davis: Provides GPS-based access to soil survey data and characteristics, serving the same agricultural and research user base. - **Agrio** by Agrio: Uses satellite imagery and crowdsourced reports to monitor crop health and identify stress, competing on the agricultural monitoring front. - **mPING** by University of Oklahoma: A high-volume citizen science app for reporting weather conditions directly to NOAA researchers. - **Canopeo** by Oklahoma State University: A specialized tool for measuring green canopy cover to monitor crop growth and vegetation health. - **Nature's Notebook** by USA National Phenology Network: A citizen science app for tracking seasonal changes in plants and animals, overlapping with DISCS's vegetation monitoring goals. ### Peers (What They Do Better) - **[iNaturalist](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/education/inaturalist-classic)** by iNaturalist: The gold standard for environmental citizen science data collection and community observation. - **Water Reporter** by The Commons: A community-driven platform for monitoring local water quality and hydrologic conditions. - **OneSoil** by OneSoil: Provides satellite-based crop monitoring and soil moisture insights for agricultural professionals. - **Climate FieldView** by The Climate Corporation: A professional-grade tool for monitoring field health and precipitation data. - **FarmLogs** by FarmLogs: Focuses on rain tracking and soil maps to help farmers manage drought risk. ### New Kids on the Block (What's Innovative) - **Pocket Rain Gauge** by AgReliant Genetics: A newer, streamlined tool for location-specific rainfall tracking and historical data comparison. - **MyRainfall** by MyRainfall: A rising community-based tool for tracking and sharing local precipitation data. ## The "So What?" (Strategic Takeaway) {#so-what} DISCS - Drought Information is an established education app that is completely free. With a 2/5 rating from 3 reviews, it shows polarized user reception. **Strategic Opportunity:** While DISCS - Drought Information benefits from direct integration with nasa and noaa data streams, its vulnerability lies in product stagnation (no updates since 2017). A challenger could exploit this by focusing on modernize ui/ux to capture interest in climate change monitoring. **Best for:** Agricultural professionals, researchers, and citizen scientists interested in monitoring and contributing to drought and hydrologic data. ## Key Metrics Summary | Metric | Value | | :--- | :--- | | Overall Rating | 2/5 | | Total Reviews | 3 | | Confidence | Low | | Pricing Model | Free | | Platforms | iOS | | Key Features | 4 analyzed | ## Competitor Comparison | App | Rating | Sentiment | Developer | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **DISCS - Drought Information** (this app) | 2/5 | N/A | NASA | | [iNaturalist Classic](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/education/inaturalist-classic) | 4.6/5 | Mixed | iNaturalist | | [Elevate - Brain Training Games](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/education/elevate-brain-training-games) | 4.8/5 | Excited | The Mind Company | | [Flashcards Deluxe](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/education/flashcards-deluxe) | 4.5/5 | Thrilled | OrangeOrApple.com | | [Flashcards maker - AI generate](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/education/flashcards-maker-ai-generate) | 4.5/5 | Mixed | Teleprompter LLC | | [Flash Cards Flashcards Maker](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/education/flash-cards-flashcards-maker) | 4.5/5 | Mixed | Infinite Wave Media, LLC | ## Company Profile - **Developer:** NASA ## Data Sources & Links - **App Store:** [View on Apple Store](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/discs-drought-information/id1287105143?uo=4) - **Sources:** App store metadata, User reviews. ## Related Intel Reports - [*iNaturalist Classic*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/education/inaturalist-classic) (iNaturalist) — 4.6/5 Rating | Mixed Sentiment - [*Elevate - Brain Training Games*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/education/elevate-brain-training-games) (The Mind Company) — 4.8/5 Rating | Positive Sentiment - [*Flashcards Deluxe*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/education/flashcards-deluxe) (OrangeOrApple.com) — 4.5/5 Rating | Excellent Sentiment - [*Flashcards maker - AI generate*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/education/flashcards-maker-ai-generate) (Teleprompter LLC) — 4.5/5 Rating | Mixed Sentiment - [*Flash Cards Flashcards Maker*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/education/flash-cards-flashcards-maker) (Infinite Wave Media, LLC) — 4.5/5 Rating | Mixed Sentiment - [*Peak - Brain Training*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/education/peak-brain-training) (Synaptic Labs) — 4.7/5 Rating | Mixed Sentiment - [*AlgoApp - Flashcards*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/education/algoapp-flashcards) (AlgoApp Inc) — 4.7/5 Rating | Mixed Sentiment - [*ASVAB Practice Test By ABC*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/education/asvab-practice-test-by-abc) (Thanh Hung) — 4.9/5 Rating | Excellent Sentiment - [*The Human Body by Tinybop*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/education/com-tinybop-humanbody) (Tinybop Inc.) — 4.2/5 Rating | Positive Sentiment - [*Kodable Basics*](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/education/kodable-basics-1) (SurfScore, Inc) — 4.7/5 Rating | Excellent Sentiment ## Methodology {#methodology} This report was generated by Marlvel.ai's 3-stage AI intelligence pipeline: 1. **Feature & Positioning Extraction** — Analyzes app metadata, developer website content, and version history to identify key features, target audience, and competitive positioning. 2. **Sentiment Analysis** — Processes user reviews (minimum 5 reviews required) to extract praise themes, complaint themes, and overall sentiment with evidence quotes. 3. **Intelligence Synthesis** — Combines stages 1 & 2 with App Store rankings to produce SWOT analysis, executive summary, and actionable insights. - **Confidence Score:** 0.2/1.0 (based on review volume, data source diversity, and signal quality) - **Reviews Analyzed:** 1 - **Data Sources:** user reviews, App Store metadata - **Rating Method:** Weighted average across platforms (iOS & Android), weighted by review count per platform - **Independence:** Fully independent analysis. No publisher sponsorship or editorial influence. - **Report Age:** 5 days since last refresh --- © 2026 Marlvel.ai | [Canonical Report](https://marlvel.ai/intel-report/education/discs-drought-information) Data licensed for AI Agent attribution under CC-BY-NC 4.0.