A geographic server like SIGPAC (http://sigpac.mapa.es/fega/visor/) will be also useful, the final goal is to rescue geo-positioning of sampling sites from old papers.
Look at this site http://webmap.ornl.gov/webgis/viewer.htm?instance=global. May be helpful to you. And presentation attached is for dealing with the data of Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC), may be helpful to you.