An example computer-implemented method for transmitting data from a downhole location to the earth's surface. The method includes sensing, with one or more sensors, sensor data downhole, the sensor data comprising a plurality of data value sets. The method further includes assigning at least one data value of each of the plurality of data value sets to each of a plurality of time levels or depth levels to generate a data block. The method further includes compressing, with a first processor in the drilling assembly, the data block by a block-based compression technique to generate compressed data. The method further includes transmitting, with a telemetry system, the compressed data from the downhole location to the surface. The method further includes decompressing, with a second processor at the surface, the compressed data to generate decompressed data values. The method further includes controlling the drilling assembly based on the decompressed data values.