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What People Are Saying | New Features | Partnerships | New Data | Archive
Notice: Selected reports and articles found on this page may be in Adobe® Portable Document Format (PDF) and require the use of the free Acrobat® Reader to view.
- USGS Provides New Digital Maps for Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts
Mapping and IT specialists at the USGS Rolla, Missouri, National Geospatial Technology Operations Center created and posted new mapping products in support of Hurricane Katrina relief efforts The maps are intended especially for First Responders, FEMA, USGS, and others assisting in a variety of relief efforts. The new 1:24,000-scale maps (also known as 7.5-minute maps) are digital maps covering the same footprint as the standard paper version of the USGS topographic maps at this scale. The maps were created using new product-generation techniques developed in Rolla from map data derived from a variety of sources including the following:
USGS—1:24,000-Scale Digital Line Graphs (DLG)
USGS—Miscellaneous Transportation
USGS—Manmade Structures
FEMA—AZUS (Hazards US)
Geographic Names Information Service (GNIS)—Labels
Census Bureau—Transportation.
The maps are in the Adobe PDF format and can be printed, downloaded, or emailed (both the PDF and the Web URL). The maps are available through several sources:
- Imagery showing the path of Hurricane Katrina in The National Map viewer
View this location in The National Map
Imagery in this view is from August 25. Yellow, orange, and red areas represent Maximum Sustained Winds. The pink line shows the path of the hurricane. Additional imagery layers from August 26, 27, 28, and 29 depict the hurricane as it approached the United States through landfall. These layers as well as the Weather Warnings, Watches and Advisories layer, and the Peak Wind Gusts layer are listed in the "Climate" class under the "National Disaster/Weather" data theme category, to the right of the map display. Data themes are shown in bold black, class names are shown in white, and layer names are shown in plain black. Click on the triangle to the left of the data theme to see the possible classes and layers available at that scale. Checking the "Visible" box to the left of the class name will select/deselect all of the layers available for that class. To update the map, click on "Refresh Required" located below the Layers area. Imagery and data are from NASA and NOAA's National Weather Service Bureau. Additional data will be included in The National Map when they become available.
What People Are Saying
- Study reveals: The National Map could provide a net $2.05 billion in present-day value of benefits, above and beyond the cost to develop and maintain the database
November 2004
All Federal agencies are charged with effective management of scarce capital assets to ensure that public resources are wisely invested. Adhering to this policy, USGS scientists embarked on a study to evaluate the net benefits to society of the USGS product: The National Map, and have recently published study results that analyzed overall costs and benefits associated with The National Map. USGS Circular 1271, "A Cost-Benefit Analysis of The National Map" (by David Halsing, Kevin Theissen, and Richard Bernknopf), describes methods used to determine the value of this type of unique product, elaborates on the results of the study, and defines the usefulness of this product, which provides the Nation with spatial map data that are current, integrated, consistent, complete, and more accessible than in previous formats. The scientists also report that this research methodology, using a simulation approach to evaluate information technology and spatial data investments, is promising for other similar applications. Circular 1271 is currently available online (see link above) and in hard copy by contacting 1-888-ASK-USGS. Geospatial Solutions magazine's feature article February 1, 2004, describes the cost-benefit analysis and provides additional details.
New Features
The National Map Viewer—For more information on these new features, see Viewer Help
- Layers Shown in Opening View Simplified September 2005
The layers shown in the opening view are now restricted to only a few select layers. Layers are only from the State/Territory class (Boundaries theme), Shaded Relief class (Elevation theme), Index/Status (Imagery) class (Orthoimagery theme), and Roads class (Transportation theme). The intent is to provide a clear but relatively minimal default base map. The user can select other classes and get recommended layers for display. The user can turn on or off any desired layers.
- Layer-Ranking Mode added to Options Tool September 2005
A new feature has been added to the Options tool, which is located in the Tool Bar area to the left of the map display. Depending on the size of your monitor, you may need to scroll down to see the Options tool. The new option of Layer-Ranking Mode in Classes allows the application to recommend what layers are displayed for a class. Recommended layers are shown by a black dot to the left of the Visible checkbox. With any of these modes, the user can also manually turn on or off any additional layers as desired. There are four modes available:
- Application: This mode displays only a small set of preselected layers in the map view. This mode is the default mode for the Viewer and gives the simplest set of layers for display. At different scales, layers may appear or disappear.
- Scaleclass: This mode displays the recommended, most detailed base layers needed to fill the map view for a selected class.
- Scaleclass application: This mode displays a set of preselected layers (see 'Application' above), plus the recommended, most detailed base layers (see 'Scaleclass' above) needed to fill the map view for a selected class.
- None: This mode displays all layers available in the map view for a selected class.
- Print tool enhanced July 2005
- You now have the option to add latitude and longitude tick marks to your printed map.
- You now have the option to add a legend to your printed map.
- Print performance improved.
- Find Place tool enhanced July 2005
- The data entry forms for Point (Longitude - Latitude, USNG, and UTM) have been redone to streamline data entry and move more easily between coordinate formats.
Partnerships
- Bureau of Land Management Data Currently Unavailable
June 2005
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) external Web presence has been disconnected while the agency makes modifications to enhance the security of BLM Web sites. All BLM sites, except for those related to fire and public safety, are impacted by this temporary disconnection. This disconnection from the Internet affects data layers served by BLM for display in The National Map. Most importantly, layers showing BLM Public Land Survey System (PLSS) data will not be available until BLM sites are back online. Some of these data may still be available for sale on fixed media. Phone numbers for BLM customer service can be found at www.blm.gov.
New Data
National Datasets
- New High-Resolution (1-meter ground) Orthoimagery available August 2005
USGS Digital Orthophoto Quarter Quadrangles with 1-meter ground resolution are now available for most of the United States and its territories. These images, which are available for viewing in The National Map Viewer, are black and white, natural color, or color infrared. Additionally, the images may be downloaded in both native and GeoTIFF formats from the National Center for Earth Resources Observation (EROS). The point of contact is the Customer Service Representative at EROS in Sioux Falls, SD.
Athletic complex at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois
View this location in The National Map
- New GAP Analysis, Land Cover, Electric Transmission Lines, and Powerplant data available for Kansas July 2005
The GAP Analysis Land Cover data contains 43 land cover classes for Kansas. These data were developed as part of the Kansas GAP Analysis Project to meet the requirements of the National GAP Analysis Program of the USGS Biological Resources Discipline. GAP provides distribution data of vegetation types and vertebrate species used to identify "gaps" in current biodiversity conservation efforts. The originator of these data is the Kansas Applied Remote Sensing Program.
The Electric Transmission Line data contain electric transmission line coverage in Kansas as compiled from electric line applications submitted to the Kansas Corporation Commission for construction.
The Powerplant data depict locations of various types of power plants in Kansas. These data were originally developed to provide a spatial index to the power plant facilities. The originator of these data is the Kansas Geological Survey.
The Data Access & Support Center (DASC) hosts and maintains these data at the Kansas Geospatial Community Commons website.
Below are examples taken from the three datasets:
Electric Lines and Powerplants
View this location in The National Map
Kansas GAP
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View this location in The National Map
- New High-Resolution Orthoimagery and Digital Raster Graphic data available for Oklahoma June 2005
New 1-meter 2003 color Digital Orthophoto Quarter Quadrangles (DOQQs) produced through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP), 1-meter 1995 USGS black and white DOQQs, and USGS 1:24,000 Digital Raster Graphics (DRGs) are now available in The National Map for Oklahoma. The DOQQ data are available in partnership with Strategic Consulting International (SCI). The National Map State liaison for Oklahoma is Raymond Fox, and SCI partner contact person is David Lowther. NAIP's contact is the USDA-FSA Aerial Photography Field Office.
Oklahoma State Capitol in Oklahoma City, OK
View this location in The National Map
Partner Datasets
The following are new datasets:
- Arkansas — Benton County
- Arkansas — City of Fort Smith
- Arkansas — Washington County
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