Besides having a cool name, the Observatory of Economic Complexity is a tool that allows users to quickly compose a visual narrative about countries and the products they exchange. It was created by a student working on their Master Thesis in Media Arts and Sciences at the MIT Media Lab.

You can visualize a country’s import/export data by a tree map, stacked, network, rings, scatter, line, or geo map.  Check it out!

The California Geologic Survey (CGS) Seismic Hazards Program has significantly updated two versions of its regulatory hazard zone map products. First, all GIS data files (in ESRI Shapefile format) for fault rupture, liquefaction and earthquake-induced landslide zones have been re-projected to California (Teale) Albers, in meters, with a North American Datum 1983. In addition, all GIS zone polygons now include attributes that provide the name of the 7.5-minute quadrangle, map release date(s), and links to zone reports and PDF maps. Active fault traces within earthquake fault zones have attributes for fault name and fault type. Continue reading →

The Los Angeles County Assessor has just released their 2016 tax roll parcels.  The 2016 parcels (in a file geodatabase) with associated tax roll information can be downloaded at the Los Angeles County GIS Data Portal.

A newly discovered print of Martin Waldseemüller’s 1507 map was to be sold at auction this month until experts raised concerns about its authenticity.  The Waldseemüller map is considered to be the first to mention America.  Click below for the story and how it was discovered to be a fake.