The USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Program (CMGP) National Assessment of Shoreline Change Web Mapping Application provides a national map view of short and long term shoreline change evaluations, and historical and modern shorelines. This map includes data layers compiled in support of the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) National Assessment of Shoreline Change Program.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) and the Association of American State Geologists (AASG) have worked together to build the National Geologic Map Database (NGMDB). The NGMDB is mandated to be a standardized, “national archive” of geoscience information (maps and reports, both published and unpublished), made available to the public to support decision-making, research, and other needs. Its website opened in 1996, and it currently serves about 60,000 users each month, who make about 220,000 visits.
The principal sections of the NGMDB are: Continue reading
“Art Meets Maps” is an exhibition of pictographic maps at the Map and Atlas Museum of La Jolla, in La Jolla, San Diego. Pictographic maps are maps that mix cartography, art, and illustration. The exhibition includes nine pieces made by British artist and illustrator MacDonald Gill. Continue reading
If you need to plot out a hiking route, try CalTopo. CalTopo allows you to print USGS topo maps using the 1:24000 USGS scale. You can also measure the length of your hikes and compute elevation profiles. Check it out!
Check out this essay comparing the cartography between Google Maps and Apple Maps. In summary:
Trying to find that perfect color palette for your choropleth map? Check out this posting about using the right tool to choose that perfect set of colors for data visualization.
The US Wildfire Activity Public Information Map shows US wildfire locations, both active and recent, and other sources of information related to wildfires, including social media. The map contains live feed sources for US wildfire reports (I-209), perimeters, MODIS hot spots, wildfire conditions / red flag warnings, wildfire potential and weather radar. Each of these layers provides insight into where a fire is located, its intensity and the surrounding areas susceptibility to wildfire. Check it out!
It is not much of a place to visit. In the middle of a vast ocean with no land in sight with the only distinguishing feature being a lonely buoy. Seems like a “non-place”, but you might be surprised to learn that your GIS has probably visited the place a few times, maybe quite a bit. Add up all the operating GIS’s in the world and it may be the one of the most visited places on Earth … Null Island at 0,0.
Join MaptimeLA on July 20th when they visit the Los Angeles Central Library to check out the library’s huge map collection! Click below for more info.
Every semester, I give my GIS students (generally planners and public administrators) a rundown of how GIS is being used in our communities. At the Esri conference this year, I saw many new applications and thought I’d ask my colleagues what they are doing now with GIS. If you could send me a map, picture, screen shot or something similar along with a sentence or two of what you are doing, I’d be delighted to have it. I will be happy to share when it is all compiled. You can reach me at barrywaite@outlook.com. The focus is on how we use GIS to solve problems.
By the way, for those of you who hadn’t heard, I have graduated from the City of Carson after 29 years. I’m thinking of becoming a cowboy or an astronaut, but I’ll keep teaching and want to stay in contact with all my GIS friends!
Many thanks!
Barry Waite
Instructor, USC Price School of Public Policy
SoCalGIS.org 