Category Archives: Maps/Apps/Charts/Data

Interactive Snowpack Map

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All along the Cascades and Sierra Nevada are ski courses that never opened, bare mountains and snowless SNOTEL sites where snowpack is measured. Where snow accumulated, it melted prematurely during a warm March. One of the most common questions for snow surveyors has been: how does this winter compare to the past?

A new, interactive map shows you exactly how it compares. The online map, just released by the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, shows regularly updated current conditions, alongside historical records, for the entire NRCS snow survey network.  Snowpack data in the new map is updated several times a day with edited information. Check it out!

snowpack

NACIS 2015 Student Map and Poster Competition

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Greetings,

The North American Cartographic Information Society (NACIS) recognizes the important contributions students make to our field. To promote their hard work and achievements, we offer two fantastic student competitions each year at our annual conference (held this year on October 14–17 in Minneapolis, MN). All students currently enrolled in a certificate program, undergraduate, or graduate/post-graduate program are eligible to enter, as long as they have not previously won the top prize in either competition.

Student Dynamic Map Competition

NACIS recognizes the importance of dynamic mapping in cartography. We are sponsoring the 16th Annual Student Dynamic Map Competition to promote cartographic excellence and innovation in this versatile medium. Two prizes of $500 will be awarded; one for and individual project and one for a group project. Deadline for submissions is September 11th. To view the rules and prizes, please visit http://nacis.org/awards/student-dynamic-map-competition/.

Student Map and Poster Competition

Students who would like to display their works at NACIS 2015 should register for the Student Map and Poster Competition. There are two competition categories: cartographic design and research quality. We encourage all students to submit their maps and technical/research posters for a chance at one of two $500 prizes! There is no entry fee. All entrants will be displayed in the Exhibits Gallery, and the winner will be selected by a ballot of all meeting attendees. The deadline to register is September 11th, 2015. For more information, please visit http://nacis.org/awards/student-map-and-poster-competition/.

Please take a moment to encourage your students to enter either of the above competitions. We look forward to seeing the diverse range of entries in Minneapolis!

Travel Grants

As an organization (and as former students ourselves), we’re aware that student budgets don’t often allow for extras like conference attendance. Each year, NACIS offers a number of travel grants to students wishing to attend the annual conference. To find out more, please visit http://nacis.org/awards/grants/.

Thank you, and we hope to see you in Minneapolis in October!

Alethea Steingisser NACIS Board of Directors Chair – Awards and Travel Grants Committee

asteingi@uoregon.edu

Interactive Map of Murder Rates Around the World

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Not a particularly fun topic, however, this interactive map of murder rates around the world uses a spinnable/clickable globe, graphs, and various widgets to get to the information you are interested in.  You can click on a country to see its murder count in a specific year, and for some countries the weapon most commonly used.  You can download the data too.

murderrates

Seismic Hazard Maps and Data

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With what is happening in Nepal and surrounding areas, earthquakes might be on your mind right now, especially if you live and work in SoCal.  Here are some maps, data, and resources you can check out.

USGS Seismic Hazard Maps and Data
usgsearthquake

USGS Latest Earthquakes
usgslatestearthquakes

USGS ShakeMaps
usgsshakemap

Caltech Southern California Earthquake Data Center
caltechearthquakes

California Seismic Hazard Zonation Program
calgeohazzones

American Red Cross PrepareSocal
redcrossdisastermap

Global Seismic Hazard Map (1999)

JPEG and PDF versions.

Please post in the comments if you want to share your favorite earthquake sites.

Storytelling With Maps Contest

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Once again ESRI is encouraging mappers everywhere who harness the power of GIS technology to enter the ESRI Storytelling with Maps Contest.

Submissions will be judged on a range of factors. Each Story Map selected will combine design, user experience, impact, and overall creativity with an interesting and engaging story.

ESRI will award first, second, and third place prizes in five categories:

  • Travel/Destinations/Recreation
  • Infrastructure/Planning/Government
  • Science/Technology/Education
  • Culture/History/Events
  • Conservation/Environment/Sustainability

One grand prize will be awarded to the best overall Story Map entry, as determined by the contest judges. Here are the prizes:

  • Grand Prize/Best Overall: A one-year ArcGIS Online subscription for five users plus a plaque and a certificate
  • First Prize: A GoPro camera plus a plaque and a certificate
  • Second Prize: A copy of the ESRI Press book Cartographica Extraordinaire: The Historical Map Transformed plus a plaque and a certificate
  • Third Prize: A copy of the ESRI Press book Cartographica Extraordinaire: The Historical Map Transformed plus a plaque and a certificate

All entries must make use of one of the ESRI Story Map apps. Entries may be hosted in ArcGIS Online or on another server. Contest participants may and are encouraged to customize the Story Map apps to suit their needs.

Submissions must be received by 5:00 p.m. (PDT) on June 8. Winners and their Story Map entries will be unveiled at the 2015 ESRI User Conference.

Enter the contest and get full contest details at esri.com/storytellingwithmaps. Discover more about ESRI Story Map apps at storymaps.arcgis.com.

Submissions will be judged on a range of factors. Each Story Map selected will combine design, user experience, impact, and overall creativity with an interesting and engaging story.