Category Archives: Maps/Apps/Charts/Data

The Principal Meridian Project

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In 1785 Congress enacted a law stating that the land in the new States were to be surveyed by a grid system consisting of townships 6 miles square and the said townships were to start at a principal meridian and its base line. These initial points were established as needed across the country.

On November 7th, 1852, Colonel Henry Washington, Deputy Surveyor under contract with the United States Surveyor General of California, completed a four day hike with 12 men to a point he designated and monumented to be the Initial Point for the San Bernardino Pincipal Meridian. Nestled at an elevation of 10,300 feet just west of what is now known as Mount San Bernardino, this Initial Point is both the highest and hardest to reach in the entire country. According to surveyor C. Albert White, it is also the only one that has not been altered over time by man. And, to add to its mystique, this point has one other unusual characteristic feature that makes it more unique – it is not alone.

The Principal Meridian Project was started by a group of people devoted to identifying all the base line markers in the country. The group finds the search for meridian markers as interesting as geographers do.  Click on the map below to visit their page and learn more about our Initial Point (or points!) in the San Bernardino Mountains.

EarthExplorer: Your USGS Data Source

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The next USGS webinar will be held Dec. 12, 11-12 Pacific. For a better understanding of Earth Explorer, please register and tune in.

EarthExplorer (http://earthexplorer.usgs.gov) provides online search, browse display, metadata export, and data download for earth science data from the archives of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). EarthExplorer provides an enhanced user interface using state-of-the art JavaScript libraries, Hypertext Preprocessor (PHP), and the advanced Oracle spatial engine. EarthExplorer is your resource for urban area imagery, Landsat, lidar point clouds, DEMs and other data collected and managed by USGS.

Key features in EarthExplorer include:
• Fast, geospatial search engine
• Map viewer for viewing overlay footprints and browse overlays
• Simple, fast Graphical User Interface (GUI)
• Data access tool to search and discover data
• Textual query capability
• Keyhole Markup Language (KML) export capability to interface with Google Earth
• Save or export queries, results, and map overlay for reuse
• Request on-demand products
• Access to browse images from standard products
• User authentication service for access to specialized datasets and tools
• Access to Landsat Data Continuity Mission (LDCM) quality band data
• Standard product downloads
• User notifications of new acquisitions and available products through subscription services
• Updated software code base supporting JavaScript and PHP

TOPIC: Getting around earth explorer
DATE: Thursday, December 12, 2013
TIME: 11:00 am, Pacific Standard Time (San Francisco, GMT-08:00)

To attend this meeting, you must first register for it. Please click this link to see more information, and register for this meeting.
https://usgs.webex.com/usgs/j.php?ED=192113193&RG=1&UID=0&RT=MiM0

Once you have registered for the meeting, you will receive an email message confirming your registration. This message will provide the information that you need to join the meeting.

5-10 minutes before the start of the webinar, please dial toll free 855-547-8255 or 703-648-4848

Conference Security Code: 30401#
For Help or Support:
Go to https://usgs.webex.com/usgs/mc click Assistance, then Click Help or click Support.

To contact carol ostergren call 1-9162789510 or, email: costergren@usgs.gov

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For help with WebEx:
– Visit https://usgs.webex.com/, click USGS Help (on left)
– WebEx software questions: 1-866-569-3239
– USGS account questions: email gs_help_webinar@usgs.gov
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http://www.webex.com
Thanks for your interest in USGS products and services.

Drew and Carol

Drew Decker
USGS Geospatial Liaison for Pacific Region
NSDI Partnership Office, U.S. Geological Survey
4165 Spruance Road, Suite 200
San Diego, CA 92101
619-225-6430
619-417-2879 cell
619-225-6101 fax
ddecker@usgs.gov
http://liaisons.usgs.gov/geospatial/California/
http://liaisons.usgs.gov/geospatial/Hawaii/
USNG 11S MS 8026 2158

Carol Ostergren
US Geological Survey Pacific Region
National Geospatial Program
3020 State University Drive East, Suite 3005
Sacramento, CA 95819
916-278-9510 (office); 916-278-9546 (fax)
costergren@usgs.gov

http://liaisons.usgs.gov/geospatial/California/
http://liaisons.usgs.gov/geospatial/Nevada/
https://www.facebook.com/USGeologicalSurvey/timeline

Theatrum Orbis Terrarum

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With the support of the Friends at KB in 2013 helped acquire a beautiful atlas: a copy of the Dutch edition of the “Theatrum Orbis Terrarum” (Theater of the World) of Abraham Ortelius (1527-1598), published in Antwerp in 1571. The Latin edition of this work was published a year earlier in the same city and is considered the first modern atlas. Until 1612, 41 editions of this work have been published in several languages.

The website is in Dutch, but the atlas images are fantastic.

NOAA Announces End of Paper Nautical Charts

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NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey, which creates and maintains the nation’s suite of over a thousand nautical charts of U.S. coastal waters, today announced major changes ahead for mariners and others who use nautical charts. Starting April 13, the federal government will no longer print traditional lithographic (paper) nautical charts, but will continue to provide other forms of nautical charts, including print on demand charts and versions for electronic charting systems.

Read the whole article here:

http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2013/20131022_nauticalcharts.html