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is mandated to be a standardized, “national archive” of geoscience information (maps and reports, both published and unpublished), made available to the public to support decision-making, research, and other needs.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 →

Check out this essay comparing the cartography between Google Maps and Apple Maps.  In summary:

• Apple Maps, on average, labels more cities than Google at every zoom.
• Google Maps, on average, labels more roads than Apple on nearly every zoom.
• For two-thirds of zooms, both maps generally show the same number of roads. For the remaining third, Apple shows more roads.
• Both maps, on average, label a similar number of Points of Interest (POIs) — but have only 10% of their POIs in common on an average zoom.
• Both maps also prioritize different kinds of POIs: Google Maps heavily prioritizes transit, while Apple prioritizes landmarks. Apple also generally shows a greater number of POI categories on a given zoom — and shows twice as many restaurants and shops as Google.

Continue reading →

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!