GIS Data Archives - GIS Lounge

Nukuhou coastal wetland. A tidal wetland with grey mangroves (Avicennia marina) and salt marsh threatened by sea level rise. At Ohiwa Harbor, North Island, New Zealand.

Mapping Coastal Ecosystem Change

A new collaboration initiative, called coastTrain, helps to provide data so that scientists can better address challenges coastal regions face.

Map of major tectonic plates. Source: USGS.

Where to Find Tectonic Plate GIS Data

by Caitlin Dempsey

There are a few sources of freely available tectonic plate data available in various GIS data formats.

A four-paneled diagram showing a vertical slice of a satellite imagery with forest damage, a second panel with land use change, a third panel symbolized to show the date of changes, and the fourth panel shows the magnitude of the change.

Mapping Long-term Land Use Change with Remote Sensing Data

by Mark Altaweel

The USGS’ Land Change Monitoring, Assessment, and Projection (LCMAP) initiative is helping to better monitor the Earth and long-term land use change.

Marina del Rey area on a county map of the state of California.

Understanding Map Scale

by Caitlin Dempsey

Map scale refers to the ratio between the distance on a map and the corresponding distance on the Earth’s surface.

Types of GIS Data Explored: Vector and Raster

by Caitlin Dempsey

This article discussions different types of GIS data in both vector and raster formats.

A remote sensing image showing surface temperatures across a section of Paris. The hottest temperatures are in red and the coolest temperatures are in green.

Mapping Heat Vulnerability from Satellite Data

by Mark Altaweel

Satellites are being used to measure heat not only on urban heat islands, but also on farms and other locations where rising temperatures are having an impact.

An artistic rendition of a satellite collecting data from a strip of land and ocean.

Mapping the Earth’s Freshwater Bodies

by Mark Altaweel

Over 95% of the world’s lakes, rivers, and freshwater reservoirs will be measured by a new satellite mission called Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT).

FABDEM: 30 Meter Resolution Bare Earth DEM from Fathom

by GIS Contributor

FABDEM is the first global Digital Elevation Model (DEM) with forests and buildings removed at a 30m resolution.

A drone sitting on top of snow in the mountains.

Aerial Snow Mapping

by Mark Altaweel

Researchers are increasingly use UAS/UAV platforms for measuring snow cover data, particularly snow depth.

A globe showing the view of the arctic and north America with animal migration tracks mapped out.

Scientists are utilizing big data techniques that leverage modern GPS and tracking capabilities and can be combined with machine learning techniques to gain a better understanding of how animals migrate globally.

What is a GeoTIFF?

by Caitlin Dempsey

A GeoTIFF is a public domain metadata standard which has the georeferencing information embedded within the image file.

Open-Source Science in the Cloud Collaboration

by Mark Altaweel

NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) released a new open source and science tool called the Multi-Mission Algorithm and Analysis Platform (MAAP).