GPS World

Tag: USGS

  • USGS Holds Stakeholder Workshops for 3D Topo Data

    This map depicts the proposed body of work for 3DEP in Fiscal Year 2015. The BAA awards will add more than 95,000 square miles of 3DEP quality LiDAR data to the national database.
    This map depicts the proposed body of work for 3DEP in Fiscal Year 2015. The BAA awards will add more than 95,000 square miles of 3DEP quality LiDAR data to the national database.

    The U.S. Geological Survey National Geospatial Program is developing the 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) to respond to growing needs for high-quality topographic data and for a wide range of other three-dimensional representations of the nation’s natural and constructed features.

    To expand awareness of 3DEP status and plans, as well as provide an open forum for 3DEP stakeholders to communicate and coordinate potential Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) proposals, the USGS is offering numerous state and regional coordination workshops.

    The meetings will be held throughout the U.S. from now until June 30. The workshops will include in-person and virtual participation options.

    The primary goal of 3DEP is to systematically collect 3D elevation data in the form of light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data over the conterminous United States, Hawaii, and the U.S. territories, with data acquired over an eight-year period. Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (ifsar) data will be acquired for Alaska, where cloud cover and remote locations preclude the use of LiDAR in much of the state.

    The 3DEP initiative is based on the results of the National Enhanced Elevation Assessment that documented more than 600 business uses across 34 federal agencies, all 50 states, selected local government and tribal offices, and private and nonprofit organizations. A fully funded and implemented 3DEP would provide more than $690 million annually in new benefits to government entities, the private sector and citizens.

    3DEP is a “Call for Action” because no one entity can accomplish it independently. 3DEP presents an opportunity for collaboration between all levels of government to leverage the services and expertise of private-sector mapping firms that acquire the data, and to create jobs.

    “When partners work together, they can achieve efficiencies and lower costs so that 3DEP can become a reality,” the USGS said in a press release. “When 3D elevation data are available to everyone, new innovations will occur in forest resource management, alternative energy, agriculture, and other industries for years to come,” the USGS said.

  • NASA, USGS Begin Work on Landsat 9 for Land Imaging

    NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey have started work on Landsat 9, an upgraded rebuild of the Landsat 8 spacecraft launched in 2013, to extend the Landsat program’s decades-long observations of Earth’s land cover. (Image Credit: NASA)
    NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey have started work on Landsat 9, an upgraded rebuild of the Landsat 8 spacecraft launched in 2013, to extend the Landsat program’s decades-long observations of Earth’s land cover. (Image Credit: NASA)

    News from NASA.

    NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) have started work on Landsat 9, planned to launch in 2023, which will extend the Earth-observing program’s record of land images to half a century.

    The Landsat program has provided accurate measurements of Earth’s land cover since 1972. With data from Landsat satellites, ecologists have tracked deforestation in South America, water managers have monitored irrigation of farmland in the American West, and researchers have watched the growth of cities worldwide. With the help of the program’s open archive, firefighters have assessed the severity of wildfires and scientists have mapped the retreat of mountain glaciers.

    The president’s fiscal year 2016 budget calls for initiation of a Landsat 9 spacecraft as an upgraded rebuild of Landsat 8, as well as development of a low-cost thermal infrared (TIR) free-flying satellite for launch in 2019 to reduce the risk of a data gap in this important measurement. The TIR free flyer will ensure data continuity by flying in formation with Landsat 8. The budget also calls for the exploration of technology and systems innovations to provide more cost effective and advanced capabilities in future land-imaging missions beyond Landsat 9, such as finding ways to miniaturize instruments to be launched on smaller, less expensive satellites.

    “Moving out on Landsat 9 is a high priority for NASA and USGS as part of a sustainable land imaging program that will serve the nation into the future as the current Landsat program has done for decades,” said John Grunsfeld, associate administrator for science at NASA Headquarters, Washington. “Continuing the critical observations made by the Landsat satellites is important now and their value will only grow in the future, given the long term environmental changes we are seeing on planet Earth.”

    Because an important part of the land imaging program is to provide consistent long-term observations, this mission will largely replicate its predecessor Landsat 8. The mission will carry two instruments, one that captures views of the planet in visible, near infrared and shortwave-infrared light, and another that measures the thermal infrared radiation, or heat, of Earth’s surfaces. These instruments have sensors with moderate resolution and the ability to detect more variation in intensity than the first seven satellites in the Landsat program.

    The Landsat 9 mission is a partnership between NASA and the USGS. NASA will build, launch, perform the initial check-out and commissioning of the satellite; USGS will operate Landsat 9 and process, archive, and freely distribute the mission’s data.

    “Landsat is a remarkably successful partnership,” said Sarah Ryker, USGS deputy associate director for climate and land use change, Reston, Virginia. “Last year the White House found that GPS, weather satellites, and Landsat are the three most critical types of Earth-orbiting assets for civil applications, because they’re used by many economic sectors and fields of research. Having Landsat 9 in progress, and a long-term commitment to sustainable land imaging, is great for natural resource science and for data-driven industries such as precision agriculture and insurance.”

    NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., will lead development of the Landsat 9 flight segment. Goddard will also build the Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS), which will be similar to the TIRS that the center built for Landsat 8. The new improved TIRS will have a five-year design lifetime, compared to the three-year design lifetime of the sensor on Landsat 8.

    “This is good news for Goddard, and it’s great news for the Landsat community to get the next mission going,” said Del Jenstrom, the Landsat 9 project manager at NASA Goddard. “It will provide data consistent with, or better than, Landsat 8.”

    With decades of observations, scientists can tease out subtle changes in ecosystems, the effects of climate change on permafrost, changes in farming technologies, and many other activities that alter the landscape.

    “With a launch in 2023, Landsat 9 would propel the program past 50 years of collecting global land cover data,” said Jeffrey Masek, Landsat 9 Project Scientist at Goddard. “That’s the hallmark of Landsat: the longer the satellites view the Earth, the more phenomena you can observe and understand. We see changing areas of irrigated agriculture worldwide, systemic conversion of forest to pasture — activities where either human pressures or natural environmental pressures are causing the shifts in land use over decades.”

    “We have recognized for the first time that we’re not just going to do one more, then stop, but that Landsat is actually a long-term monitoring activity, like the weather satellites, that should go on in perpetuity,” Masek said.

    NASA uses the vantage point of space to increase our understanding of our home planet, improve lives, and safeguard our future. NASA develops new ways to observe and study Earth’s interconnected natural systems with long-term data records. The agency freely shares this unique knowledge and works with institutions around the world to gain new insights into how our planet is changing.

    NASA provides more information on NASA’s Earth science activities. For more information on the Landsat program, visit this NASA page and this USGS page.

  • USGS Volunteers Help with Accurate Mapping

    Screenshot of the Tennessee Law Enforcement Facility Mapping Challenge showing the more than 440 edited points (green dots). At this scale, many dots contain more than one edited or verified structure.
    Screenshot of the Tennessee Law Enforcement Facility Mapping Challenge showing the more than 440 edited points (green dots). At this scale, many dots contain more than one edited or verified structure.

    Volunteer mappers continue to make contributions to ability of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to provide accurate mapping information to the public. Recently, volunteers were asked to update all of the law enforcement structure points in Tennessee. The volunteers answered the call and added, verified, edited or deleted 440 points.

    All of the points were quality checked by either a peer reviewer or an advanced editor, so the data was ready to go into the National Geospatial Program’s web-based The National Map at the conclusion of the USGS Mapping Challenge.

    The volunteer additions and edits will be symbolized on US Topo maps during the next production cycle for Tennessee, slated for 2016.

    Mapping Challenges, conducted by the National Map Corps, ask volunteers to concentrate on specific areas and structure types that need updating. They encourage volunteers to remain engaged and incentivize participation. Once a need is determined, a call to action goes out to the volunteer corps with information on the geographic location and the type of structures that need updating. Volunteers who participate can earn a series of virtual recognition badges and are recognized on social media and the Map Corps project site.

    Using crowd-sourcing techniques, the National Map Corps encourages volunteers to collect manmade structures data in an effort to provide accurate and authoritative spatial map data for The National Map. Structures being updated include schools, hospitals, post offices, police stations and other important public buildings.  

    “At times, locating structures seems similar to solving puzzles or detective work,” commented fconely, a Challenge veteran and one of the project’s more active participants.

    Tools on TNMCorps project site explain how a volunteer can edit any area, regardless of their familiarity with the selected structures. Volunteers can register by going to The National Map Corps Editor.

    The most recent status graphic showing the number and density of The National Map Corp submitted edits or verification for the past three years.
    The most recent status graphic showing the number and density of The National Map Corp submitted edits or verification for the past three years.

  • Tischler Named Director of National Geospatial Program

    Michael Tischler, new director of the USGS National Geospatial Program.
    Michael Tischler, new director of the USGS National Geospatial Program.

    The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has selected Michael Tischler to be the director of the National Geospatial Program (NGP).

    Tischler begins his new post today. Tischler was most recently associate technical director of the Engineering Research and Development Center of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

    The NGP provides leadership for USGS geospatial coordination, production and service activities. It engages partners to develop standards and produce consistent and accurate data through its National Map Liaisons. Operational support is provided by the National Geospatial Technical Operations Center. These and other NGP activities that are essential to the National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) are managed as a unified portfolio that benefits geospatial information users throughout the nation.

    Tischler’s accomplishments include managing the research for a $30 million broad-based research portfolio with both domestic and international applications. He has held a number of positions, from a research scientist collecting, analyzing, and processing geospatial data, to acting technical director, responsible for strategic planning and program implementation for a diverse portfolio of geospatial research projects.

    In his most recent role as associate technical director, he defined cutting-edge research projects that affect the direction of geospatial science and how geospatial data is used throughout the U.S. Army, the USGS said.

    “We are excited to have Mike to be part of the USGS mapping and geospatial community,” said Kevin Gallagher, associate director for Core Science Systems. “Mike has the background, insight, and energy to move the Program boldly into the future while still respecting the agency’s legacy for mapping excellence.”

    “Being selected to direct the National Geospatial Program is a tremendous honor, and I am both proud and humbled to join the USGS family in this role,” said Tischler. “The valuable services provided by this program are made possible by a dedicated team across the country, of which I am truly privileged to be part.”

    “The NGP has the responsibility to provide accurate, accessible, available, and authoritative geospatial data to the public and key partners while continually leveraging and adapting to evolving technologies,” Tischler continued. “I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work toward these goals alongside the talented, devoted NGP team and its partners, while engaging with the mapping community to both lead and shape the future direction of the program.”

    Tischler holds a master of science in soil and water science and a bachelor of science in soil science and is currently a Ph.D. candidate in Earth systems and geoinformation sciences at George Mason University.

    “I would also like to thank Pam Haverland for serving as the acting director for the National Geospatial Program,” Gallagher said. “Over the past six months, Pam has provided caring and visionary leadership all while completing the SES Candidate Development Program and working in the USGS Budget Office as required, at the same time. She will be sorely missed!”

  • Fugro Upgrades EZ-FRISK Seismic Hazard Analysis Software

    Fugro has released an upgrade to its EZ-FRISK package — seismic hazard analysis software used by consultants and academics. The new upgrade includes the Next Generation West 2 ground motion prediction models, and improved user interface along with software fixes.

    By early 2015, the software will incorporate the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 2014 National Seismic Hazard Maps for the continental U.S., with the exception of California, and will include the Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast (UCERF) version 2. Fugro provides UCERF version 3 ground motion reports for California as an independent consulting service.

    The EZ-FRISK single site probabilistic and deterministic tool enables engineers and geoscientists to study seismic hazards in an easy and flexible manner. As with earlier releases, EZ-FRISK has modules for probabilistic and deterministic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA/DSHA) (with globally available regional seismic source models and a database of ground motion prediction models); spectral matching (adjusting an accelerogram to match a target response spectrum, while preserving realistic time-dependent characteristics of the ground motion); and site response (calculating the ground motion at the surface given a bedrock ground motion and the layers of soil and rock that overlay the bedrock at the site).

    EZ-FRISK can quickly create design ground motions for engineering purposes that use earthquake modeling and statistical analysis to accurately reflect the desired level of safety, provide realistic time-dependent behavior, and consider site-specific soil and rock layering.

    The model was developed using a regional grand inversion process. The outputs are in the form of participation rates, rather than individual faults with defined slip rate or segmentation models. Instead faults are assigned magnitude frequency distributions that include participation of adjoining faults based on over 200,000 rupture scenarios.

    “Fugro continues to extend its legacy of developing state-of-the-art software for the industry. We listen to our clients, and our engineers and geoscientists work closely with them to ensure that we provide the necessary tools for performing seismic hazard analyses worldwide,” said Recep Yilmaz, president of Fugro Consultants.

  • Fugro Upgrades EZ-FRISK Seismic Hazard Analysis Software

    Fugro has released an upgrade to its EZ-FRISK package — seismic hazard analysis software used by consultants and academics. The new upgrade includes the Next Generation West 2 ground motion prediction models, and improved user interface along with software fixes.

    By early 2015, the software will incorporate the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 2014 National Seismic Hazard Maps for the continental U.S., with the exception of California, and will include the Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast (UCERF) version 2. Fugro provides UCERF version 3 ground motion reports for California as an independent consulting service.

    The EZ-FRISK single site probabilistic and deterministic tool enables engineers and geoscientists to study seismic hazards in an easy and flexible manner. As with earlier releases, EZ-FRISK has modules for probabilistic and deterministic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA/DSHA) (with globally available regional seismic source models and a database of ground motion prediction models); spectral matching (adjusting an accelerogram to match a target response spectrum, while preserving realistic time-dependent characteristics of the ground motion); and site response (calculating the ground motion at the surface given a bedrock ground motion and the layers of soil and rock that overlay the bedrock at the site).

    EZ-FRISK can quickly create design ground motions for engineering purposes that use earthquake modeling and statistical analysis to accurately reflect the desired level of safety, provide realistic time-dependent behavior, and consider site-specific soil and rock layering.

    The model was developed using a regional grand inversion process. The outputs are in the form of participation rates, rather than individual faults with defined slip rate or segmentation models. Instead faults are assigned magnitude frequency distributions that include participation of adjoining faults based on over 200,000 rupture scenarios.

    “Fugro continues to extend its legacy of developing state-of-the-art software for the industry. We listen to our clients, and our engineers and geoscientists work closely with them to ensure that we provide the necessary tools for performing seismic hazard analyses worldwide,” said Recep Yilmaz, president of Fugro Consultants.

  • USGS National Map Corps Hits Crowdsourcing Milestone

    National Map Corps

    The U.S. Geological Survey citizen science project, The National Map Corps, has realized remarkable response. In less than two years, the volunteer-based project has harvested more than 100,000 “points.” Hundreds of volunteer cartographers are making significant additions to the USGS ability to provide accurate mapping information to the public.

    Each point represents a structure or manmade feature on a map that has been verified and updated, and then submitted to support The National Map and US Topo maps.

    Using crowd-sourcing techniques, the USGS Volunteer Geographic Information project known as The National Map Corps (TNMCorps) encourages citizen volunteers to collect manmade structure data in an effort to provide accurate and authoritative spatial map data for the USGS National Geospatial Program’s web-based map products.

    “I am 80 years old. I work three days a week for a golf course trapping moles and gophers,” said a prominent citizen scientist volunteer who goes by the handle Mole Trapper. “I spent 11 years volunteering for a fish and wildlife agency. When the big landslide at Oso, Washington, happened, I went on the USGS website and discovered the map corps. I worked summers while in high school for a surveyor who was very precise, and he told me an inaccurate survey is worthless. I hate inaccurate maps, so this program was just right for me. I hope my work is as accurate as it can be, but if it isn’t, I plead old age.”

    Structures being updated include schools, hospitals, post offices, police stations and other important public buildings. The data being collected by volunteers becomes part of The National Map structures dataset, which is made available to users free of charge.

    “I am retired from an unrelated field, but I have loved maps and travel all my life,” explained another active volunteer who goes by fconley. “When I saw that USGS was looking for volunteers, I immediately joined, first working with paper maps and quads. As digital mapping, satellite imagery, and GPS became more available I was enthralled. With the imagery now accessible, it is almost like being able to travel sitting at my desk. At times, locating structures seems similar to solving puzzles or detective work. This whole project is not only enjoyable,it makes me feel that I am making a lasting and useful contribution. I am thankful for the opportunity to be involved in this fascinating endeavor.”

    Beginning as a series of pilot projects in 2011, The National Map Corps has grown state by state to include the entire U.S. By August 2013, volunteers were editing in every state in the country and the U.S. territories. To date, the number of active volunteers has grown to 930, including some participants who have collected in excess of 6,000 points.

    To show appreciation of the volunteers’ efforts, The National Map Corps instituted a recognition program that awards “virtual” badges to volunteers. Each edit submitted is worth one point towards the badge level. The badges consist of a series of antique surveying instruments and images following the evolution of land survey and moving to aerial observation of the Earth’s surface, such as pigeon-mounted cameras and hot-air balloons. Additionally, volunteers are publicly acknowledged (with permission) via Twitter, Facebook and Google+.

    Tools on TNMCorps website explain how a volunteer can edit any area, regardless of his or her familiarity with the selected structures. To volunteer, go to The National Map Corps website to sign up.

  • President’s 2016 Budget Proposes $1.2 Billion for USGS

    The U.S. president’s fiscal year 2016 budget request for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is $1.2 billion, an increase of nearly $150 million above the FY 2015 enacted level. According to a statement from the USGS, the FY16 budget “reflects the vital role the USGS plays in advancing the president’s ongoing commitment to scientific discovery and innovation to support a robust economy, sustainable economic growth, natural resource management, and science-based decision-making for critical societal needs.”

    The budget request includes increases that ensure the USGS is at the leading edge of earth sciences research,” the statement continued. “It includes robust funding for science to inform land and resource management decisions, advance a landscape-level understanding of ecosystems, and develop new information and strategies to support communities in responding to climate change, historic drought, water quality issues, and natural hazards. The budget also funds science to support the nation’s energy strategy, to help identify critical mineral resources, and to address the impacts of energy and mineral development on the environment.”

    “The USGS has a strong 136-year legacy of providing reliable science to decision-makers,” said Suzette Kimball, acting USGS director. “This budget request recognizes our unique capabilities with multi-disciplinary earth science research and will allow the USGS to meet societal needs for our nation now and in the future.”

    Below are breakdowns of how the budget will address particular areas, according to the USGS.

    Meeting Water Challenges in the 21st Century

    The FY16 budget provides an increase of $14.5 million above the FY 2015 enacted level for science to support sustainable water management.  Meeting the nation’s water resource needs poses increasing challenges for resource managers, who must contend with changes in the frequency and magnitude of floods and droughts. As competition for water resources grows for activities such as farming, energy production, and community water supplies, so does the need for information and tools to aid decision-makers. The budget provides increased funding across several USGS mission areas to support resource managers in understanding and managing competing demands related to water availability and quality and to enable adaptive management of watersheds to support the resilience of the communities and ecosystems that depend on them. This includes a $3.2 million increase for science to understand and respond to drought, a $4 million increase for water use information and research, a $2.5 million increase to study ecological water flows, a $1.3 million increase for stream flow information, and a $1.0 million increase to advance the National Groundwater Monitoring Network.

    Powering Our Future and Supporting Sustainable Energy and Mineral Development 

    The 2016 USGS budget provides $9.6 million in program increases across the energy, minerals and environmental health portfolio for science to support the sustainable development of unconventional oil and gas resources, renewable energy sources such as geothermal, wind, and solar, critical minerals such as rare earth elements, and to address the environmental impacts of uranium mining.

    Specifically, the budget includes a program increase of $1 million for mineral resources science to continue life-cycle analysis for critical minerals such as rare earth elements and to develop new science and tools to reduce the impacts of minerals extraction, production, and recycling on the global environment and human health. A life-cycle analysis will trace the flow of critical minerals from generation and occurrence through the consequences of human activity to ultimate disposition and disposal. The nation faces key economic decisions within each stage of the resource life cycle.  Scientific understanding is an essential input to these decisions. The program change will support new workforce capability to address the main thrusts of the president’s four working groups in the Office of Science and Technology Policy that are currently focused on critical and strategic materials essential to national security, economic vitality, and environmental protection.

    Responding to Natural Hazards

    The budget provides an increase of more than $6.6 million above the FY 2015 enacted level for natural hazard science.  This includes an increase of $4.9 million to expand the Global Seismic Network used for worldwide earthquake monitoring, tsunami warning, and nuclear treaty verification monitoring and research in partnership with the Department of Energy and the Department of Defense. It also includes  a $1.7 million increase to support space weather (solar flare) geomagnetic monitoring. The increase will also support the installation and operation of rapid-deployable streamgages and expand the library of flood-inundation maps to help manage flood response activities.The proposed increase will also support landslide, wildfire, and sinkhole response capabilities as well as provide disaster scenario planning products for emergency managers. Included in the request is funding to build on investments to continue development of an earthquake early warning system, with the goal of implementing a limited public warning system for the U.S. west coast by 2018, as well as continued investments in volcano monitoring networks and science.

    Building a Landscape-Level Understanding of Our Resources

    The budget includes $15.6 million to expand, enhance, and initiate ecosystem science activities to increase the understanding of the nation’s landscapes and how they work. This includes budget increases of $6.7 million in support of critical landscapes. Specifically it provides a $4.2 million increase for the Arctic, a $1 million increase to study sagebrush landscapes that provide habitat for survival of greater sage-grouse, and a $1.5 million increase that supports science for Puget Sound, Columbia River, and the upper Mississippi River.

    USGS research will continue to support restoration of other priority ecosystems, such as Chesapeake Bay, Everglades, Great Lakes, California Bay Delta, and the Gulf Coast. The budget request also provides an increase of $2.2 million for research on invasive plants and animals that cause significant economic losses in the U.S. and transmit diseases to wildlife and people, and $1.6 million to study the decline of insects, birds, and mammals that pollinate agricultural and other plants. Finally, the budget increases funding by $5.1 million to support coastal resilience to hazards and adaptation to long-term change from sea-level rise and coastal erosion.

    Foundations for Land Management

    The president’s budget request includes an increase of $37.8 million to provide data and tools to help land and resource managers make informed decisions across the landscape and provide data and information to the public for use in a wide variety of applications. The budgets of USGS and NASA provide complementary funding to sustain the Landsat data stream, which is critical to understanding global landscapes. An increase of $24.3 million in the USGS budget supports the ground system portion of the Sustained Land Imaging Program, including funding for ground systems development for a Thermal Instrument Free Flyer, Landsat 9 (a rebuild of Landsat 8), and to receive data from internal partners. The increase also will enhance the accessibility and usability of data.  Specifically, the budget includes a $4 million increase for Landsat science products for climate and resource assessments.

    The budget provides increases for other foundational data and tools needed to support landscape-level understanding.  For example, an increase of $3.7 million will expand three-dimensional elevation data collection using ifsar (interferometric synthetic aperture radar) for Alaska and lidar (light detection and ranging) elsewhere in the U.S. in response to growing needs for high-quality, high-resolution elevation data to improve aviation safety, to understand and mitigate the effects of coastal erosion, storms, and other hazards, and to support many other critical activities. A $1.8 million increase will enhance understanding of the benefits of the nation’s ecosystem services, and a $1.1 million increase for the Big Earth Data Initiative will make high-value data sets easier to discover, access and use. The accessibility and usability of these data are critical for land management, hazard mitigation, and building a landscape-level understanding of our resources.

    Supporting Community Resilience in the Face of a Changing Climate 

    The USGS plays an important role in conducting research and developing information and tools to support communities in understanding, preparing for, and responding to the impacts of global change. The budget includes an increase of $32 million above the FY 2015 enacted level for science to support climate resilience and adaptation. Climate change requires the nation to prepare for more intense drought, heatwaves, wildfire, flooding, and sea level rise. These challenges are already impacting infrastructure, food and water supplies, and physical safety in communities across the nation.

    Understanding potential impacts to communities, ecosystems, water, plant and animal species, and other resources is crucial to federal, state, tribal, local, and international partners as they develop adaptive and resilient strategies in response to climate change. The budget includes a $6.8 million increase in science for adaptation and resilience planning, an increase of $2.3 million for the USGS to provide interagency coordination of regional climate science activities across the nation, an increase of $8.7 million to support biological carbon sequestration, and an increase of $11 million for the USGS to support the community resilience toolkit, which is a web-based clearinghouse of data, tools, shared applications, and best practices for resource managers, decision-makers, and the public.

  • Ardent Awarded USGS Contract for GeoPlatform Support

    Ardent Management Consulting (ArdentMC) has been awarded a five-year Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) from U.S. Geological Survey in support of the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC).

    The task orders on the IDIQ are to provide a full range of application and service design, development, and maintenance support for the FGDC as the coordinating interagency body for the Geospatial Platform (GeoPlatform). Among awards to other companies, ArdentMC was awarded a one-year, $1 million task order on the IDIQ to provide FGDC with GeoPlatform programmatic support.

    The GeoPlatform is an Internet-based capability providing shared and trusted geospatial data, services, and applications for use by the public, government agencies and partners to meet their mission-critical needs. According to Ardent, it embodies the principles and spirit of Open Government, emphasizing government-to-citizen communication, accountability and transparency.

    “ArdentMC is very excited about partnering with FGDC, its member agencies and the geospatial community to support the management and collaboration of geospatial data sharing and provide a mission tool that is accessible and easy to use by stakeholders at the federal, state, local and private sector levels,” said Brandon LaBonte, ArdentMC president and CEO.

  • North Dakota, Delaware and Maryland Quads Updated

    The latest North Dakota, Delaware and Maryland Quads are now available from the United States Geological Survey.

    The new US Topo maps for North Dakota (1,402 maps), Delaware (38 maps) and Maryland (213 maps) have been posted to the USGS Map Locator & Downloader and are also accessible through The National Map viewer.

    The new maps feature a design that was launched earlier this year and replace the first edition US Topo maps for those states. The new design presents a crisper and cleaner presentation, which enhances the readability of the maps for online and printer use.

  • Launch a River Trip from Your Computer Using Streamer

    Streamer map of the conterminous United States showing water basins, weather radar, and real-time streamflow stations.
    Streamer map of the conterminous United States showing water basins, weather radar, and real-time streamflow stations.

    Field & Stream called it a “…very cool tool and quite a bit of fun.”  MinnPost described it as a “…high-tech illustration of Norman Maclean’s timeless view that, ‘Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.” And Popular Science noted that, “There’s something especially satisfying about clicking a stream that…shoots its way across multiple states to empty into the ocean.”

    These publications are all describing Streamer, the popular on-line mapping program from the U.S. Geological Survey. Streamer is a powerful, yet easy way to explore our major waterways. With a simple map click, anyone can trace rivers and streams from a starting point all the way downstream to where a stream drains. Even more impressive, they can click on a stream and trace all others that drain to that point. Streamer also produces a report that includes a map and information about the people and places encountered along the streams traced.

    Streamer map of an upstream trace from a point on Belle Fourche River in South Dakota extending into Wyoming and Montana. Weather radar and real-time streamflow stations are shown on the map.
    Streamer map of an upstream trace from a point on Belle Fourche River in South Dakota extending into Wyoming and Montana. Weather radar and real-time streamflow stations are shown on the map.

    As good as Streamer was when it launched last summer, it just got better. Four major enhancements and dozens of small improvements have been made. These include:

    • A new map layer displays the locations of real-time streamflow stations across the country. Streamer updates this information hourly and symbolizes these stations to illustrate current streamflow conditions compared with each station’s observed mean streamflow on the same day of the year.
    • You can tell at a glance whether conditions are above, below, or at normal levels at each station.
    • Links are provided from Streamer directly to selected stations for additional information and data.
    • Another new map layer has been added that shows weather radar across all 50 States.
    • Useful improvements to Streamer’s detailed reports have been added. One of these lists the names of waterbodies (lakes, reservoirs, etc.) along the path of your trace.
    • Congressional Districts encountered along your trace have been added.
    • A mouse click takes you from the Streamer report to additional information from the Census Bureau about socioeconomic conditions in each District.
    • Searching for locations on Streamer’s map by place name, zip code, geographic coordinates and more is greatly enhanced.

    In its first eight months in service, Streamer users traced more than 2.9 billion river miles.

    The USGS announced in February that it is ending production of the National Atlas on September 30, and that some of its products and services would transition to The National Map. With this release, Streamer becomes the first of these National Atlas products and services that The National Map will offer.  For cartographers and geospatial information professionals, Streamer’s surface water data is available for download at no cost.

    Detail from a Streamer map of an upstream trace from a point on the Arkansas River near Geuda Springs, Kansas, extending into Colorado and New Mexico. Real-time streamflow stations are shown.
    Detail from a Streamer map of an upstream trace from a point on the Arkansas River near Geuda Springs, Kansas, extending into Colorado and New Mexico. Real-time streamflow stations are shown.

  • Launch a River Trip from Your Computer Using Streamer

    Streamer map of the conterminous United States showing water basins, weather radar, and real-time streamflow stations.
    Streamer map of the conterminous United States showing water basins, weather radar, and real-time streamflow stations.

    Field & Stream called it a “…very cool tool and quite a bit of fun.”  MinnPost described it as a “…high-tech illustration of Norman Maclean’s timeless view that, ‘Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it.” And Popular Science noted that, “There’s something especially satisfying about clicking a stream that…shoots its way across multiple states to empty into the ocean.”

    These publications are all describing Streamer, the popular on-line mapping program from the U.S. Geological Survey. Streamer is a powerful, yet easy way to explore our major waterways. With a simple map click, anyone can trace rivers and streams from a starting point all the way downstream to where a stream drains. Even more impressive, they can click on a stream and trace all others that drain to that point. Streamer also produces a report that includes a map and information about the people and places encountered along the streams traced.

    Streamer map of an upstream trace from a point on Belle Fourche River in South Dakota extending into Wyoming and Montana. Weather radar and real-time streamflow stations are shown on the map.
    Streamer map of an upstream trace from a point on Belle Fourche River in South Dakota extending into Wyoming and Montana. Weather radar and real-time streamflow stations are shown on the map.

    As good as Streamer was when it launched last summer, it just got better. Four major enhancements and dozens of small improvements have been made. These include:

    • A new map layer displays the locations of real-time streamflow stations across the country. Streamer updates this information hourly and symbolizes these stations to illustrate current streamflow conditions compared with each station’s observed mean streamflow on the same day of the year.
    • You can tell at a glance whether conditions are above, below, or at normal levels at each station.
    • Links are provided from Streamer directly to selected stations for additional information and data.
    • Another new map layer has been added that shows weather radar across all 50 States.
    • Useful improvements to Streamer’s detailed reports have been added. One of these lists the names of waterbodies (lakes, reservoirs, etc.) along the path of your trace.
    • Congressional Districts encountered along your trace have been added.
    • A mouse click takes you from the Streamer report to additional information from the Census Bureau about socioeconomic conditions in each District.
    • Searching for locations on Streamer’s map by place name, zip code, geographic coordinates and more is greatly enhanced.

    In its first eight months in service, Streamer users traced more than 2.9 billion river miles.

    The USGS announced in February that it is ending production of the National Atlas on September 30, and that some of its products and services would transition to The National Map. With this release, Streamer becomes the first of these National Atlas products and services that The National Map will offer.  For cartographers and geospatial information professionals, Streamer’s surface water data is available for download at no cost.

    Detail from a Streamer map of an upstream trace from a point on the Arkansas River near Geuda Springs, Kansas, extending into Colorado and New Mexico. Real-time streamflow stations are shown.
    Detail from a Streamer map of an upstream trace from a point on the Arkansas River near Geuda Springs, Kansas, extending into Colorado and New Mexico. Real-time streamflow stations are shown.