Core Science Systems
Mission Areas L2 Landing Page Tabs
The National Hydrography Dataset (NHD) represents surface waters of the United States including, rivers, streams, lakes, and coastal features. The Watershed Boundary Dataset (WBD) is comprised of hierarchical polygons called hydrologic units that represent surface area over which water drains to a point. Both datasets are updated by stewards and are available by subsets of the United States.
The mission of NFHP is to protect, restore and enhance the nation's fish and aquatic communities through partnerships that foster fish habitat conservation and improve the quality of life for the American people. To fulfill the mission, science-based assessments are conducted. Results and data are accessible in the USGS developed “Through a Fish’s Eye” report and NFHP Data System.
The National Vegetation Classification (NVC) is your guide to inventorying natural and cultural vegetation communities. Its standard allows users to produce uniform statistics about vegetation resources across the nation at local, regional, or national levels. CSAS&L actively participates in the development of this important standard through our involvement with the FGDC Vegetation...
GAP provides data to assess effects of land management by providing information on where species and natural communities occur and how they are being managed. "Gap analysis" assesses how well we are protecting common plants and animals by identifying the degree to which animal species and plant communities are under-represented on protected lands such as parks and refuges.
With more than 700,000 scientifically vetted entries, the ITIS is the authoritative source for scientific names of species and higher-level groups of organisms in North America and the world. It is produced in conjunction with eight other Federal partners. Its partnership with the European-based Species 2000 yields the global names standard: Catalogue of Life.
The Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Public Law 109-58, Sec. 351) established the this program in the USGS and outlined the following goals: Archive geological, geophysical, and engineering data, maps, well logs, and samples.Provide a national catalog of archived materials. Provide technical and financial assistance to State geological surveys and relevant DOI bureaus for archived materials.
The NCGMP produces accurate geologic maps and 3-D geologic frameworks that provide critical data for sustaining and improving the quality of life and economic vitality of the Nation. Geologic maps are indispensable to understanding earth surface processes and ground-water availability and quality, supporting DOI land management decisions and mitigating hazards.
The National Geospatial Program is the Federal civilian mapping agency and provides the digital geospatial foundation for the Nation. It engages partners and communities of use to collaboratively produce consistent and accurate topographic map data and web services. Operational support is provided by the National Geospatial Technical Operations Center.
We provide America with high-quality topographic data and maps for advancing science, supporting government, and enlightening citizens. By providing seamless, publicly accessible, and comprehensive coverage of the nation's landscape, it is your source for topographic information.
With expertise in technology, informatics, and science, CSAS&L leads the management and delivery of scientific data and information for the USGS. CSAS&L implements and promotes standards and best practices to enable efficient, data-driven science for decision making at multiple scales. Critical relationships are established and fostered to identify and access data, and to develop and...
ScienceBase is data and information management infrastructure that enables data upload, documentation, sharing, and dynamic data services using standards-compliant methods and technological components. ScienceBase furnishes a foundation for data stewardship, government open data, and scientific discovery.
The DOI Tool allows creation of a permanent DOI for released USGS science data.
The National Map, managed by the USGS National Geospatial Program (NGP), provides free visualization, inspection, and download access to our most current US Topo and Historical Topographic Map products as well as GIS data for our primary data themes including: Elevation, Orthoimagery, Hydrography, Geographic Names, Boundaries, Transportation, Structures, and Land Cover.
Gain access to over 100,000 publications written by USGS scientists over the century-plus history of the bureau.
The USGS Data Management Website provides the Bureau with best practices, tools, and references to enable the management and preservation of science data.
Species data: National inventory of range maps and distribution models
The Gap Analysis Program (GAP) produces data and tools that help meet critical national challenges such as biodiversity conservation, renewable energy development, climate change adaptation, and infrastructure investment. The GAP species data includes vertebrate range maps and distribution models for the continental United States, as well as...Gergely, Kevin J.; McKerrow, Alexa
PAD-US: National Inventory of Protected Areas
The Gap Analysis Program produces data and tools that help meet critical national challenges such as biodiversity conservation, renewable energy development, climate change adaptation, and infrastructure investment. The Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US) is the official inventory of protected open space in the United States....Gergely, Kevin J.; McKerrow, Alexa
The Gap Analysis Program (GAP)/Landscape Fire and Resource Management Planning Tools (LANDFIRE) National Terrestrial Ecosystems Data represents detailed data on the vegetation and land-use patterns of the United States, including Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. This national dataset combines detailed land cover data generated by the GAP with...Gergely, Kevin J.; McKerrow, Alexa
Integrating complexity into data-driven multi-hazard supply chain network strategies
Major strategies in the wake of a large-scale disaster have focused on short-term emergency response solutions. Few consider medium-to-long-term restoration strategies that reconnect urban areas to the national supply chain networks (SCN) and their supporting infrastructure. To re-establish this connectivity, the relationships within the SCN must...Long, Suzanna K.; Shoberg, Thomas G.; Ramachandran, Varun; Corns, Steven M.; Carlo, Hector J.
Center of Excellence for Geospatial Information Science research plan 2013-18
The U.S. Geological Survey Center of Excellence for Geospatial Information Science (CEGIS) was created in 2006 and since that time has provided research primarily in support of The National Map. The presentations and publications of the CEGIS researchers document the research accomplishments that include advances in electronic topographic map...Usery, E. Lynn
U.S. Geological Survey core science systems strategy: characterizing, synthesizing, and understanding the critical zone through a modular science framework
Core Science Systems is a new mission of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) that resulted from the 2007 Science Strategy, "Facing Tomorrow's Challenges: U.S. Geological Survey Science in the Decade 2007-2017." This report describes the Core Science Systems vision and outlines a strategy to facilitate integrated characterization and understanding of...Bristol, R. Sky; Euliss, Ned H.; Booth, Nathaniel L.; Burkardt, Nina; Diffendorfer, Jay E.; Gesch, Dean B.; McCallum, Brian E.; Miller, David M.; Morman, Suzette A.; Poore, Barbara S.; Signell, Richard P.; Viger, Roland J.
Integrating stations from the North America Gravity Database into a local GPS-based land gravity survey
The ability to augment local gravity surveys with additional gravity stations from easily accessible national databases can greatly increase the areal coverage and spatial resolution of a survey. It is, however, necessary to integrate such data seamlessly with the local survey. One challenge to overcome in integrating data from national databases...Shoberg, Thomas G.; Stoddard, Paul R.
US Topo–A new national map series, 2012 update
The U.S. Geological Survey's Larry Moore provides an update on the US Topo effort, the Survey’s general purpose, digital, quadrangle map series. He outlines the successes thus far and the obstacles still ahead in 2013.Moore, Laurence R.
Spatial Relation Predicates in Topographic Feature Semantics
Topographic data are designed and widely used for base maps of diverse applications, yet the power of these information sources largely relies on the interpretive skills of map readers and relational database expert users once the data are in map or geographic information system (GIS) form. Advances in geospatial semantic technology offer data...Varanka, Dalia E.; Caro, Holly K.
Rejuvenating Pre-GPS era geophysical surveys using The National Map
Old geophysical surveys [pre–Global Positioning System (GPS)] stand as valuable, largely untapped sources of scientific data. If data from these surveys were in a format that had reasonable accuracy, availability, and ease of access, they could be more widely used. In this paper, a pre-GPS survey is integrated into a modern geographic database, in...Finn, Michael P.; Shoberg, Thomas G.; Stoddard, Paul
Lidar base specification
In late 2009, a $14.3 million allocation from the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act” for new light detection and ranging (lidar) elevation data prompted the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Geospatial Program (NGP) to develop a common base specification for all lidar data acquired for The National Map. Released as a draft in 2010 and...Heidemann, Hans Karl.
Digital Mapping Techniques '10-Workshop Proceedings, Sacramento, California, May 16-19, 2010
The Digital Mapping Techniques '10 (DMT'10) workshop was attended by 110 technical experts from 40 agencies, universities, and private companies, including representatives from 19 State geological surveys (see Appendix A). This workshop, hosted by the California Geological Survey, May 16-19, 2010, in Sacramento, California, was similar in nature...Soller, David R.; Soller, David R.
An updated “USGS Topo Base Map” service named “USGS Topo” includes some new design changes and refreshed data content.
The National Map Corps recognizes major volunteers to national mapping efforts
Updated USGS digital topographic maps feature more trails and other recreation points of interest
Everything happens at a place, the place matters, and the USGS has the science of place.
The National Map Corps is requesting volunteer assistance to verify Post Office information in Illinois
Scientists work in the field before, during and after landfall to improve forecasting and recovery.
Budget Focuses on Core USGS Science and Efficiency
Great strides made toward a national hydrography framework with release of the initial USGS NHDPlus High Resolution datasets.
For more than two decades, researchers, geologists, and investors had no idea they were standing above tremendous wealth. Thousands of feet deep beneath the surface of western Michigan, a potential multibillion-dollar potash deposit was discovered. Potash—a mineral salt containing high levels of potassium—is an ingredient in fertilizer essential for growing crops.
More than two dozen short videos on mastering USGS geospatial tools now available
The U.S. Geological Survey releases a new tile cached map service for hydrography
Calling for nominations to honor outstanding accomplishments to the spatial data infrastructure mission of the Department of Interior