USGS Geography: What's New?

USGS and TopoZone Partner for The National Map (01/06/04): The USGS recently signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with Maps a la carte, Inc., creaters of TopoZone, to support The National Map project. As part of the agreement, Maps a la carte, Inc. will develop, enhance and document a suite of Open Source software for serving geospatial data over the Internet. The agreement will result in the distribution of free software tools to The National Map partners to enhance the capability of data sharing.

New Lewis & Clark map among historical collection presented by USGS and Library of Congress (05/22/03): A new poster from the USGS commemorates the 200th anniversary of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The poster features a beautiful reproduction of "Lewis and Clark's Track" and the same geographic area depicted with national elevation data from The National Map in a colorful image of the American landscape. The parallel map construction illustrates how difficult Lewis and Clark's expedition was, how well they mapped the terrain, and how far cartographic techniques have advanced in 200 years.

Retirement of the Global Land Information System (GLIS) (05/07/03): Effective April 30, 2003, the Global Land Information System (GLIS) Web site will no longer be available. EarthExplorer, which now supports the Macintosh platform, replaces GLIS as the USGS tool for querying and ordering satellite images, aerial photographs, and cartographic products. For more information on how to order these products, check the EarthExplorer Web site at http://earthexplorer.usgs.gov or contact your nearest Earth Science Information Center (ESIC). To locate the nearest ESIC, call 1-888-ASK-USGS or visit http://ask.usgs.gov.

USGS, NIMA set to distribute Special Reference Graphics of Iraq (02/25/03): Printed maps of Iraq, Baghdad, and the Middle East, produced by the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA), are now available from USGS. NIMA produced these maps as tools to help its public affairs office and other government public affairs offices in their efforts to discuss issues with the media and public that might be related to the areas depicted. The unclassified maps are suitable for reference only and should not be used for any other purpose.

New Research Agreement Promises Archival-quality Image Reproductions (01/08/03): The USGS recently signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA), with LookClickPrint, Inc., a Delaware corporation with offices at Los Lunas, New Mexico. Under the agreement, LookClickPrint, Inc. will make-to-order high quality reproductions of select USGS products using state-of-the-art digital print technology. The initial offering will make available 41 images from the USGS Landsat 7 "Earth as Art" image collection. Primary customer access is offered through kiosks located in museum stores nationwide, as well as online.

Updated USGS Data Viewer Available (12/13/02): A new version of the popular USGS data viewer, dlgv32 Pro, is now available. An excellent tool for users of USGS data, dlgv32 Pro provides quick easy viewing and evaluation of data sets without having to go through timely conversion and translation processes. The viewer also supports many other data formats and can automatically open (just drag and drop) .tar.gz files which eliminates several unzipping and un-tarring steps for the user. As many as four data sets can be loaded and displayed. Data are re-projected on-the-fly, linear and aerial measuring tools are included, metadata are displayed, capability to display shaded relief among many other options. This viewer is a must for both the casual user and the most experienced GIS specialist.

Antietam Battlefield – 140 years later (09/13/02): Compare the Antietam Battlefield of 140 years ago with that of today through an interactive CD that contains historical maps and a current topographic map and image. Information about this and other products of the National Imagery and Mapping Agency that are distributed by the USGS can be obtained from any Earth Science Information Center or by calling 1-888-ASK-USGS.

$2 More, But Still a Bargain For a Great USGS Topo Map (News release 08/26/02): A new price for USGS topographic quadrangle maps effective September 1, 2002. More information on prices for USGS products can be found at http://geography.usgs.gov/esic/prices/.

Changes to USGS International Shipping Procedures (08/05/02): Customers are responsible for shipping costs, customs fees, and any other charges associated with international shipments. To further ensure that the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is not responsible for paying customs and other fees associated with international shipments, effective August 5, 2002, the USGS requires that international customers designate a preferred carrier (FedEx, DHL, or UPS) and provide the carrier account number and telephone number for shipping. Additional ordering and payment information for USGS products can be found at http://geography.usgs.gov/esic/prices/ordering_info.html.

dlgv32 Pro - New Version of Data Viewing Software Now Available (03/18/02): The USGS is very pleased to announce the availability of dlgv32 Pro - a significantly enhanced and updated version of our original dlgv32 software. dlgv32 Pro provides users with a quick and easy way to view and manipulate a growing list of both USGS and non-USGS geospatial data formats.

A comprehensive historical archive of all previously posted announcements from the USGS Geography Server is available for inspection. For science news and information throughout the USGS, see the USGS Home Page.