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Publications

Here you will find publications, reports and articles produced by the National Geospatial Program (NGP) scientists. For a comprehensive listing of all USGS publications please click the button below.

Filter Total Items: 182

US Topo Product Standard

This document defines a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) digital topographic map. This map product series, named “US Topo,” is modeled on the now historical USGS 7.5-minute (1:24,000 scale) topographic map series produced and printed by the USGS from 1947 to 2006. US Topo maps have the same extent, scale, and general layout as the historical topographic maps. US Topo maps incorporate an orthorectifie
Authors
Larry R. Davis, Kristin A. Fishburn, Helmut Lestinsky, Laurence R. Moore, Jennifer L. Walter

The 3D elevation program

No abstract available.
Authors
Jason M. Stoker, Vicki Lukas, Allyson L. Jason, Diane F. Eldridge, Larry J. Sugarbaker

GNIS-LD: Serving and visualizing the Geographic Names Information System Gazetteer as linked data

In this dataset description paper we introduce the GNIS-LD, an authoritative and public domain Linked Dataset derived from the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) which was developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names. GNIS provides data about current, as well as historical, physical, and cultural geographic features in the United States. We describe
Authors
Blake Regalia, Krzysztof Janowicz, Gengchen Mai, Dalia E. Varanka, E. Lynn Usery

A comparison of synthetic flowpaths derived from light detection and ranging topobathymetric data and National Hydrography Dataset High Resolution Flowlines

Bathymetric and topobathymetric light detection and ranging (lidar) digital elevation models created for the Delaware River were provided to the National Geospatial Program and used to evaluate synthetic flowpath extraction from bathymetric/topobathymetric lidar survey data as a data source for improving the density, distribution, and connectivity of the National Hydrography Dataset High Resolutio
Authors
Cynthia Miller-Corbett

Full-range, solar-reflected hyperspectral microscopy to support earth remote sensing research

Over the past 20 years, hyperspectral microscopy has grown into a robust field of analysis for a number of applications. The visible to near-infrared (VNIR; 400 to 1000 nm) region of the spectrum has demonstrated utility for the characterization of healthy and diseased tissue and of biomolecular indicators at the cellular level. Here, we describe the development of a hyperspectral imaging (HSI) mi
Authors
E. Terrence Slonecker, David W. Allen, Ronald G. Resmini, Robert S. Rand, Emily Paine

The map as knowledge base

This paper examines the concept and implementation of a map as a knowledge base. A map as a knowledge base means that the visual map is not only the descriptive compilation of data and design principles, but also involves a compilation of semantic propositions and logical predicates that create a body of knowledge organized as a map. The digital product of a map as knowledge base can be interprete
Authors
Dalia E. Varanka, E. Lynn Usery

Understanding map projections

It has probably never been more important in the history of cartography than now that people understand how maps work. With increasing globalization, for example, world maps provide a key format for the transmission of information, but are often poorly used. Examples of poor understanding and use of projections and the resultant maps are many; for instance, the use of rectangular world maps in the
Authors
E. Lynn Usery

The 3D Elevation Program—Flood risk management

Flood-damage reduction in the United States has been a longstanding but elusive societal goal. The national strategy for reducing flood damage has shifted over recent decades from a focus on construction of flood-control dams and levee systems to a three-pronged strategy to (1) improve the design and operation of such structures, (2) provide more accurate and accessible flood forecasting, and (3)
Authors
William J. Carswell,, Vicki Lukas

The 3D Elevation Program national indexing scheme

The 3D Elevation Program (3DEP) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) acquires high-resolution elevation data for the Nation. This program has been operating under an opportunity-oriented approach, acquiring light detection and ranging (lidar) projects of varying sizes scattered across the United States. As a result, the national 3DEP elevation layer is subject to data gaps or unnecessary overlap b
Authors
Cindy A. Thatcher, Hans Karl Heidemann, Jason M. Stoker, Diane F. Eldridge

The National Map seamless digital elevation model specifications

This specification documents the requirements and standards used to produce the seamless elevation layers for The National Map of the United States. Seamless elevation data are available for the conterminous United States, Hawaii, Alaska, and the U.S. territories, in three different resolutions—1/3-arc-second, 1-arc-second, and 2-arc-second. These specifications include requirements and standards
Authors
Christy-Ann M. Archuleta, Eric W. Constance, Samantha T. Arundel, Amanda J. Lowe, Kimberly S. Mantey, Lori A. Phillips

Historical Topographic Map Collection bookmark

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Geospatial Program is scanning published USGS 1:250,000-scale and larger topographic maps printed between 1884, the inception of the topographic mapping program, and 2006. The goal of this project, which began publishing the historical scanned maps in 2011, is to provide a digital repository of USGS topographic maps, available to the public at no cost. Fo
Authors
Kristin A. Fishburn, Gregory J. Allord

Scanning and georeferencing historical USGS quadrangles

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Geospatial Program is scanning published USGS 1:250,000-scale and larger topographic maps printed between 1884, the inception of the topographic mapping program, and 2006. The goal of this project, which began publishing the Historical Topographic Map Collection in 2011, is to provide access to a digital repository of USGS topographic maps that is availab
Authors
Kristin A. Fishburn, Larry R. Davis, Gregory J. Allord