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Publications

Here you will find publications, reports and articles produced by Core Science System scientists. For a comprehensive listing of all USGS publications please click the button below.

Filter Total Items: 249

US Topo - A new national map series

In the second half of the 20th century, the foundation of the U.S. Geological Survey's national map series was the handcrafted 7.5-minute topographic map. Times change, budgets get squeezed and currency expectations become ever more challenging. The USGS's Larry Moore, who oversees data production operations at two National Geospatial Technical Operations Centers, provides an introduction to the n
Authors
Laurence R. Moore

Performance of map symbol and label design with format and display resolution options through scale for the national map

Symbol and label design for U.S. topographic mapping using data from The National Map has been progressing, partly in support of research by Buttenfield and Stanislawski on hydrographic generalization, and is sponsored by CEGIS, the USGS Center of Excellence for Geospatial Information Science. The work also seeks to make the best use of GIS for map design that requires no hand-work to make custom
Authors
C. A. Brewer, C. L. Hanchett, B. P. Butterfield, E. Lynn Usery

Gap Analysis -A geographic approach to planning for biological diversity

The Mission of the Gap Analysis Project (GAP) is to promote conservation by providing broad geographic information on biological diversity to resource managers, planners, and policy makers who can use the information to make informed decisions.As part of the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) —a collaborative program to provide increased access to data and information on the nat

A 125 year history of topographic mapping and GIS in the U.S. Geological Survey 1884-2009, part 2: 1980-2009

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) entered the mainstream of developments in computer-assisted technology for mapping during the 1970s. The introduction by USGS of digital line graphs (DLGs), digital elevation models (DEMs), and land use data analysis (LUDA) nationwide land-cover data provided a base for the rapid expansion of the use of GIS in the 1980s. Whereas USGS had developed the top
Authors
E. Lynn Usery, Dalia Varanka, Michael P. Finn

A 125 year history of topographic mapping and GIS in the U.S. Geological Survey 1884-2009, part 1: 1884-1980

On December 4–5, 1884, John Wesley Powell persuaded the U.S. Congress to authorize the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to begin systematic topographic mapping of the United States.
Authors
E. Lynn Usery, Dalia Varanka, Michael P. Finn

The need for a national LIDAR dataset

On May 21st and 22nd 2008, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the Association of American State Geologists (AASG) hosted the Second National Light Detection and Ranging (Lidar) Initiative Strategy Meeting at USGS Headquarters in Reston, Virginia. The USGS is taking the lead in cooperation with many partners to design and implement a fut
Authors
Jason M. Stoker, David Harding, Jay Parrish

Modeling and dynamic monitoring of ecosystem performance in the Yukon River Basin

Central Alaska is ecologically sensitive and experiencing stress in response to marked regional warming. Resource managers would benefit from an improved ability to monitor ecosystem processes in response to climate change, fire, insect damage, and management policies and to predict responses to future climate scenarios. We have developed a method for analyzing ecosystem performance as represented
Authors
Bruce K. Wylie, L. Zhang, Lei Ji, Larry L. Tieszen, N.B. Bliss

GAP Analysis Bulletin Number 15

The Mission of the Gap Analysis Project (GAP) <http://gapanalysis.nbii.gov> is to promote conservation by providing broad geographic information on biological diversity to resource managers, planners, and policy makers who can use the information to make informed decisions. As part of the National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII) <http://www.nbii.gov>?a collaborative program to provide
Authors
Jill Maxwell, Kevin Gergely, Jocelyn Aycrigg, Gabrielle Canonico, Anne Davidson, Nicole Coffey

The National Map product and services directory

As one of the cornerstones of the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) National Geospatial Program (NGP), The National Map is a collaborative effort among the USGS and other Federal, state, and local partners to improve and deliver topographic information for the Nation. It has many uses ranging from recreation to scientific analysis to emergency response. The National Map is easily accessible for disp
Authors
Mark R. Newell

Report of the First National Lidar Initiative Meeting, February 14-16, Reston, Va.

The first National Lidar Initiative meeting was held on February 14-16, 2007 at the USGS National Center in Reston, Virginia. This meeting was a successor to a meeting held September 12, 2006 of several agencies, including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Association of American State Geologists (AASG), and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). During the 2006 discussion,
Authors
Jason M. Stoker, Jay Parrish, David Gisclair, David Harding, Ralph Haugerud, Martin Flood, Hans-Erik Andersen, Karen Schuckman, David Maune, Paul Rooney, Kirk Waters, Ayman Habib, Eddie Wiggins, Bryon Ellingson, Benjamin M. Jones, Steve Nechero, Amar Nayegandhi, Tim Saultz, George Lee