GIS Data Guide: Data by Theme

• National Elevation Dataset (NED)

  The National Elevation Dataset (NED) is the primary elevation data product of the USGS. 

• ASTER Global Digital Elevation Map

  The ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model (ASTER GDEM) is a joint product developed and made available to the public by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI) of Japan and the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

• LIDAR DEMS - Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR)

  The LIDAR collection has been acquired by the USGS through contracts, through partnerships with other Federal, state, tribal, or regional agencies, from direct purchases from private industry vendors, and through volunteer contributions from the science community. 

• Global 30 Arc-Second Elevation (GTOPO30)

  GTOPO30 is a global digital elevation model (DEM) with a horizontal grid spacing of 30 arc seconds (approximately 1 kilometer). 

• Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM)

  The Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) was flown aboard the space shuttle Endeavour February 11-22, 2000. 

• Digital Line Graph (DLG) at Lake Tahoe

  Geographic features (for example, hypsography, hydrography, boundaries, roads, utility lines, etc), using USGS 7.5-minute, 15-minute, 2-arc-second (30- by 60-minute), and 1:2 million-scale topographic quadrangle maps.

• Land Information New Zealand Topographic Maps

  Other small scale maps covering New Zealand and its offshore islands at 1:250,000 (Topo250) or 1:50,000 (Topo50) scale, some Pacific islands and Antarctica's Ross Sea region included. Other maps can be reached at http://www.linz.govt.nz/topography/topo-maps

• Detailed height data of the landscape of Great Britain

  Please roll down to Land-Form PANORAMA, and click next. You will need to fill an application form

• Air Quality (Epa) 
• Physical Science Laboratory (NOAA)
• National Emission Inventory (epa) 
• California Air Resource Data 
• (NREL) Wind data
• (NREL) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (ALL data)
• (NREL) Solar Radiation Data
• (NOAA) Onestop Data
• (NOAA) National Solar radiation Data Raster
• (NOAA) National Center for Environmental Information
• (NWS) National Weather Service GIS Data
• WorldClim 2 Data Raster
• Mineral Resources Online Spatial Data

• Mapping indigenous communities worldwide 
• Spatial Social Sciences 
• Uppsala Conflict Data Program 

• National Historical Geographic Information System (NHGIS)

  The National Historical Geographic Information System (NHGIS) provides, free of charge, aggregate census data and GIS-compatible boundary files for the United States between 1790 and 2012.

• American FactFinder

  American FactFinder provides access to data about the United States, Puerto Rico and the Island Areas. The data in American FactFinder come from several censuses and surveys.

• TIGER

  Mapping census geographic data based on data found in our MAF/TIGER database. Geodatabase format can be reached here: http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/tiger-data.html

• World administrative areas (boundaries)

  Countries and lower level subdivisions such as provinces, departments, bundeslander, special areas, municipalities, counties, and thana.

• National land survey map

  Includes state, district, field office. Data can be downloaded via online map http://www.geocommunicator.gov/blmMap/MapLSIS.jsp

• (EARTH SCI.) Climate-Forest Change Data 
• IUCN Species Spatial data
• VertNet Vertebrate Network Data Portal 

BIRD DATA

• ORNIS Ornithological Data Portal 
• Breeding Bird Survey Data 
• Christmas Bird Count Data 
• eBird Data 

MAMMAL DATA

• MaNIS Mammal Networked Information System

MARINE BIOLOGY

• Great Barrier Reef GeoPortal

• National Land Cover Data (NLCD)

  The National Land Cover Database (NLCD) serves as the definitive Landsat-based, 30-meter resolution, land cover database for the Nation. NLCD provides spatial reference and descriptive data for characteristics of the land surface such as thematic class (for example, urban, agriculture, and forest), percent impervious surface, and percent tree canopy cover.

• Global Map Data Archives

• Global Hydrological data based on SHuttle Elevation (HydroSHEDS)

  Based on high-resolution elevation data obtained during a Space Shuttle flight for NASA's Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) derivatives at multiple Scales(river networks, watershed boundaries, drainage directions, and flow accumulations)

• Global Lakes and Wetlands Database (GLWD)

  Focuses in three coordinated levels on (1) large lakes and reservoirs, (2) smaller water bodies, and (3) wetlands.

• National and global scale of geo-spatial, hydrologic dataset (NHDPlus)

  Drainage area in USA

• HYDRO1K

  HYDRO1k is a geographic database developed to provide comprehensive and consistent global coverage of topographically derived data sets, including streams, drainage basins and ancillary layers derived from the USGS' 30 arc-second digital elevation model of the world (GTOPO30). HYDRO1k provides a suite of geo-referenced data sets, both raster and vector, which will be of value for all users who need to organize, evaluate, or process hydrologic information on a continental scale.