NGDC's interactive map services provide visual display of one or more data layers, often with links to download the underlying data. Users can view layers containing different types of data, adding reference information such as continents, rivers, and political boundaries if desired. Zoom, pan, identify, search, find, and hyperlink capabilities are also available. See the toolbar help for hints on using these tools, and the map help for more about maps.
NGDC will be adding more map services in the future, and enhancing features on some existing services.
To view a map in a new browser window, choose the "map" button next to the service name.
For more information on the data included in the map, choose the "info" button next to the service name.
These maps may contain large graphics and may take a long time to load, especially over a slow connection. They also require current browsers with javascript enabled. Macintosh users, especially should make sure that they have at least Netscape 6 or IE 5. PC users should have either Netscape or IE 4 or higher.
What does mean?
The Open Geospatial Consortium Web Map Service (WMS) protocol defines a simple interface for web based mapping applications. The WMS protocol is based on a simple query syntax for posting a request for the desired layers and region to the server, which returns a map as a standard image (GIF, PNG or other format). The capabilities of a Web Map Service are described in an XML (Extensible Markup Language) document. The button provides access to this XML document.
What does mean?
The Open Geospatial Consortium Web Coverage Service (WCS) protocol defines a simple interface for electronic retrieval of geospatial data as "coverages", that is, digital geospatial information representing space-varying phenomena. The WCS protocol is based on a simple query syntax for posting a request for the desired coverage and region to the server, which returns coverage in a standard geospatial coverage format (GeoTIFF, NetCDF, or other format). The capabilities of a Web Coverage Service are described in an XML (Extensible Markup Language) document. The WCS button provides access to this XML document.
What does mean?
KML (Keyhole Markup Language) is an XML-based language for managing the display of three-dimensional geospatial data in the programs Google Earth, Google Maps,Google Mobile, ArcGIS Explorer, and WorldWind. (The word Keyhole is an earlier name for the software that became Google Earth; the software was produced in turn by Keyhole, Inc, which was acquired by Google in 2004. The term "Keyhole" actually honors the KH reconnaissance satellites, the original eye-in-the-sky military reconnaissance system now some 30 years old.)
KML files are very often distributed as KMZ files, which are zipped KML files with a .kmz extension.
The files available have been tested in Google Earth version 4 and may not work in previous versions.
