Resources

Mapping Basics:

• Check Out ArcGIS Online: Mapping Basics 
• The Power of Maps 

Remote Sensed Imagery:

• Check out Getting Started with Imagery 
• Map a historic cholera outbreak:  In 1855, Dr. John Snow published a map illustrating the source of a cholera outbreak in London. The map showed deaths due to cholera in London's Soho district and Broad Street and revealed some important patterns. Snow, who was not a cartographer, is widely viewed as a pioneer in disease mapping for the study of epidemiology. 

• How to Login to ArcGIS Online (video)
• 30 Minute ArcGIS Online Tutorial (Prof. Aguilar)

• USA Power Plants: Same Data, 4 Stories
• Housing Construction by Year (Dashboard)
• Color and Saturation: EV Charging Stations 

• Climate Mapping For Resilience and Adaptation (CMRA): Knowing which climate-related hazards could harm the things you care about is the first step in building climate resilience. Communities can use this portal to document their past, present, and future exposure to climate-related hazards. Learn more about Steps to Resilience and view a map of Case Studies from CRMA 
• California Environmental Screening: Indicators Map: From the California EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) OEHHA (Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment), the CalEnviro Screen is a mapping tool that helps identify California communities that are most affected by many sources of pollution, and where people are often especially vulnerable to pollution’s effects. An area with a high score is one that experiences a much higher pollution burden than areas with low scores. You can learn more about CalEnviroScreen using the 10th Anniversary Story Map! 
• Bay Area Shoreline Flood Explorer: Learn about Adapting to Rising Tides (ART): a program of the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission and how to use the map with the Bay Shoreline Flood Explorer story map! 
• Explore the globe with Mapcarta—the open map that unites the world through the collective knowledge of OpenStreetMap, Wikipedia, Wikidata, and other open projects. 

• Watch Duty, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, alerts you of nearby wildfires and firefighting efforts in real-time.  

   

• MyShake from UC Berkley: Alerts provided in partnership with USGS ShakeAlert® and the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES Earthqauke Preparedness). 

   

• Windy.com is a GIS web-based weather platform and application that provides real-time weather data and forecasts for any location on the globe. It visualizes a massive amount of meteorological data on a dynamic world map, allowing you to see weather patterns, wind currents, precipitation, waves, as layers in a visually stunning way. 

• HOTOSM: Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team is an international team dedicated to humanitarian action and community development through open mapping. We work together to provide map data which revolutionizes disaster management, reduces risks, and contributes to achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. 
• You can volunteer with HOTOSM to build your GIS skills and contribute to communities in need of mapping worldwide! Beginners welcome and no experience needed. 

 

• Become a citizen scientist and help NASA study our planet by downloading the GLOBE Observer app. This global program invites you to make meaningful environmental observations—like documenting cloud types, mosquito habitats, and land cover—transforming your everyday surroundings into a data collection site and providing real, usable information for scientists worldwide to understand Earth system processes. 

   

• Discover the natural world around you by joining a BioBlitz—a community effort to find and identify as many species as possible in a specific area. To participate anytime, simply download iNaturalist , or Seek by iNaturalist, free apps that let you photograph any plant, animal, or fungus, share your observations with a global community for identification, and contribute valuable data to science, whether during an organized event or on a solo adventure.  

• USGS (United States Geological Survey) Earthshots: Satellite images reveal how people and nature change the Earth's landscape over time. We invite you to explore more than 100 unique locations around the world where satellites reveal the stories as the lands change. 
• Landsat Viewer from USGS (United States Geological Survey) and ESRI (Environmental Systems Research Institute) highlights some of the capabilities for accessing Landsat imagery layers. The layers are updated with new Landsat images on a daily basis. Think of satellite imagery as a camera with special filters that can see things the human eye cannot. By choosing a category, you are selecting a unique "lens" that highlights different secrets of the landscape. Pick what you're most curious to discover: 

• • Agriculture: Choose this to see thriving crops and plants glow in bright, vibrant green. 

• • Natural Color: This is what your eyes would see from space, but in super-sharp detail—like a perfect photograph. 

• • Color Infrared: See how healthy and dense vegetation is. Lush areas will appear in brilliant red.  

• • SWIR (Short-Wave Infrared): Unveil the hidden structure of the earth, perfect for seeing rock types and geological patterns. 

• • Geology: A different view specifically tuned to highlight mineral content and soil types in the landscape. 

• • Bathymetric: Peer into shallow water to see the shape of the seafloor, underwater vegetation, and sediment. 

• • Panchromatic: A classic, sharp black-and-white image that emphasizes detailed shapes and textures. 

• • Vegetation Index (NDVI): Get a scientific measure of plant health, where brighter green means more lush and active vegetation. 

• • Moisture Index (NDMI): See how much water is held in plants and soil, helping to identify drought stress or waterlogged areas. 

• Brink VR:  Explore amazing places in a realistic, immersive environment, as if you were there. 

• 360 VR: Experience GIS-created “digital twins” of urban and natural landscapes through virtual reality. 

Every map tells a story.

• What is GIS? 

• The Geography of Hope 

• Living in the Age of Humans 

• History of GIS 
• Addressing the Climate Crisis