Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
data is data you have acquired or created for your specific purpose.
A simple example is GPS tracks from your latest road trip. You can
probably find much of the base data you need for free—let's explore
some of the sources of free data.
Clearinghouse Network
One way to find data is to use the Federal Geographic Data Com-
mittee's (FGDC) clearinghouse network.
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The clearinghouse contains
nodes (servers) from around the world that contain data and are search-
able. Oftentimes you can find the data you need using the clearing-
house search engine.
Geodata.gov
Another source we mentioned previously is geodata.gov.
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This site was
established to be “Your One Stop for Finding and Using Geographic
Data.” Searching for data on geodata.gov yields a list of results con-
taining links to the metadata or website for each dataset. Some of the
data may be available for download. In other cases, you'll find that it's
available for viewing only through a web map interface using your web
browser.
Other Sources
In the end, the old miner's adage about finding gold applies to geospa-
tial data. Oftentimes the greenhorns would arrive on the gold fields and
be clueless. They sought out the sage advice of the old-timers to get
them started.
Greenhorn:
Where's the best place to prospect for gold?
OldTimer:
Gold is where you find it.
There are a lot of sources for data on the Internet, and a bit of judi-
cious searching can lead to good finds. For additional sources to get
you started in your data-prospecting adventure, see the list at desk-
topgisbook.com.
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