Using geospatial PDFs

This document provides an overview of geospatial PDFs and their basic features, as well as some of the tools available to interact with these files, using USGS US Topos as a case study. 2nd edition, published in 2019.

Wisconsin Elevation/LiDAR Data

Sources of Wisconsin elevation data derived primarily from LiDAR.

Satellite Imagery Data

Historically, satellite observations of the Earth’s atmosphere, land, and oceans have been acquired via satellites operated by federal agencies and space programs. Commercial sources are increasingly available and can supply very high resolution imagery to users for a fee. Both real-time and archived data are available from a variety of public sources.

Topographic Maps

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) produces 1:100,000-scale county maps for each of the 72 counties in Wisconsin. These maps show topographic features including contours and elevation in meters, highways, roads and other manmade structures, water features, woodland areas, and geographic names. These maps vary in size depending on the particular county. USGS county maps in Wisconsin were generally produced between 1976 and 1990.

3DEP informational Webinars happening August 11th and 15th

The U.S. Geological Survey will host a set of public Webinars to introduce a FY17 LiDAR funding opportunity and provide a summary of the “Broad Agency Announcement” application procedures.

Press Release: Updated US Topo maps for Wisconsin add Census Bureau road data

The USGS National Geospatial Program is excited to announce the inclusion of U.S. Census Bureau’s Topologically Integrated Geographic Encoding and Referencing (TIGER) roads data for the new US Topo maps, starting with the state of Wisconsin.

USGS now accepting proposals for FY15/16 3D Elevation Program

The U.S. Geological Survey recently issued the FY15/FY16 Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for their 3D Elevation Program (3DEP). The BAA provides detailed information on how to partner with the USGS and other Federal agencies to acquire high-quality 3D Elevation data.

US Geological Survey to hold public meetings on 3D Elevation Program

The USGS has announced a series of public meetings around the next phase of the 3DEP LiDAR program.

US Geological Survey to contribute to three LiDAR projects in Wisconsin

Details on US Geological Survey awards in Wisconsin for the 3D Elevation Program.

US Geological Survey LiDAR partnership opportunity extended

The US Geological Survey’s LiDAR partnership grant opportunity has been extended to September 30, 2015.