Data Resources Available from Internet
(compiled
by Dr. Jon Nourse, September 2008)
1:24,000 scale
topographic maps
1. Digital raster graphics (DRGs) of all
USGS 7.5 minute quadrangles in the state of
http://casil.ucdavis.edu/casil/maps/drg/
2. hard copies of these same USGS quadrangle maps may be purchased at:
3. Digital Elevation Models: For those with GIS analytical capabilities, digital topography may be obtained from the USGS at http://rockyweb.cr.usgs.gov/elevation/dpi_dem.html
Digital elevation models with 30m
x 30m sample spacing are available for most 7.5 minute quadrangles in the
conterminous
Aerial Photographs
and Satellite Imagery
1. Digital ortho photographs (DOQs) that cover quarter portions of each 7.5 minute quadrangle in California may be downloaded free of charge at:
http://casil.ucdavis.edu/casil/remote_sensing/doq/
2. Aerial photographs and satellite imagery of various scales and vintages may be purchased from the USGS at:
http://erg.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/aerial/aerial.html
3. A complete index of aerial products from EROS (Earth Resources Observation and Science) is available at:
http://edc.usgs.gov/products/aerial.html
4. Satellite imagery is viewable on screen through Google Earth software available free of charge at: www.googleearth.com
5. High resolution satellite Google Earth images may be printed by purchasing the Professional version of Google Earth software for about $400
6. CSU San Bernardino’s Water Resources Institute (WRI) maintains
an archive of historical aerial photographs from parts of most watersheds in
7. An atlas of panoramic aerial photographs of many parts of
Geologic Maps
1. Maps displaying bedrock geology, soil units and faults at
1:24,000 scale are available for many of the 7.5
minute quadrangles of southern
2. Geologic maps displaying earthquake faults and other seismic hazards may be obtained in digital and /or hard copy format through the California Geological Survey website: http://www.consrv.ca.gov/cgs/rghm/ap/Pages/Index.aspx
3. Additional geologic maps displaying known localities of hazardous soils containing as asbestos, mercury, or radon may be obtained in digital and /or hard copy format through the California Geological Survey website: http://www.consrv.ca.gov/cgs/geologic_hazards/hazardous_minerals/Pages/Index.aspx
4. Geologic maps of 7.5 minute quadrangles not covered by the USGS or CGS may be purchased from the Thomas W. Dibblee Foundation at: http://www.sbnature.org/estore/sbnature_web/CTGY/mp/list.htm
Surface Fault Rupture
Hazards (Alquist Priolo
Earthquake Fault Zones)
1. A general description of
2. A detailed powerpoint presentation explaining the Alquist Priolo Act and methodologies used by CGS geologists to create Alquist Priolo Fault Zonation maps may be downloaded at:
http://www.1906eqconf.org/tutorials/EQHazMapGrndShaking_Bryant.pdf
3. Special Publication 42, "Fault-rupture Hazard Zones in California, is available for $6.00 per copy plus shipping and handling at any California Geological Survey public information office or it may be ordered by mail from CGS, P.O. Box 2980, Sacramento, California 95812.
4. An index to official 7.5 minute Alquist Priolo Earthquake Fault Zonation maps published by the California Geological Survey through 1999, included in Special Publication 42, is also available at: http://www.consrv.ca.gov/cgs/rghm/ap/map_index/Pages/index.aspx
5. Official Alquist Priolo maps may be ordered by name as shown on the index map in Special Publication 42. there is a $7.00 minimum charge per order. Each order will be charged $4.09 for handling regardless of the number and type of maps ordered. Sales tax and shipping charges will be added. The first copy of each map will cost $1.90. Additional copies of the same map are $1.32. Prices are subject to change.
6. A few official Alquist Priolo maps in southern
http://www.consrv.ca.gov/cgs/rghm/ap/official_release/Pages/index.aspx
Clicking on the index map brings
up 7.5 specific quadrangles from which data may be downloaded. Available GIS formats include MapInfo tab files, ArcInfo .e00
export files, and dxf export files.
7. California Geological Survey CDs 2002-01, 2002-02 and 2002-03:
Fault Evaluation Reports Prepared Under the Alquist-Priolo
Earthquake Fault Zoning Act These Fault Evaluation Reports (FERs)
are unpublished manuscripts prepared since 1976 by the California Geological
Survey staff to summarize evidence for Holocene faulting on various faults in
California. These reports are divided
into three regions of
8. Technical Guidelines for Evaluating Surface Fault Rupture Hazard
(CGS Note 49): http://www.consrv.ca.gov/cgs/information/publications/cgs_notes/note_49/Documents/note_49.pdf
9. Technical Guidelines for Reviewing Geologic Reports (CGS Note 41): http://www.consrv.ca.gov/cgs/information/publications/cgs_notes/note_41/Pages/index.aspx
Earthquake-Triggered
Ground Failure Hazards
1. Guidelines for protecting the public
safety from the effects of earthquake-triggered ground failure:
--Provisions
of
--California
Division of Mines and Geology Special Publication 118: Recommended Criteria
for Delineating Seismic Hazard Zone in
-- California Division of Mines and Geology Special
Publication 117: Guidelines for Evaluating and Mitigating Seismic Hazards in
California: http://www.consrv.ca.gov/cgs/shzp/webdocs/Documents/sp117.pdf
2. Seismic Hazards Zone maps, created by the California Division of Mines and Geology, display liquefaction zones and earthquake-induced landslide zones.
--The index below provides access
to individual 7.5 minute quadrangles in southern
Landslide Inventory
Maps
--California Geological Survey is
compiling a 7.5 minute map series to provide information on landslides in
mountainous or hilly terrain adjacent to urbanized areas. Several southern
http://redirect.conservation.ca.gov/CGS/information/publications/LSIM_SOCAL.htm
Three northern
http://redirect.conservation.ca.gov/CGS/information/publications/LSIM_NORCAL.htm
Hazardous Materials
Reports and Maps
--an overview of the primary
hazardous minerals identified in
http://www.conservation.ca.gov/cgs/geologic_hazards/hazardous_minerals/Pages/Index.aspx
This site provides links to published reports, maps, and other information related to
Asbestos:
http://www.conservation.ca.gov/cgs/minerals/hazardous_minerals/asbestos/Pages/Index.aspx
Mercury:
http://www.conservation.ca.gov/cgs/minerals/hazardous_minerals/mercury/Pages/Index.aspx
and Radon: http://www.conservation.ca.gov/cgs/minerals/hazardous_minerals/radon/Pages/Index.aspx
Precipitation Data
Real-time precipitation data from automated rain gauges, daily or monthly precipitation records from other active gauges, and/or historical archives of precipitation data are available from several sources, depending on the geographic region:
1.
2. National Water Information System, operated by the USGS real-time precipitation data):
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ca/nwis/current/?type=precip&group_key=basin_cd
3. Los Angeles County Department of Public Works (DPW) posts real-time and daily precipitation data from various rain gauges, as well as some historical rainfall records at
http://dpw.lacounty.gov/wrd/precip/index.cfm
4. San Bernardino County Department of Public Works maintains a network of real-time rain gauge information. Specific rain gauge locations are displayed on a Google Earth overlay: http://www.sbcounty.gov/trnsprtn/pwg/ALERT_Data/ALERT_Menu.htm
5. An index map of current
and discontinued rain gauges in
6. NOAA’s National Weather
Service forecast office for the Los Angeles-Oxnard area posts a real-time
observation map of rainfall data from numerous gauges in southern
Stream Flow Data
Real-time stream-flow data from automated rain gauges, daily or monthly runoff records from other active gauges, and/or historical archives of runoff data are available from several sources, depending on the geographic region:
1.
2. National Water Information System, operated by the USGS provides
real-time stream-flow data at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ca/nwis/current/?type=flow
and historical runoff data at http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ca/nwis/sw.
A user-friendly clickable map showing daily stream flow measurements compared
to historical daily averages from selected streams of
3. Los Angeles County Department of Public Works (DPW) maintains an archive of daily stream flow records from various rivers for variable periods of record at http://dpw.lacounty.gov/wrd/runoff/index.cfm
4. An index map of current and discontinued stream gauges in
Groundwater Data
1. Metropolitan Water District (MWP) published a report in 2007
assessing the status of mapping, usage and management of groundwater resources
in its southern
Included in this report is a regional map showing locations and names of groundwater basins:
http://www.mwdh2o.com/mwdh2o/pages/yourwater/supply/groundwater/PDFs/ES-1.pdf
and an index map showing basins that are described in the 2007 report:
http://www.mwdh2o.com/mwdh2o/pages/yourwater/supply/groundwater/PDFs/GARCh4PlateIV-1Map.pdf
2. California Department of Water Resources (southern district) posts a wide variety of groundwater information at http://wwwdpla.water.ca.gov/sd/groundwater/groundwater.html
Various publications and reports
pertaining to groundwater resources and development are posted at: http://wwwdpla.water.ca.gov/sd/groundwater/groundwater_pubs.html. One very useful publication is Bulletin 118,
which contains detailed descriptions of individual groundwater basins
throughout
http://www.groundwater.water.ca.gov/bulletin118/basin_desc/index.cfm, and a map of individual groundwater basins and subbasins in California: http://www.dpla2.water.ca.gov/publications/groundwater/bulletin118/maps/correct_statewide_basin_map_V3_subbas.pdf, part of which is available in shape file format through the link at: http://www.groundwater.water.ca.gov/bulletin118/basin_maps/index.cfm
3. California Department of Water Resources (DWR) posts groundwater
level data, compiled from sources at
4. The USGS Water Resources Division provides links to groundwater
data for parts of
5. Los Angeles County Department of Public Works (DPW) posts information about its groundwater spreading facilities at http://dpw.lacounty.gov/wrd/spreadingground/index.cfm
6. CSU
7. San Diego County Water Authority has posted limited information on groundwater at
http://www.sdcwa.org/manage/sources-groundwater.phtml
Dams and Reservoirs
1. Los Angeles County Department of Public Works (DPW) posts information about recent and ongoing dam rehabilitations at http://dpw.lacounty.gov/wrd/reservoir/index.cfm
2. San Diego County Water Authority has posted a map of the region’s reservoirs at
http://www.sdcwa.org/manage/reservoirs-map.phtml
3. California Department of
Water Resources (DWR) posts information about reservoirs throughout
Statistical Methods
for 100-Year Flood Determination
1. A graphical approach to determining probability of flooding is outlined in Pipkin, Bernard W. and Cummings, David, 1983, Environmental Geology Practical Exercises, Star Publishing Co., p. 130-132.
2. Appendix G of 2003 FEMA report “Guidelines and Specifications for Flood Hazard Mapping Partners.”
contains various definitions of the 100-year flood in Section 2.3: http://wri.csusb.edu/aftf/documents/FEMAAppendixG_GuidanceAlluvialFanFloodingAnalysesMapping.pdf
(need more references here—one report I found describes
the statistical methodology): http://www.sinotechcc.co.za/Software/UPFLOOD/SDF1.pdf
Background information is summarized at: http://www.wvdhsem.gov/WV_Disaster_Library/Library/FLOODS/USGS-hydrology%20of%20floods.htm
Mineral Resource
Classification and Designated Zones
1. California Surface Mining and Reclamation Act (SMARA) Mineral Land Classification Reports and Updates by the California
Geological Survey (CGS) are available at:
http://www.conservation.ca.gov/cgs/minerals/mlc/Pages/index.aspx
2.
3. SMGB Guidelines for Classification and Designation of Mineral Lands are available at:
http://www.conservation.ca.gov/smgb/Guidelines/Pages/guidelines.aspx
Historical Climate
Data
1. Site specific climate data may be accessed from
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/ncdc.html
This will require some searching, but probably is the best source of data from obscure locations. For example, find monthly climate data from specific weather stations at:
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/climatedata.html#monthly
Historical drought severity index
maps of the
http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/research/drought/palmer-maps/
2. Average high and low temperatures per month are tabulated at http://www.weather.com/
Simply enter the zip code or name of the closest city, then select the button for “averages”
3. Average relative humidity per month is compiled in various websites:
http://www.met.utah.edu/jhorel/html/wx/climate/rh.html
http://www.climatesource.com/us/fact_sheets/fact_rh_us.html
Rare, Threatened, or
Endangered Species
California Department of Fish and
Game (CDFG) manages the California Natural Diversity Database
(CNDDB): An inventory of the status and locations of rare, threatened, and
endangered plants and animals in
--USEPA Region 9 Drinking Water Standards and Health Advisories Table:
http://www.epa.gov/region09/water/drinking/files/dwsha_0607.pdf
This is a compendium of standards, health advisories and
related information for chemicals and other contaminants which may be found in
ground and surface waters. It provides a comprehensive listing of all current
and proposed National Primary Drinking Water Regulations (NPDWRs),
additional Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) specific
for
A good place to begin online
research is the
Other Important Data Resources that
are not Web-Accessible
Much data relevant to geotechnical analysis has been compiled by scientists, municipal, state and federal agencies and industry consultants but is not posted on websites. This is commonly the case for remote areas with low population density. Diligent research (email requests, phone calls, regular mail, etc.) may yield valuable information that could negate the need for future expensive studies. Many agencies compile archives and obscure publications in libraries or private collections that may be accessed by special request. Types of data sets to search for include, but are not limited to:
1. rainfall records from discontinued or remote, non-automated gauges
2. historical stream flow records from discontinued gauges
3. water well data from municipal or private wells
4. city planning reports
5. published scientific articles or abstracts
6. unpublished theses available from universities
7. Environmental Impact Reports
8. internal reports from the DWR, USGS, CGS, MWD, DPW, U.S. Forest Service
9. data archives from the DWR,
USGS, CGS, MWD,
10. maps of burned areas compiled by the US Forest Service or involved fire-suppression agencies
11. geotechnical reports (produced by industry consultants) that focus on geology, soils, seismic hazards, and slope stability)