2024 Research Projects

Published on: Thu Mar 21 2024

Research Ideas

• Using DEMs in NPMap for Generating Contour lines, Elevation Profiles or Hillshade
• Enhancing the NPMap Search Results with browser Geolocation
• Weather

Digital Elevation Models

Goal: The NPS web map have a JavaScript based library or algorithm to compute & present DEM in the browser.

DEMs can be used in web maps to enhance the map. For example,

• A 3D Terrain effect
• Contour lines in either meters or feet
• Trail elevation profiles to visualize

Links

• DEM Data

  • https://www.usgs.gov/the-national-map-data-delivery/gis-data-download
  • https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/what-digital-elevation-model-dem
  • https://gisgeography.com/free-global-dem-data-sources
  • https://opendem.info
  • https://apps.nationalmap.gov/bulkpqs/
  • https://epqs.nationalmap.gov/v1/docs
    • https://epqs.nationalmap.gov/v1/json?x=-123.076415&y=49.386245&wkid=4326&units=Feet&includeDate=true

• DEM Software

  • https://plugins.qgis.org/plugins/trail_elevation_stats

• DEM in Map Products

  • https://maplibre.org/maplibre-gl-js/docs/examples/3d-terrain
  • https://maplibre.org/maplibre-gl-js/docs/examples/contour-lines
  • https://blog.caltopo.com/2015/04/02/improved-and-printable-elevation-profiles
  • https://gisgeography.com/topographic-profiles
  • https://www.maptiler.com/terrain
  • https://docs.maptiler.com/sdk-js/modules/elevation-profile
  • https://docs.maptiler.com/sdk-js/examples/elevation-profile-control-simple
  • https://docs.maptiler.com/sdk-js/examples/elevation-profile-control-customized
  • https://docs.maptiler.com/sdk-js/examples/3d-map

Geolocation

Goal: The NPS web map should review Javascript methods, and understand how to make use of the data. The experience among many types of mobile devices & browsers should be explored. The Security & Privacy experience for a NPS web map customer should reviewed.

The NPS web map experience can be enhanced by using location. For example,

• A blue dot can show current location on a mobile web page
• Location can be used to enhance search results. This could include type ahead search suggestions.

”The Geolocation API allows the user to provide their location to web applications if they so desire. For privacy reasons, the user is asked for permission to report location information.”

• https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/Geolocation_API
• https://maplibre.org/maplibre-gl-js/docs/examples/locate-user

2023 Research Projects

Geospatial PDFs

Mobile device users for iOS & Android can make use of geospatial PDFs to view maps offline.

When the protocol is https://, and the link is opened on a mobile device, it will open in the web browser. When you change the protocol to avenzamaps:// and Avenza Maps is already installed, then the link will open in Avenza. It will be downloaded, then processed for use as an offline map with GPS location.

Some NPS Park Units instruct customers to use “Avenza Maps”, https://duckduckgo.com/?q=avenza+site+%3Anps.gov where units instruct customers to use Avenza at NPS.gov.

Weather from National Weather Service

Weather.gov has public facing weather data for both the public and developers. For example, at Cabrillo National Monument you can see the current weather, alerts and a forecast:

• https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lon=-117.23965644836426&lat=32.674205348845035

A customer can use the map at forecast.weather.gov to adjust their location, and save a bookmark for future reference.

Weather.gov also has programmable API, where a location is passed to /points and the response a GeoJSON. Also note, if you pass too many digits of precision, the /points response will round it down to four significant figures, or an approximate precision of about 10 meters.

• https://api.weather.gov/points/32.674205348845035,-117.23965644836426
  • https://api.weather.gov/points/32.6742,-117.2397

Since the response is GeoJSON, it can be opened the Park Tiles version of GeoJSON.io

Within the GeoJSON data response from /points, there is a property called forecast:

• https://api.weather.gov/gridpoints/SGX/52,12/forecast
• Opening the forecast in the Park Tiles version of GeoJSON.io

2022 Research Projects

Park Tiles Style Offramps

If you have an Atlas style, This Observable notebook demonstrates how to use Atlas styles in other rendering tools such as QGIS, ArcGIS Online, MapLibre or GeoJSON.io. See the JavaScript Notebook at https://observablehq.com/@roblabs/park-tiles-style-offramps.

GeoJSON.io with Public Domain Maps

GeoJSON.io was developed by Mapbox and is “a quick, simple tool for creating, viewing, and sharing spatial data.”

It is a perfect way to visualize, test or learn how GeoJSON data is created, formatted, styled or inspected.

Say you want to visualize this GeoJSON from Joshua Tree. You can open a version of GeoJSON.io with Public Domain Styles.

Once you have opened the app, then paste your GeoJSON URL by tapping Meta, New Window. This will open a new browser tab with your GeoJSON data. Then you can use the usual tools such as inspecting geometries or view GeoJSON properties in a table.

Live demo: RobLabs.com/geojson