The USGS has launched an online web map that compiles existing United States landslide data into a searchable tool called the U.S. Landslide Inventory Map. This new tool marks the first time a U.S. government agency has attempted to aggregate landslide data from a range of federal, state, and local government agencies into one federated application.
The map, built using Esri’s ArcGIS Online software, displays point and polygon data color coded by confidence of individual landslides. Users can search geographically to see available landslide information for a specific area. Clicking on a landslide yields a window with metadata about the source and available details for that event. Where possible, the developer of the Landslide Inventory Map provide a link back to the original data source.
It’s important to note that the data collected for this online mapping application have not been vetted by the USGS and have been “published as they were submitted, and thus have not been reviewed for accuracy or completeness by the USGS.
While the tool represents the best available consolidation of landslide data for the United States, many areas of the country lack data about landslides. Earlier this year, NASA unveiled Landslide Reporter, its crowdsourcing tool for gathering worldwide landslide information using volunteers as a way of filling in data gaps.
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Visit: U.S. Landslide Inventory Map.
