MobileGIS provides a single GIS server to get started called the National Map. You can visit the National Map directly using a regular browser, but MobileGIS is able to query the services directly to allow you build your own map. In reality, the National Map is a collection of GIS servers that contribute layers. They are built, hosted, and maintained by various organizations- governmental, academic, and private companies.
The data for these services is similarly gathered by different organizations. For instance, state and county governments will periodically have planes take aerial photographs of land to maintain the most current database of roadways and structures. This is combined with survey and historical property data to produce a visual image overlaid with the actual parcel boundaries. In addition, the service may be queried to determine attributes like the parcel number and taxpayer information registered by the county. It is access to these combinations of information that make GIS such a powerful tool.
While there are thousands and thousands of GIS servers worldwide, this is a sample of some that have proven valuable. To add them to your MobileGIS, follow theTutorial on Adding Servers.
Provider: NASA JPL
Overview:
NASA has many assets trained on the globe from space. This WMS server has layers that feature current, near-global images.
Link: http://onearth.jpl.nasa.gov/
Capabilities URL: http://wms.jpl.nasa.gov/wms.cgi?request=GetCapabilities
The federal government maintains a large source of geographic information called the Geospatial One Stop that provides links and data about nearly any information you could want. As a start, there are two primary servers- EPA Geodata and GIS Data- that provide emissions reports, topography, border health, and multiple satellite imagery sources.
Link: http://www.epa.gov/geospatial/
ESRI Host: gisdata.usgs.net and geodata.epa.gov
In addition to the Earth mission, NASA provides various imagery of the Moon through the OnMoon WMS server. Other celestial bodies are available through PIGWAD.
Link: http://onmoon.jpl.nasa.gov/
Capabilities URL: http://onmoon.jpl.nasa.gov/wms.cgi
Another agency that provides excellent maps of weather and maritime information is the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. One server in particular is nowCoast. nowCoast provides near real time weather radar and extremely detailed coastal maps.
Link: http://co-ops.nos.noaa.gov/nowcoast.html
ESRI Host: nowcoast.noaa.gov
If there is enough demand, additional GIS server types can be added to the MobileGIS platform. Contact us to let us know how to meet your specific needs.
There are many ways to locate GIS servers that will function within a MobileGIS client.
The most reliable method of finding local resources is to locate the county GIS server typically provided by the county assessor, recorder, or environmental services.
Additional communities of GIS providers and users can be found on our links page.
