- Introduction
- Australia
- Global datasets
- Other
This repository provides a curated list of GIS (Geographic Information Systems) and remote sensing links that connect you to downloadable datasets on the web relatively quickly.
It also includes some links to web and developer tools, educational material, general reference texts, and documentation.
Most of my effort will be in adding Australian data sources with an emphasis on geoscience and geospatial data. The descriptions after each link should tell you what you need to know, and they are (mostly) tagged with the relevant information or acronyms.
This project is a work-in-progress, please feel free to contribute or comment on any errors I have made.
All the datasets here are sourced from Australian government agencies.
- Soil Classification — online facility for all interested parties to help with soil classification work.
- Soil and Landscape Grid of Australia — national soil attribute maps, 3D soil maps, regional soil maps.
- Soil Resource Information System (ASRIS) — best publicly available information on soil and land resources in a consistent format.
- Oceans and Atmosphere — National Collections and Marine Infrastructure (NCMI) — vessel-collected (ship) data collected over the past 30 years, as well as such related datasets as those collected with moored instrument arrays (moorings) in the Australasian region.
- The Spectral Geologist — industry standard tool for the mineralogical analysis of VIS/NIR/SWIR/MIR and TIR reflectance spectra.
- AusAEM — access to airborne electromagnetic surveys.
- Australian Geoscience Information Network (AUSGIN) — data discovery and analysis portal for geoscience and mineral resource data from all of Australia's state, territory and federal governments.
- Bathymetry — Australia-wide bathymetric data and general information.
- Data & Publications — central repository for many GA products.
- Digital Earth Australia Hotspots — national bushfire monitoring system that provides timely information about hotspots to emergency service managers and critical infrastructure providers across Australia.
- Digital Elevation (DEM) — digital elevation data, which describes Australia's landforms and seabed.
- National Surface Water — spatial location, relationships, and characteristics of the hydrological features: the catchments, streams, aquifers, storages, wetlands and man-made structures that make up the hydrological system.
- Earthquakes — monitors, analyses, and reports on significant earthquakes.
- Interactive Maps — Earth observation satellites, location, geology, geophysics, hazards, marine, coastal, and water.
- Product catalogue (eCat) — includes GA records, professional opinions, reports, scientific papers, promotional material and presentations.
- Stratigraphic Units Database — provides the primary national standard for geological names in Australia and improves the efficiency and effectiveness of communication of geological unit information.
- Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) — ABARES produce tools, models, data, and metadata to help agricultural, fisheries and forestry industries make decisions.
- Australian Bureau of Statistics(ABS) data by region — Australia's core source of statistical data, particularly census data.
- ABS geopackages — suitable for experienced Census data users who have their own database or analysis systems. They contain data for all Census geographies from Australia down to Statistical Area Level 1.
- ANZLIC – Spatial Information Council — peak intergovernmental organisation providing leadership in the collection, management, and spatial information in Australia and New Zealand.
- Australian Antarctic Data Centre — repository for Antarctica datasets.
- Australian Government – Spatial information — repository for national spatial data.
- Australian Government – data.gov.au — an easy way to find, explore and reuse Australia's public data.
- Australian Government – NationalMap — online map-based tool to allow easy access to spatial data from Australian government agencies.
- AuScope — a research toolkit to investigate Earth Systems and their impact on Australia's livability, prosperity, and environment.
- AuScope Apps — ARDC IGSN Minting Service, AuScope Portal, AusPASS, Seismic Network Design App, 3D Geological Models, MT and Underworld training, VGL.
- Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) — weather, climate, and oceans data.
- CorStruth — hylogger Core Log Data
- Data NSW — Central repository for connecting to NSW data of all types.
- Elevation and Depth — Foundation Spatial Data (ELVIS) — here you can download point cloud and elevation (DEM) datasets sourced from jurisdictions by the Intergovernmental Committee on Surveying and Mapping (ICSM).
- Intergovernmental Committee on Surveying and Mapping (ICSM) — they do a lot, and have lots of information about data.
- Mecone Moasic — an online interactive mapping tool with street and satellite maps, cadastre data, planning controls, Greater Sydney strategic planning info, and much more. Provides basic info in NSW, VIC, QLD, and WA, with more to come.
- MinEx CRC — information about the nationwide MinEx CRC project.
- Digital Imaging of Geological System (DIGS) — DIGS is a public, online archive that provides access to non-confidential reports and other important documentary material held by the GSNSW
- Drill-core Library (Londonderry) — information for access to drillcore data and free physical access to drillcore.
- Geoscience Services — online services at GSNSW.
- Geophysical images and data — information for accessing geophysical images and data.
- GIS Web Services — server addresses for Web Map Services (WMS), Web Map Tile Services (WMTS) and Web Feature Services (WFS)
- MinView — extensive and fast web map tool for accessing NSW geological data, displays resource locations, mining titles, soils, geotechnical data etc.
- Spatial Information Exchange (SIX) — provides the spatial and cadastral products and services previously accessed from SIX.
- Sharing and Enabling Environmental Data (SEED) — SEED is the NSW Government’s central resource for Sharing and Enabling Environmental Data.
- GeoRes Globe — provides an online interactive experience to view Queensland’s mining and exploration data.
- Geoscience digital data — datasets are sourced from GSQ projects and from statutory reports lodged by exploration companies.
- QDEX Data — wide range of Queensland geoscience datasets, company statutory reports and publications.
- QSpatial — map coverage data, image data and text file data.
- South Australian Resource Information Gateway (SARIG) — web map for accessing South Australian geoscientific and geospatial data.
- 3D geological models — 3D geological models.
- Exploration data releases — exploration data newly indexed in SARIG.
- Geological maps — access to printable physical maps.
- Geophysical data — instructions on how to access geophysical data in SARIG.
- Hylogger — core scanner is a rapid spectroscopic core and chip logging and imaging system developed by CSIRO's Mineral Mapping Technologies Group.
- Remote sensing — spectral imaging to map surface geology and mineralogy.
- 3D Geological Models — 3D geological dataset of Victoria.
- Drill-core Libray — information for accessing GSV core library.
- GeoVic — free online mapping application that enables you to build your own earth resource related maps, perform searches and access data, using a huge range of data sources.
- Geochemical Data — GSV analysis of open file geochemistry data has identified numerous areas of under-explored prospective terrain.
- Geophysical Data — geophysical data from across the state.
- DMIRS Data and Software Centre — spatial datasets, geology series map data, resources such as Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (DMIRS) software (including user guides and videos where available), and documentation on map services provided by DMIRS.
- GeoView — web GIS tool for finding geoscience datasets in Western Australia (WA).
- Regional geophysical survey data — data from regional airborne magnetic, radiometric and electromagnetic surveys, ground gravity surveys and deep seismic and magnetotelluric surveys in WA.
- Digital data — spatial datasets, drill hold data, scale maps, web map service (WMS).
- Geoscience maps — extensive collection of geoscience maps and mine plans.
- National Virtual Core Library — information on accessing MRT's hylogger datasets.
- Tasmanian Information on Geoscience and Exploration Resources (TIGER) — information management system, which provides a single storage environment for MRT's corporate data and enables access to this corporate data and associated metadata using customised textual and spatial searches.
- Geoscience Exploration and Mining Information System (GEMIS) — access to almost everything including: geophysical and remote sensing data, hylogger, WMS, geotechnical and mine reports, and drillcore library.
- Mining and petroleum — central repository for NT datasets.
- Spatial Territory Resource Information Kit for Exploration (STRIKE) — a web-mapping application for geoscientific data and minerals and energy tenure information in the NT. Contains up-to-date information for: title applications, granted titles and reserved areas, geology including drilling and geochemistry, geophysical images and remote sensing, mineral occurrences, indexes to open file reports and geophysical surveys.
This is a collection of datasets from around the world. Many of the datasets for the USA host data for other parts of the world, particularly NASA, NOAA, and USGS. The datasets here are numerous and variable in both content type and volume, covering everything from science, technology, economics, finance, social science, and more.
- Awesome — Everything — the central awesome list. Ctrl+F or Cmd+F will be your best friend here.
- Awesome — Big Data — huge list on big data.
- Awesome — Geospatial — Long list of geospatial analysis tools. Geospatial analysis, or just spatial analysis, is an approach to applying statistical analysis and other analytic techniques to data, which has a geographical or spatial aspect.
- Awesome — Public Datasets — extensive list of public datasets, a good place to start searching if the obvious sources aren't fruitful.
- Amazon Web Service (AWS) Registry of Open Data — discover and share datasets that are available via AWS resources (landsat, genome, weather, medical, etc.).
- Copernicus Open Access Hub — free and open access to Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, Sentinel-3 and Sentinel-5P user products.
- DIVA-GIS — global data for administrative boundaries, roads, elevation, landcover, population, climate, inland water, and gazetteer.
- Data Basin – Conservation Biology Institute — science-based mapping and analysis platform that supports learning, research, and sustainable environmental stewardship.
- EarthWindMap – NullSchool — beautiful interactive web map that depicts global wind, water, weather, and climate data.
- Free GIS Datasets – Categorised List — a repository of links to weather, climate, elevation, land/ocean, geography, geology, and the like. Extensive, another decent place to start searching for data.
- GADM — Database of Global Administrative Areas — is a high-resolution database of country administrative areas, with a goal of “all countries, at all levels, at any period”.
- Google Earth Engine — Earth Engine's public data archive includes more than forty years of historical imagery and scientific datasets, updated and expanded daily.
- GIS Geography — a mixed bag of data sources, educational materials, and software.
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) — access to weather and water datasets across the USA.
- OneGeology – Geoscience data — makes data from geological data providers around the world accessible to those who would like to see and use it.
- Our World in Data — research and data to make progress against the world’s largest problems.
- Science on a Sphere — a room sized, global display system that uses computers and video projectors to display planetary data onto a six-foot diameter sphere, analogous to a giant animated globe. More interesting than useful.
- Sentinel – EO Browser — interactive web map for locating satellite and remote sensing data.
- United States Drought Monitor — USA drought datasets and pre-made maps.
- VIIRS – Active Fire Global Map — interactive web map depicting global active fires.
- Earth Observatory — global maps for vegetation, radiation, rainfall, snow cover, fire, land/sea surface temperature, chlorophyll, carbon monoxide, radiation, and more.
- EOSDIS — Search Data — Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) consists of numerous NASA datasets from satellites, aircraft, field measurements, and various other programs. Sentinel, LANDSAT, etc. More Information
- EOSDIS — Worldview — interactive web map for finding satellite and remote sensor data.
- Earth Science Data Systems (ESDS) Program — links to other datasets here. oversees the life cycle of NASA’s Earth science data—from acquisition through processing and distribution. The primary goal of ESDS is to maximize the scientific return from NASA's missions and experiments for research and applied scientists, decision makers, and society at large.
- FIRMS: Active Fire Data — FIRMS distributes Near Real-Time (NRT) active fire data within 3 hours of satellite observation from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Aqua and Terra satellites, and the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) aboard S-NPP and NOAA 20 (formerly known as JPSS-1)
- NASA Earth Observations (NEO) — NEO provides the ability for users to download CSV and floating point GEOTiff files for datasets. Browse and download imagery of satellite data from NASA's constellation of Earth Observing System satellites.
- Open APIs — makes NASA data, including imagery, eminently accessible to application developers.
- Application for Extracting and Exploring Analysis Ready Samples (AρρEEARS) — offers a simple and efficient way to access and transform geospatial data from many federal data archives. AρρEEARS enables users to subset geospatial datasets using spatial, temporal, and band/layer parameters.
- Data and Tools — real-time data, APIs, catalogues, datasets, and tools.
- EarthExplorer — web map interface and filter tool for find remote sensing data (TIFF, KML, shapefiles).
- Global Visualization Viewer (GloVis) — easily view, order, and download remotely sensed data including: Landsat, IRS AWiFS, Orbview, Sentinel-2, Global Land Survey, EO-1, DOQ.
- National Burn Severity Mapping Project (USA) — provides comprehensive access to federal burn severity data.
- National Map (USA) — a collaborative effort among the USGS and other Federal, State, and local partners to improve and deliver topographic information for the USA.
- Remote Land Sensing and Landsat (USA) — information derived from Landsat data support government, commercial, industrial, civilian, military, and educational communities throughout the world.
- ScienceBase — an extensive data repository for information on everything from geological, biological, marine and more.
The links here are mostly for reference and includes educational material, popular forums for troubleshooting, useful tutorials, and developer tools.
- ArcGIS Community — ESRI's official support forum.
- GIS StackExchange — a place for all your troubleshooting needs about all things GIS, primary forum for QGIS.
- ArcGIS on Reddit — community dedicated to the discussion of all things ArcGIS.
- GIS on Reddit — community dedicated to everything GIS, check out their wiki.
- QGIS on Reddit — community dedicated to the discussion of all things QGIS.
ArcGIS — paid and closed source geographic information system by ESRI.
- ArcMap — the functions and concepts in ArcMap.
- Learn ArcGIS — a decent place to start learning ArcGIS.
- The ArcGIS Book — both a learning and teaching product for learning about ArcGIS and GIS in general.
QGIS — free and open source geographic information system made by volunteers.
- An Introduction to GIS — a gentle introduction to GIS concepts.
- QGIS Documentation — all versions of the documentation can be found here.
- QGIS — Open Source Options — decent channel for QGIS tutorials on Youtube.
- QGIS — Spatial Exploration — slope & aspect modelling tutorial on YouTube.
- Training Manual — official training manual.
A list of learning materials for the Python programming language and how to use it for data science applications. I recommend starting at the GIS Programming Roadmap as it is a decent place to keep track of your dev journey and to find more advanced tools. The Think Python text offers a pretty decent introduction into Python, but there are numerous resources out there. For video based learning, I strongly recommend MIT's free course on edx, it covers computer science and Python in greater depth than I've seen in other introductory courses.
- Data Science in Python — free texts for data science programming in Python.
- Python Data Science Handbook — free textbook on the popular data analysis libraries in Python such as Numpy and Pandas.
- Geo-Python — free geo-centric Python programming course.
- GIS Programming Roadmap — repository lays out a path to take someone with no GIS experience to a proficient GIS developer.
- Python for GIS progression path — progression path for a GIS analyst who wants to become proficient in using Python for GIS: from apprentice to guru
- Think Python — a good introductory text to learning Python.
- Earth Data Science Courses — topics covering everything from programming, remote sensing, and analytics.
- OpenTopography Tool Registry — clearinghouse of software, utilities, and tools oriented towards high-resolution topography data (e.g. collected with lidar technology) handling, processing, and analysis.
- Diagrams.net (prev. draw.io) — web-based flowchart and diagram making tool. It includes an offline version too.
- Geoserver — Java-based software server that allows users to view and edit geospatial data.
- Turf — a JavaScript library for spatial analysis. It includes traditional spatial operations, helper functions for creating GeoJSON data, and data classification and statistics tools.
- Awesome — Geospatial — a repeat entry because it is so awesome.
- ArcGIS Shapefile types and extensions — explains the function of the ArcGIS extensions like .dbf or .sbn.
- Feature class basics — Feature classes are homogeneous collections of common features, each having the same spatial representation, such as points, lines or polygons, and a common set of attribute columns.
- Metadata Good Practice Guide — guidelines for collecting geographic metadata in Australia and New Zealand (AS/NZS ISO 19115.1:2015).
- Ultimate List of GIS Formats and Geospatial File Extensions — descriptions of the functions of GIS data formats.