Solar
We bring sunlight and solar potential into the picture of a place.
- How much sunlight reaches the ground
- Direct and diffuse sunlight throughout the day
- Potential for generating solar power
- The angle that makes best use of the sun
Wind
We include wind conditions at different heights to help describe the energy in the air.
- Typical wind speeds
- Wind at ground level and above
- The strength of the wind resource
- How conditions change with height
Geology
We include the rock and terrain beneath a place to give it physical context.
- The kinds of rock at the surface
- Elevation and the shape of the land
- How steep the ground is
- The direction a slope faces
Ecology
We bring together ecological regions and land cover to describe the living landscape.
- Biomes and ecological regions
- Forests, grasslands, and other land cover
- Tree canopy across the landscape
- How much land is covered by hard surfaces
Water & flooding
We include surface water, coastlines, and modeled flooding to help explain a place’s relationship with water.
- How close a place is to water
- Permanent and seasonal surface water
- River and coastal flood depths
- Distance from the coast
Climate & hazards
We include long-term climate patterns and environmental hazards that shape conditions on the ground.
- Temperature and rainfall patterns
- Climate zones and seasons
- Wildfire weather and hazard potential
- Fine particles in the air
Agriculture & soils
We include agricultural land and soil characteristics to help describe how land is used and what lies beneath it.
- Crops and nearby agricultural land
- How soil drains and holds water
- Depth to bedrock and the water table
- Soil properties across mapped land
Demographics
We include population and community characteristics to understand the people and places around a location.
- Population and settlement patterns
- Household income and housing
- Age and education
- How people travel to work
Built environment
We include the buildings and land uses that give a place its built character.
- Patterns of urban and rural settlement
- Building heights and built-up land
- Residential and nonresidential development
- How land is used
Jobs & access
We include employment and travel measures to understand how places connect to opportunities and services.
- Employment and local job sectors
- The concentration of jobs nearby
- Travel time to cities
- Access to healthcare by road and on foot
Industrial activity
We include information about industrial facilities and reported releases around a place.
- Registered industrial facilities
- How close facilities are
- The concentration of facilities nearby
- Reported releases to the environment
Distance
We take real-world measurements between places to understand how things relate across the world.
- Distance between places and features
- The closest places to a chosen location
- Places within a given distance
- How distances compare across locations