Bryan Bailey (gbbailey@edcserver1.cr.usgs.gov), U.S. Geological Survey, Sioux Falls, SD
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) announced today that its 1:100,000-scale vector data are available in Spatial Data Transfer Standard (SDTS) format. The announcement was made in the National Spatial Data Infrastructure Town Meeting of the 1995 National GeoData Forum in Crystal City, VA. The USGS released its entire data base of 1:100,000-scale transportation and hydrography digital cartographic data in SDTS format. The data can be downloaded free of charge from the EROS Data Center in Sioux Falls, S.D.
The SDTS is defined by Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) 173. The standard specifies a model and format for moving spatial data between computer systems without information loss. Federal spatial data producers, such as the USGS, are obligated to begin supplying their data in the SDTS format. Widespread use of this standard format will reduce the problems of moving geographic information system (GIS) data between different computer systems.
The SDTS was designed by a broad cross-section of government, academic, and industry experts. It is therefore more general than formats, such as the USGS digital line graph (DLG), created by individual agencies. The SDTS holds attributes as text in relational tables, eliminating arbitrary attribute code numbers. In addition, SDTS data sets include a data quality report specific to scale and theme and a data dictionary that defines the feature and attribute terms.
Several major GIS vendors are currently working on SDTS translators. Environmental Systems Research Institute of Redlands, CA., satisfied a contractual obligation to the USGS by delivering an SDTS translator in ARC/Info Version 7.
The USGS will convert all of its digital cartographic data to SDTS format during the next several years. The first data to be converted are the hydrography and transportation layers of the 1:100,000-scale DLG-3 series. Complete coverage of the continental United States will be available sometime in July. These data will also continue to be available in regular DLG formats.
The data in SDTS Format can be retrieved from the following anonymous ftp and World Wide Web sites:
FTP: edcftp.cr.usgs.gov
cd/pub/data/DLG/100K
WWW: http://edcwww.cr.usgs.gov/doc/edchome/ndcdb/ndcdb.html
In the near future, the data can also be purchased on CD-ROM by contacting any USGS Earth Science Information Center, including:
Earth Science Information Center
EROS Data Center
Sioux Falls, SD 57198
(605) 594-6151; FAX (605) 594-6589
E-mail: custserv@edcserver1.cr.usgs.gov
For general information about the Spatial Data Transfer Standard contact:
Phone: (314) 341-0856
E-mail: sdts@usgs.gov or esic@mcdgs01.cr.usgs.gov
Web: http://mcmcweb.cr.usgs.gov