FAQ

Overview — Requirements — How Do I? — About the Maps — Data Information — Problems — More Information

Overview

What is the Arizona Geospatial Data and Maps?

The Arizona Geospatial Data and Maps is a successor to the Arizona Electronic Atlas. This new site provides geospatial data to download and simple prepared maps you can view, save, or print.

Why would I use Arizona Geospatial Data and Maps (i.e., what services or information does it provide)?

Use the Arizona Geospatial Data and Maps to download data to use in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software that uses shapefiles, such as ESRI's ArcGIS, ArcExplorer, or MapInfo's Professional and to view, save, or print simple prepared maps.

What is a layer?

"Layer", a term used by Geographic Information System (GIS) professionals, is a set of thematically associated data considered as a unit. A layer usually represents a single theme.

Are there any restrictions on using Arizona Geospatial Data and Maps?

You may download maps and data, without restriction. All of the data is in the public domain, although proper citation of the data sources is appreciated. (See How Do I cite the Arizona Geospatial Data and Maps? in the How Do I section of this FAQ page.)

What do I need to do to the files once I download them?

The Data Download files are downloaded as zip files. You will need to unzip the files before you can use them with GIS software. The maps available under Gallery of Maps need Adobe plug-in.

Requirements

What must I have to use the data I just downloaded?

You can use any Geographic Information Systems software that supports shapefiles, such as ESRI's ArcMap, ArcInfo, ArcView, ArcExplorer and MapInfo's Professional. ArcMap version 9.3 is available in the Information Commons of the Main Library. You can download ArcExplorer for free from the following web site: http://www.esri.com/software/arcexplorer/.

How do I ...?

How do I cite data downloaded from the Arizona Geospatial Data and Maps?

For data downloaded from Arizona Geospatial Data and Maps: Data source: [Owner Name -- agency responsible for the data layer used, date, Layer Title, Dataset Name] in Arizona Geospatial Data and Maps http://uair.library.arizona.edu/item/292543. (Note: the agency associated with each layer can be found in the metadata available from this web site under Data Download.) Example: Data Source: Arizona Department of Water Resources, Groundwater Basins, April 30, 2010 in Arizona Geospatial Data and Maps http://uair.library.arizona.edu/item/292543.

About the Maps

What are layers?

A layer, sometimes also referred to as a "coverage", is a set of thematically associated data considered as a unit. A layer usually represents a single theme such as soils, streams, roads, or land use.

Why do some of the data layers (such as EPA Ecoregions and the Climate data layers) go beyond the state borders?

We decided to include a buffer around those data layers, because those data layers don't "stop" at the state border and users would be interested in how far a particular boundary went across the border.

Data Information

What agencies have contributed data to Arizona Geospatial Data and Maps?

  • Arizona Department of Health Services
  • Arizona Department of Water Resources
  • Arizona State Cartographer's Office
  • Arizona Land Resource Information System (ALRIS)
  • United States Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
  • National Climatic Data Center (NCDC)
  • United States Department of Commerce. Census Bureau
  • United States Environmental Protection Agency
  • United States Geological Survey (USGS) Sonoran Desert Field Station - Arizona National Biological Information Infrastructure (NBII)
  • Arizona Criminal Justice Commission

Where is the detailed information about the data?

To locate detailed data or metadata on the Arizona Geospatial Data and Maps site, simply click on Download Data, select a category on the left side of the screen, and click on the title of one of the files. When you download a file, metadata is included as a separate file.

How do I download data?

If you want to download data to use in a Geographic Information Systems software, go to the Download Data page. Click on one of the categories along the left side of the screen and click on the file to download it. You can view the metadata and an image of the file to obtain additional information about the file before you download it

Problems

How do I report a problem with the data?

To report a data problem please contact us at the email address below. Please describe what you were doing and what the error message was. We will research the problem and email you a response. The data in the Arizona Geospatial Data and Maps comes from various Arizona state agencies and the US government. If the data is correct and there is a problem with viewing the image of the data or metadata or downloading the data, we will address the problem. If the original data is incorrect, we will notify the agency that created the data, but we will not change it in the Arizona Geospatial Data and Maps until the data creator sends us a revised edition of the data.

More information

Who do I contact with questions?

For questions about the Arizona Geospatial Data and Maps, contact Christine Kollen.

  • Email: kollenc@u.library.arizona.edu
  • Phone: (520) 305-0495
  • Mailing address: University of Arizona Library
  • 1510 E. University Blvd.
  • Tucson, AZ 85721-0055

Where can I find software to decompress files or view GIS data?

There are a number of software programs that can decompress files that have been "zipped" and newer versions of Windows can also unzip files.

To view geospatial data, you can use any Geographic Information Systems software that supports shapefiles, such as ESRI's ArcGIS, ArcExplorer and MapInfo's Professional. ArcGIS is available in the Information Commons of the Main Library. You can download ArcExplorer for free from the following web site: http://www.esri.com/software/arcexplorer/.

Where can I find additional data that covers Arizona and surrounding areas?

For more information about spatial data sets for Arizona and surrounding areas, visit:

ART Group (Advanced Resource Technology) at the University of Arizona's College of Agriculture http://www.ag.arizona.edu/art/

AGIC (Arizona Geographic Information Council) http://agic.az.gov

ARIA (Arizona Regional Image Archive) http://aria.arizona.edu/

GIS-AZUL (Univ. of Arizona Libraries) http://www.library.arizona.edu/help/how/find/maps/gis/index.html