This online, browser-based data viewer provides user-friendly access to regional land cover and land cover change information developed through NOAA’s Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP). The Land Cover Atlas eliminates the need for desktop geographic information system software, or advanced technical expertise, by processing C-CAP data for the user and providing easy access to that distilled information. The tool summarizes general change trends (such as forest losses or new development) and can highlight specific changes of interest (salt marsh losses to open water, or evergreen forest losses to development, for instance).

Features

• Helps users to visually analyze and explore NOAA’s geospatial land cover data by county for areas of user interest
• Allows users to query specific types of land cover changes for specific date ranges and potentially evaluate their amount and location in relation to past management practices
• Creates summary reports and data tables to enhance communication and the decision-making process