Finding and Using GIS Data

Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center

Homepage: http://sedac.ciesin.org/data/sets/browse

About: Operated by NASA, this portal is a resource for global environmental and socioeconomic data. The stated purpose is to act as an "information gateway" between earth sciences and social sciences.

Data Available: Depending on the data set, available file formats include GeoTIFF and Geodatabase Feature Class for spatial data, as well as Excel files for tabular data.

Topics Include: Agriculture, Climate, Conservation, Governance, Hazards, Health, Infrastructure, Land Use, Marine and Coastal, Population, Poverty, Remote Sensing, Sustainability, Urban, Water

How to get GIS data

1. Find your data set by either using the search fields to enter keywords, select a theme from the left hand column, filter by year or data format, or browse all available data sets.

2. Click the title of a data set to see full abstract, metadata, citations, and download options.

3. Click "Data Download" and follow on-screen instructions to download data.

Note: Data downloads require registering a free user login profile.

Still Stuck?

If you are having trouble finding the data you are looking for, the AGS Library may be able to help.

• Use the buttons below to view our Geospatial Data homepage, request data from our collection, or e-mail us with questions.
• You can make an appointment for an in-person or virtual consultation, just e-mail gisdata@uwm.edu
• We are located in the Golda Meir Library at UWM on the 3rd floor of the East Wing. Phone: (414) 229-6282.