Creation and Management of Seamless National and Global ArcSDE Databases from Raster and Vector Sources

Author: Dean Tyler
Organization: Science and Applications Branch

USGS EROS Data Center
Sioux Falls, SD 57198
USA

Phone: 605-594-2624
Fax: 605-594-6529
dtyler@usgs.gov

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is building a large seamless raster and vector database using ArcSDE. This technology provides a significant improvement over traditional quadrangle-based data management. With increased computing capacities and the merging of geospatial and relational technologies, the USGS can now handle very large spatial data sets without requiring end users to assemble and merge multiple files. Data sets selected for seamless storage include the National Elevation Dataset (NED), National Elevation Dataset Hydrologic Derivatives (NED-H), and the National Land Cover Dataset (NLCD).