USGS Method I-2667-85

In recent years, the disciplines of cartography and geography have undergone a rapid and striking reorientation as the techniques for digital collection and manipulation of data have evolved from fledgling laboratory procedures into dominant and driving forces that now pervade the disciplines. Digital techniques have provided a variety of new and powerful capabilities to collect, manipulate, analyze, and display spatial data. However, this evolution also has introduced a number of new and complex problems. One of the most pressing problems, and one which is receiving particular attention at present, is the issue of digital cartographic data standards.

The u.s. Geological survey (USGS) has been actively developing digital cartographic and geographic techniques for over a decade and has taken significant steps to develop and define in-house standards governing the various types of digital cartographic data that are being collected and archived in a national digital cartographic data base. The in-house standards are expressed in the form of specifications documents that were prepared to govern collection of the data and in the form of user guides that were prepared for distribution with the data.