A national-scale map presents patterns of risk for nitrate contamination in U.S. groundwater. The map was compiled based on factors including nitrogen input from fertilizer, manure, and atmospheric deposition, as well as aquifer vulnerability factors like soil drainage and woodland-to-cropland ratios. The digital version of the map is described in Nolan and others (1997) and is hosted on the NASA EarthData platform.
Use Cases
- Prioritizing regions for pollution-prevention programs based on compiled risk patterns.
- Assessing aquifer vulnerability to nitrate contamination based on soil drainage characteristics and land use ratios.
- Supporting long-term groundwater monitoring planning by targeting areas with high nitrogen input and well-drained soils.
Strengths
- Integrates multiple national data sources, including the STATSGO soil database and the 1992 Census of Agriculture.
- Risk patterns are derived from specific, documented factors like nitrogen input and aquifer vulnerability.
- Data processing is described, including conversion to a grid format for overlay analysis in ARC/INFO.
Limitations
- Last updated 1997-12-31 23:59:59.999000; freshness should be verified.
- The map is described as not a 'final' version, as patterns are being refined with better data.
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
Provenance
- Source
- CEOS_EXTRA, referencing work by Nolan and others (1997).
- Collection Method
- Compiled by overlaying data layers for nitrogen input and aquifer vulnerability factors using ARC/INFO GRID processing.
- Freshness
- 1997-12-31 23:59:59.999000
- Geography
- United States