Atlas Earth Beta : Bringing you the maps of the Institute on the Environment.

Note: Many of these files are large and may take a moment to display. If you find that they display slowly or would like more control over what you see in the data layers, please consider downloading them from the Downloads tab of the Atlas and viewing them directly in Google Earth.




River Data


      Data derived from
      Minnesota Pollution Control Agency


      Data derived from
      NOAA National Geophysical Data Center

Note: Many of these files are large and may take a moment to display. If you find that they display slowly or would like more control over what you see in the data layers, please consider downloading them from the Downloads area of the Atlas and viewing them directly in Google Earth. There are also many more data layers available in the downloads section.

December 2010 : Staples

Atlas Earth Downloads

Note: You may view these files directly online by visiting the Atlas Earth tab above, and selecting River Life from the accordion menu to the left of the map. Download the files below for viewing in your own copy of Google Earth - some people with older browsers may find this works better for them. You do need to be connected to the internet for these Google Earth files to work.

Note: You may view a selected preview of some of these files directly online by visiting the Atlas Earth tab above, and selecting Global Landscapes Initiative from the accordion menu to the left of the map. Download the files below for viewing in your own copy of Google Earth - some people with older browsers may find this works better for them.

A B C D E F G H J K L M N O P Q R S T V W Y
Crop PNG Map: Area PNG Map: Yield KML Map: Area KML Map: Yield
Abaca 0.56 MB 0.56 MB 0.25 MB 0.12 MB
Agave 0.57 MB 0.56 MB 0.38 MB 0.12 MB
Alfalfa 0.63 MB 0.63 MB 0.72 MB 0.46 MB
Almond 0.6 MB 0.61 MB 0.47 MB 0.32 MB
Aniseetc 0.63 MB 0.61 MB 0.7 MB 0.38 MB
Apple 0.66 MB 0.65 MB 1.09 MB 0.63 MB
Apricot 0.65 MB 0.64 MB 0.94 MB 0.54 MB
Areca 0.59 MB 0.57 MB 0.59 MB 0.21 MB
Artichoke 0.6 MB 0.59 MB 0.51 MB 0.32 MB
Asparagus 0.61 MB 0.61 MB 0.67 MB 0.4 MB
Avocado 0.63 MB 0.63 MB 0.82 MB 0.48 MB
Bambara 0.57 MB 0.57 MB 0.51 MB 0.18 MB
Banana 0.65 MB 0.64 MB 0.96 MB 0.58 MB
Barley 0.68 MB 0.68 MB 1.26 MB 0.73 MB
Bean 0.7 MB 0.71 MB 1.38 MB 0.88 MB
Beet (For Silage) 0.57 MB 0.57 MB 0.27 MB 0.17 MB
Blueberry 0.6 MB 0.58 MB 0.54 MB 0.21 MB
Brazil 0.66 MB 0.56 MB 0.95 MB 0.17 MB
Broadbean 0.64 MB 0.63 MB 0.86 MB 0.49 MB
Buckwheat 0.64 MB 0.63 MB 0.86 MB 0.47 MB
A B C D E F G H J K L M N O P Q R S T V W Y
Crop PNG Map: Area PNG Map: Yield KML Map: Area KML Map: Yield
Cabbage 0.7 MB 0.68 MB 1.41 MB 0.74 MB
Cabbage (For Silage) 0.57 MB 0.57 MB 0.33 MB 0.26 MB
Canaryseed 0.58 MB 0.58 MB 0.24 MB 0.18 MB
Carob 0.57 MB 0.56 MB 0.3 MB 0.17 MB
Carrot (For Silage) 0.56 MB 0.56 MB 0.15 MB 0.09 MB
Cashewapple 0.58 MB 0.58 MB 0.45 MB 0.17 MB
Cassava 0.66 MB 0.65 MB 0.91 MB 0.58 MB
Castor 0.64 MB 0.63 MB 0.88 MB 0.43 MB
Cauliflower 0.67 MB 0.65 MB 1.11 MB 0.6 MB
Cereal (Other) 0.63 MB 0.62 MB 0.63 MB 0.39 MB
Cherry 0.64 MB 0.64 MB 0.92 MB 0.53 MB
Chestnut 0.61 MB 0.59 MB 0.68 MB 0.3 MB
Chickpea 0.62 MB 0.62 MB 0.68 MB 0.43 MB
Chicory 0.58 MB 0.57 MB 0.36 MB 0.17 MB
Chilleetc 0.67 MB 0.65 MB 1.09 MB 0.6 MB
Cinnamon 0.59 MB 0.57 MB 0.43 MB 0.18 MB
Citrus (Other) 0.63 MB 0.63 MB 0.78 MB 0.48 MB
Clove 0.58 MB 0.57 MB 0.36 MB 0.2 MB
Clover 0.57 MB 0.57 MB 0.3 MB 0.22 MB
Cocoa 0.6 MB 0.6 MB 0.59 MB 0.31 MB
A B C D E F G H J K L M N O P Q R S T V W Y
Crop PNG Map: Area PNG Map: Yield KML Map: Area KML Map: Yield
Coconut 0.62 MB 0.61 MB 0.75 MB 0.43 MB
Coffee 0.63 MB 0.63 MB 0.89 MB 0.47 MB
Cotton 0.66 MB 0.66 MB 0.91 MB 0.63 MB
Cowpea 0.58 MB 0.59 MB 0.31 MB 0.23 MB
Cranberry 0.59 MB 0.58 MB 0.49 MB 0.18 MB
Cucumberetc 0.67 MB 0.67 MB 1.23 MB 0.71 MB
Currant 0.59 MB 0.58 MB 0.51 MB 0.26 MB
Date 0.6 MB 0.59 MB 0.41 MB 0.27 MB
Eggplant 0.63 MB 0.62 MB 0.79 MB 0.43 MB
Fibre (Other) 0.58 MB 0.59 MB 0.47 MB 0.27 MB
Fig 0.6 MB 0.61 MB 0.56 MB 0.37 MB
Flax 0.6 MB 0.58 MB 0.47 MB 0.27 MB
(For Silage) (Other) 0.62 MB 0.62 MB 0.8 MB 0.38 MB
Fruit (Other) 0.68 MB 0.67 MB 1.34 MB 0.71 MB
Garlic 0.66 MB 0.64 MB 1.05 MB 0.59 MB
Ginger 0.6 MB 0.58 MB 0.58 MB 0.26 MB
Gooseberry 0.58 MB 0.57 MB 0.53 MB 0.21 MB
Grape 0.66 MB 0.67 MB 1.05 MB 0.68 MB
Grapefruitetc 0.67 MB 0.65 MB 1.04 MB 0.52 MB
Grass (Other) 0.59 MB 0.59 MB 0.44 MB 0.27 MB
A B C D E F G H J K L M N O P Q R S T V W Y
Crop PNG Map: Area PNG Map: Yield KML Map: Area KML Map: Yield
Greenbean 0.67 MB 0.65 MB 1.13 MB 0.6 MB
Greenbroadbean 0.63 MB 0.62 MB 0.67 MB 0.4 MB
Greencorn 0.62 MB 0.63 MB 0.77 MB 0.45 MB
Greenonion 0.61 MB 0.59 MB 0.59 MB 0.32 MB
Greenpea 0.67 MB 0.66 MB 1.16 MB 0.62 MB
Groundnut 0.66 MB 0.68 MB 1.08 MB 0.73 MB
Gums 0.63 MB 0.58 MB 0.76 MB 0.21 MB
Hazelnut 0.6 MB 0.6 MB 0.5 MB 0.31 MB
Hemp 0.59 MB 0.58 MB 0.41 MB 0.25 MB
Hempseed 0.61 MB 0.59 MB 0.65 MB 0.29 MB
Hop 0.62 MB 0.6 MB 0.62 MB 0.35 MB
Jute 0.57 MB 0.57 MB 0.23 MB 0.18 MB
Jutelikefiber 0.62 MB 0.61 MB 0.6 MB 0.36 MB
Kapokfiber 0.57 MB 0.56 MB 0.31 MB 0.11 MB
Kapokseed 0.56 MB 0.56 MB 0.38 MB 0.12 MB
Karite 0.56 MB 0.56 MB 0.45 MB 0.13 MB
Kiwi 0.58 MB 0.58 MB 0.32 MB 0.24 MB
Kolanut 0.57 MB 0.56 MB 0.28 MB 0.13 MB
Legume (Other) 0.57 MB 0.57 MB 0.45 MB 0.31 MB
Lemonlime 0.66 MB 0.66 MB 1.01 MB 0.59 MB
A B C D E F G H J K L M N O P Q R S T V W Y
Crop PNG Map: Area PNG Map: Yield KML Map: Area KML Map: Yield
Lentil 0.63 MB 0.64 MB 0.73 MB 0.48 MB
Lettuce 0.64 MB 0.64 MB 0.96 MB 0.53 MB
Linseed 0.65 MB 0.64 MB 0.87 MB 0.49 MB
Lupin 0.59 MB 0.59 MB 0.55 MB 0.3 MB
Maize 0.74 MB 0.74 MB 1.66 MB 1.09 MB
Maize (For Silage) 0.63 MB 0.62 MB 0.79 MB 0.44 MB
Mango 0.65 MB 0.64 MB 0.95 MB 0.54 MB
Mate 0.56 MB 0.56 MB 0.46 MB 0.14 MB
Melonetc 0.66 MB 0.65 MB 1.06 MB 0.59 MB
Melonseed 0.59 MB 0.58 MB 0.49 MB 0.21 MB
Millet 0.64 MB 0.65 MB 0.81 MB 0.54 MB
Mixedgrain 0.57 MB 0.57 MB 0.29 MB 0.18 MB
Mixedgrass 0.63 MB 0.62 MB 0.86 MB 0.46 MB
Mushroom 0.58 MB 0.58 MB 0.44 MB 0.18 MB
Mustard 0.62 MB 0.61 MB 0.68 MB 0.35 MB
Nutmeg 0.58 MB 0.57 MB 0.38 MB 0.17 MB
Nut (Other) 0.69 MB 0.66 MB 1.21 MB 0.61 MB
Oats 0.68 MB 0.67 MB 1.19 MB 0.64 MB
Oilpalm 0.61 MB 0.6 MB 0.58 MB 0.32 MB
Oilseed (For Silage) 0.56 MB 0.56 MB 0.4 MB 0.27 MB
A B C D E F G H J K L M N O P Q R S T V W Y
Crop PNG Map: Area PNG Map: Yield KML Map: Area KML Map: Yield
Oilseed (Other) 0.6 MB 0.61 MB 0.54 MB 0.35 MB
Okra 0.58 MB 0.58 MB 0.48 MB 0.28 MB
Olive 0.58 MB 0.61 MB 0.47 MB 0.37 MB
Onion 0.72 MB 0.71 MB 1.62 MB 0.85 MB
Orange 0.68 MB 0.67 MB 1.18 MB 0.68 MB
Papaya 0.64 MB 0.64 MB 0.89 MB 0.5 MB
Pea 0.67 MB 0.66 MB 1.11 MB 0.62 MB
Peachetc 0.66 MB 0.65 MB 1.03 MB 0.59 MB
Pear 0.66 MB 0.65 MB 1.03 MB 0.61 MB
Pepper 0.61 MB 0.59 MB 0.53 MB 0.3 MB
Peppermint 0.56 MB 0.56 MB 0.15 MB 0.09 MB
Persimmon 0.58 MB 0.59 MB 0.44 MB 0.27 MB
Pigeonpea 0.58 MB 0.58 MB 0.31 MB 0.23 MB
Pimento 0.65 MB 0.63 MB 0.82 MB 0.44 MB
Pineapple 0.65 MB 0.64 MB 0.88 MB 0.51 MB
Pistachio 0.59 MB 0.58 MB 0.36 MB 0.22 MB
Plantain 0.59 MB 0.59 MB 0.4 MB 0.24 MB
Plum 0.65 MB 0.65 MB 0.99 MB 0.61 MB
Popcorn 0.69 MB 0.65 MB 1.17 MB 0.6 MB
Poppy 0.57 MB 0.56 MB 0.44 MB 0.13 MB
A B C D E F G H J K L M N O P Q R S T V W Y
Crop PNG Map: Area PNG Map: Yield KML Map: Area KML Map: Yield
Potato 0.71 MB 0.72 MB 1.56 MB 0.97 MB
Pulse (Other) 0.67 MB 0.65 MB 1.04 MB 0.57 MB
Pumpkinetc 0.67 MB 0.66 MB 1.16 MB 0.62 MB
Pyrethrum 0.56 MB 0.56 MB 0.15 MB 0.11 MB
Quince 0.64 MB 0.63 MB 0.81 MB 0.44 MB
Quinoa 0.57 MB 0.56 MB 0.47 MB 0.26 MB
Ramie 0.58 MB 0.57 MB 0.52 MB 0.15 MB
Rapeseed 0.64 MB 0.66 MB 0.91 MB 0.62 MB
Rasberry 0.63 MB 0.61 MB 0.76 MB 0.38 MB
Rice 0.66 MB 0.68 MB 1.06 MB 0.78 MB
Root (Other) 0.62 MB 0.61 MB 0.63 MB 0.37 MB
Rubber 0.6 MB 0.6 MB 0.7 MB 0.38 MB
Rye 0.63 MB 0.64 MB 0.81 MB 0.53 MB
Rye (For Silage) 0.56 MB 0.56 MB 0.18 MB 0.12 MB
Safflower 0.63 MB 0.63 MB 0.68 MB 0.42 MB
Sesame 0.64 MB 0.64 MB 0.8 MB 0.51 MB
Sorghum 0.68 MB 0.68 MB 1.11 MB 0.73 MB
Sorghum (For Silage) 0.59 MB 0.59 MB 0.31 MB 0.22 MB
Sourcherry 0.59 MB 0.6 MB 0.73 MB 0.35 MB
Soybean 0.66 MB 0.69 MB 1.08 MB 0.8 MB
A B C D E F G H J K L M N O P Q R S T V W Y
Crop PNG Map: Area PNG Map: Yield KML Map: Area KML Map: Yield
Spice (Other) 0.62 MB 0.6 MB 0.59 MB 0.35 MB
Spinach 0.62 MB 0.61 MB 0.68 MB 0.38 MB
Stonefruit (Other) 0.59 MB 0.58 MB 0.58 MB 0.24 MB
Strawberry 0.68 MB 0.66 MB 1.17 MB 0.65 MB
Stringbean 0.6 MB 0.6 MB 0.48 MB 0.28 MB
Sugarbeet 0.61 MB 0.61 MB 0.59 MB 0.37 MB
Sugarcane 0.65 MB 0.65 MB 0.87 MB 0.59 MB
Sugar (Other) 0.57 MB 0.56 MB 0.39 MB 0.26 MB
Sunflower 0.66 MB 0.68 MB 1 MB 0.7 MB
Swede (For Silage) 0.57 MB 0.56 MB 0.14 MB 0.11 MB
Sweetpotato 0.66 MB 0.67 MB 1.01 MB 0.69 MB
Tangetc 0.66 MB 0.65 MB 0.99 MB 0.55 MB
Taro 0.6 MB 0.58 MB 0.43 MB 0.26 MB
Tea 0.64 MB 0.63 MB 0.93 MB 0.45 MB
Tobacco 0.66 MB 0.67 MB 1.09 MB 0.72 MB
Tomato 0.73 MB 0.71 MB 1.6 MB 0.88 MB
Triticale 0.59 MB 0.59 MB 0.48 MB 0.26 MB
Tropical (Other) 0.64 MB 0.63 MB 0.84 MB 0.5 MB
Tung 0.59 MB 0.57 MB 0.68 MB 0.31 MB
Turnip (For Silage) 0.57 MB 0.56 MB 0.23 MB 0.15 MB
A B C D E F G H J K L M N O P Q R S T V W Y
Crop PNG Map: Area PNG Map: Yield KML Map: Area KML Map: Yield
Vanilla 0.59 MB 0.57 MB 0.39 MB 0.2 MB
Vegetable (Other) 0.75 MB 0.73 MB 1.68 MB 0.94 MB
Veg (For Silage) 0.59 MB 0.59 MB 0.51 MB 0.3 MB
Vetch 0.59 MB 0.58 MB 0.62 MB 0.29 MB
Walnut 0.64 MB 0.62 MB 0.85 MB 0.42 MB
Watermelon 0.69 MB 0.69 MB 1.29 MB 0.79 MB
Wheat 0.71 MB 0.72 MB 1.52 MB 0.95 MB
Yam 0.6 MB 0.6 MB 0.45 MB 0.31 MB
Yautia 0.57 MB 0.56 MB 0.34 MB 0.2 MB

About Atlas Earth

See The Maps Of IonE

  • See how maize crop yields relate to watershed boundaries.
  • See how contested places on rivers relate to nearby agriculture.
  • See how the history of place is tied to modern land use.
  • Experience the Earth, experience Atlas Earth.

History of the Project

Developed in 2010, Atlas Earth is a project of the Institute on the Environment at the University of Minnesota designed to give the programs of the institute a forum for sharing map data. From the global data layers of the Global Landscapes initiative that exhaustively illustrate the scope and spread of the world's crops, to the narrative and illustrative maps of the River Life program and partners, these maps help illustrate the world, the work we do, and the way that data can be connected.

The Atlas can be used in multiple ways. The online viewer in the Atlas pane is limited by the capabilities of the Google Earth Plugin. For the full content of each Atlas layer, download and view in your own copy of Google Earth. Check back frequently for fixes and new content!

Technical Details

Atlas Earth is developed using Dojo, Google Earth, KML, and the Google Earth Plugin. For more information on Dojo, visit http://www.dojotoolkit.org/. For more information on Google Earth and KML, visit http://earth.google.com

Atlas Earth Announcements

March 25, 2011

We've been busy! We've got updated download table for the GLI crop yield and area maps posted, as well as a lot of new content in River Life's River Atlas, River Data, and River Stories collections. Stay tuned for some new River Flood content!

February 10, 2011

This month has seen a lot of refinements in the technical underpinnings of the site and continued additions to the River Talk section of the atlas.

January 13, 2011

Happy New Year! Work over the last couple of weeks has focused on adding content to the River Talk layer, geotagging entries from our blog, River Talk. You can now see the River Life Atlas layers in Google Earth on the smart phone of your choice by following these directions:

Log in to your Google account on your computer and go to the Maps page, http://maps.google.com. Click on "My Maps" and select "Create new map". Under "Title" type "Atlas Earth : River Atlas" and then click "Import". You should get a dialogue box that invites you to import a KML file. Enter the following url where indicated, and click "Upload" : http://environment.umn.edu/atlas/data/rl/mrdc_complete_en.kml

Next time you open Google Earth on your smart phone, select the "Layers" button, select "My Maps", select "My Maps Account", log in to your Google Account, select "Grant Access". Now when you go into "My Maps", you should see the "Atlas Earth : River Atlas" map available for display.

Alternatively, you can point your smart phone's browser to http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=217726547325554377345.000499bc73118f6cc6f12&ll=44.453768,-92.41387&spn=5.543654,10.469971&z=7

December 16, 2010

It's been a busy couple of weeks! New data in River Life includes some panoramic collages of images from bridges provided by the Mississippi River Design Competition. We've also added some geotagged blog entries from River Talk, including one of particular note that the designers will find interesting, called Imagine the Mississippi

December 2, 2010

Big update this week! Uploaded new versions of the GLI layers as well as some new river materials to support the Mississippi River Design Competition (MRDC). For the MRDC, we've added some layers discussing the archaeology of the site, as well as refined some of the existing layers that were presented to the teams on Monday.

November 4, 2010

  • River of History
    • Meeker Island Lock Ruins marker moved to the correct, northern, side of the river.
    • Content has been added through chapter seven.
    • If you'd like to see the entire River of History publication, you can download it from the Downloads area of Atlas Earth, in the River Life section.
  • Known Issues, Bugs, and Planned Interface Improvements
    • Expanded Atlas Earth page flickers in some browsers - this includes some builds of Firefox.
    • Expanded Atlas Earth page does not successfully stretch vertically.
    • Small graphical artifact appears above tabs in some browsers.
    • Telling River Stories content formats clumsily on some systems. (Resolved, November 5, 2010)
    • Mobile browser friendly front page.

Alpha Launch : October 15, 2010