Explore the North American Environment with the Atlas

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North American Environmental Atlas

Mapping Our Shared Environment

The North American Environmental Atlas combines and harmonizes geospatial data from Canada, Mexico and the United States to allow for a continental and regional perspective on environmental issues that cross boundaries. It is a unique tool to analyze and raise awareness of our shared environment and ecosystems across the continent, to demonstrate their value, and to help us see what needs to be done to protect them.

The dozens of map layers of the Atlas are unique in that they harmonize geographic information across North America’s political boundaries. By comparing these map layers, we can better understand and quantify critical trends and interrelationships at the North American level.

Explore this interactive story for a better understanding of how the Atlas can be useful to you.

Explore more than one thousand publications and articles that utilized data from the North American Environmental Atlas.

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Map Files

Precipitation (1950-2000) – Annual

2011
Climate

North American Forests, 2011

2011
Ecoregions

The North American Forest map shows the distribution of eighteen different primary ecological zones pertaining to forest systems within Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

Bathymetry, 2006

2011
Water

This North American Atlas base layer shows the depth in meters for ocean areas covered by the extent of the North American Atlas.

Glaciers and Sea Ice, 2004

2011
Climate

This North American Atlas base layer shows areas of permanent ice found on the North America landmass including Greenland, areas of land found within glaciers, as well as the approximate extent of marine areas in the Arctic covered by permanent polar ice.

Watersheds

2011
Water

This map shows the major North American drainage basins, or watersheds, which drain into the Atlantic Ocean, Hudson Bay, the Arctic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.

Major Roads, 2009

2011
Humans, Transportation

This North American Atlas base layer shows the roads of North America at 1:10,000,000 scale.

Populated Places, 2009

2011
Humans

This North American Atlas base layer shows a selection of named populated places suitable for use at a scale of 1:10,000,000.

Railroads, 2009

2011
Humans, Transportation

This North American Atlas base layer shows the railroads of North America.

Nighttime Lights

2010
Humans

This map is an image of nighttime lights of North America, including the Caribbean and Mexico.

Priority Conservation Areas: Grasslands, 2010

2010
Biodiversity

This map shows the grasslands priority conservation areas (GPCAs) within North America's Central Grasslands, an ecosystem considered among the most threatened in the continent and the world.

2006 Pollutant Releases and Transfers (PRTR) Reporting Facilities

2010
Pollutants

This map shows the locations of about 35,000 industrial facilities in North America that reported on releases or transfers of pollutants in 2006.

Estimated Freight Railroad CO₂ Emissions along the Mexico City to Montreal Transportation Corridor, 2010

2010
Climate, Pollutants, Transportation

This map shows the estimated annual freight railroad CO2 emissions for the year 2010 along the Mexico City to Montreal transportation corridor.

Tools

Map Viewer

The North American Environmental Atlas map viewer provides access to several data layers, including terrestrial and marine ecosystems as well as human influence.

MapMonday

From tracking Uber orders in Montreal to understanding the effect of coastal farming activity in Sinaloa, Mexico– maps help us navigate and understand the world around us.

North American Land Change Monitoring System

A collaborative initiative between Canada, Mexico, and the United States to monitor land cover - the observed physical cover on the surface of the Earth - and its change over time.