ERI Data Resources

Sharing environmental change data for Indiana

Environmental Resilience Institute researchers are gathering, analyzing, and disseminating data that illustrates how Indiana’s environment is changing. On this page, users can view data tools and resources curated and created by the institute.

ERI Data Platform

Decorative: data platform opening panel

The ERI Data Platform is an institute-supported tool that allows users to explore environmental change data in new ways. The platform gives users the ability to overlay national, global, and Indiana-specific datasets, add new data, and navigate to geographic areas of interest.

View the data platform 

Note: The ERI Data Platform is best viewed in desktop mode. For accessible materials, contact ERI at eri@iu.edu or  812-855-8539.

See what data is available on the platform

  • IndianaMap data and 1998-2018 imagery
    IndianaMap is a collection of geographic information layers for the state of Indiana. Datasets cover the following categories: demographics, environment, geology, government, hydrology, and infrastructure. IndianaMap also hosts aerial photographs.
  • IN.gov Imagery Services
    The Indiana State Government hosts several sets of high-resolution images of the Earth’s surface in the Hoosier state. Images are captured via aerial orthophotography and LiDAR technology. The images are made available through an image service. This is when images are stored in a back-end database and are only pulled when they are needed. This cuts down on processing time and memory needs.
  • IU ArcGIS Online
    ArcGIS Online hosts a wide variety of data layers from data providers around the world. Indiana University has an enterprise account with ArcGIS, which makes it easy to find layers produced by IU researchers, students, and affiliates that have published data to ArcGIS Online under IU.
  • USGS Species Habitat Maps 
    These data show suitable habitat for a variety of terrestrial vertebrates. This map does not show the actual occupancy of each species. Rather, it shows where each species could reasonably be found based on what is known about its habitat preferences. This excludes factors that may affect a species’ actual range, such as too much or too little vegetation in a particular area, proximity to humans, or disturbed habitat.
  • Intact Habitat Cores
    This dataset contains over 550,000 minimally disturbed, natural land cover areas (as opposed to developed or agricultural land cover). Each area is at least 100 acres in size and greater than 200 meters wide. A value of suitability (good, better, best) is given for each area. Data were generated using 2011 National Land Cover data.
  • 2016 National Land Change Database
    Developed by the U.S. Geological Survey in partnership with other federal agencies, this data layer illustrates various kinds of land cover.
  • National Flood Hazard Zones
    Computer database with FEMA’s flood hazard map data.
  • National Terrestrial Ecosystems
    Developed by the U.S. Geological Survey in partnership with other federal agencies, this data layer illustrates various kinds of terrestrial ecosystems.
  • State Geologic Map Compilation
    This is a compilation of state-level geologic maps generated by individual U.S. Geological Survey Geologic units. The maps were not reconciled across state boundaries, but they have all been standardized to allow spatial analyses of lithology, age, and stratigraphy at a national scale.
  • 2016 Tree Canopy
    Using Landsat imagery and ground-level data to fill in the gaps, the U.S. Forest Service generated tree canopy cover data for 30m x 30m squares. Values range from 0-100%.
  • 2016 Impervious Surface
    These data show impervious surface coverage for 30m x 30m pixels. Examples of impervious surfaces include roads and buildings.
  • National Weather Service Precipitation Forecast
    Generated by the National Weather Service and updated hourly, these data illustrate the Quantitative Precipitation Forecast for the next 72 hours across the continental United States. Incremental and cumulative precipitation data are displayed in 6-hour intervals.
  • National Conservation Easement Database
    These data illustrate privately owned conservation easement lands (CELs). CELs are the objects of legal agreements between landowners and conservation entities. The purpose of a CEL is to protect areas such as open space or vital wildlife habitats.
  • Live stream gauges flooding
    These data points represent stream gauges. Each stream gauge has a live feed that is fed to the database. If you click on a stream gauge, it will show you the current flow value among other values.
  • National Hydrography Dataset (NHD)
    These data represent naturally occurring and man-made surface water bodies across the United States.