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References and Links has information on the map sources, bibliographic references and links to related Web sites.

List of References and Links:

Map Sources
References
Web Sites

Map Sources

The Atlas maps are composed of several layers of which there are two broad categories: thematic and base layers. Find below a description of each of the map layers. The layer source is included in the metadata.

Thematic Map Layers

Annual Mean Total Precipitation (mm): The 1971 to 2000 precipitation climate normals were calculated by Environment Canada in a manner consistent with the methodology of the World Meteorological Organization. The normal is a simple arithmetic average of the monthly or annual precipitation for the specified period. These spatial models have been developed using the thin plate smoothing spline algorithms of ANUSPLIN, which is a mathematically sophisticated approach to generating climate maps at varying spatial and temporal scales. The Canadian Forest Service has been working in partnership with several staff in Environment Canada's Meteorological Service of Canada, the Australian National University (the creator of ANUSPLIN) and others to develop a variety of climate models that cover both Canada and North America.

Hydrogeological Regions: Natural Resources Canada. 2007. Groundwater Mapping Program. Hydrogeological Regions.

Land Cover: The images were acquired in 1995 by the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) on board of the NOAA-14 satellite operated by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The images were processed to enhance the vegetation by a group of scientists from the Canada Centre for Remote Sensing and the Canadian Forest Service of Natural Resources Canada. The land cover image map contains 31 land cover classes: 12 forest; 3 shrubland; 7 tundra / grasslands; 7 developed land types including cropland, mosaic and built-up areas; and 2 water areas. Canada Center for Remote Sensing, Natural Resources Canada, 1995.

Moisture Regions: Data from the map 'Canada - Climatic Regions Thornthwaite Classification Moisture Regions', The National Atlas of Canada 5th Edition, Energy, Mines and Resources Canada, 1990.

Physiographic Regions: Map. Physiographic Regions of Canada. 1254A. Scale 1:5M compiled by H.S. Bostock. 1967. Geological Survey of Canada.

Relief: Elevation data were derived from Canada-Relief, Fifth Edition of the National Atlas of Canada [map], printed in 1986.

Surficial Hydrogeological Materials: Fulton, R.J. 1995. Surficial Materials of Canada, Geological Survey of Canada, Map 1880A.

Watersheds: Natural Resources Canada. 2006. Atlas of Canada Watershed Framework.

Wetland Regions: The percentage of wetlands within polygons which are representative of wetland concentration, developed by integration of data from several thematic specific sources. It was prepared for use by Environment Canada (1997) to provide first order measures of wetlands distribution and conservation. Data sets used: 1. The 1995 AVHRR land cover classification. 2. The old ecodistrict (circa 1985) database of Canada. 3. The Soil Landscapes of Canada. 4. The Peatlands of Canada. 5. Ducks Unlimited and other provincial agencies.

Base Map Layers

Atlas of Canada Framework Layers: Base map components are features that provide a geographic context for the thematic data shown on Atlas of Canada maps. These features include rivers, lakes, administrative boundaries, populated places, roads and rail lines. All of the Atlas of Canada base map components are available for immediate free download in five scales and in a number of data exchange formats. The 1:7 500 000 and the 1:1 000 000 scale data are the primary base frameworks used for all Atlas of Canada 6th Edition online maps. You can download Atlas of Canada data from this Web page on GeoGratis.

References

Sharpe, D.R., Russell, H.A.J., Grasby, S.E., Wozniak, P.R.J. 2008. Hydrogeological regions of Canada: Data release. Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 5893. 20 pages, 1 CD-ROM.

Web Sites

Federal Government

Environment Canada. Groundwater: Information on the nature and extent of groundwater in Canada.

Environment Canada. Groundwater - Nature's Hidden Treasure: Fact sheet describing where groundwater is found, how it's found and problems and issues associated with it.