A screenshot of motor fuel use per capita from RITA’s State Transportation facts. Connecticut ranks 43rd out of 51 (Washington, D.C. is included).

The Research and Innovative Technology Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation has released an interactive application, entitled State Transportation Facts and Figures, that allows you to explore transportation statistics by state. The statistics included fall under 7 categories:

• Infrastructure
• Fatalities and Injuries
• Distracted Driving 
• Freight Transportation
• Passenger Travel
• Economy and Finance
• Energy and Environment

The data can be viewed as a map, bar chart, pie chart, or scatter chart, or, by clicking the various drop down menus of the application, you have the option of downloading the source data in addition to printing the various figures.

To view data for Connecticut, click here.

NPR’s map of natural gas drilling in the state of Pennsylvania.

NPR has created an interactive map of natural gas drilling in Pennsylvania. To find information about a specific site, click on one of the points on the map to view a pop up window with the name of the site, who operates the site, the location of the site, and the number of times the location has been cited for violations of environmental regulations. The page also displays additional information including total number of wells by county and by operator.

Clicking on a point on the map displays a pop up window with more information about the site.

The Atlas of Economic Complexity examines the connections of the global economy.

The Atlas of Economic Complexity: Mapping Paths to Prosperity is a fascinating look at the global economy. The Center for International Development at Harvard University, The Harvard Kennedy School, and Macro Connections at MIT have collaborated to create a project that includes both a detailed report and a dynamic set of interactive visualizations regarding countries’ varying economic complexity. The report includes an economic complexity index ranking in which Japan ranks first (the US is ranked 13th).

A map of Economic Complexity Index rankings from the Atlas of Economic Complexity: Mapping Paths to Prosperity.

The aforementioned visualizations can be created at The Observatory of Economic Complexity, which allows you to generate a number of different economic charts and maps. For example, you can choose to show imports or exports, different products, and years. In addition, you can view charts as animations (from the years 1962-2009). Below are a few examples of these with the focus being on beer imports in the United States:

A map of beer imports around the world.

A Tree Map of beer imported to the United States.

A Stacked Area Chart of beer imported to the United States.

Nearly 90,000 high resolution scans of the more than 200,000 historical USGS topographic maps, some dating as far back as 1884, are now available on-line from the US Geological Survey. The Historical Topographic Map Collection includes published U.S. topographic maps of  all scales and editions, and are offered as a georeferenced digital download or as a printed copy from the USGS Store.

Additional states (including Connecticut) will be added soon! For additional details and to access these maps visit: http://nationalmap.gov/historical/

The Times Comprehensive Atlas of the World was published this month. Although some political lines have been redrawn in the last four years since the previous edition (i.e. South Sudan), the most glaring differences, according to Ben Jarvey of Onearth, are the results of climate change. Jarvey cites differences in Greenland’s coastline because of receding ice (including a new island), receding seas in the Middle East (Aral and Dead Seas), and the collapsing of ice shelves in Antarctica as the major changes. For more climate related content, visit the Climate Resource Exchange Blog.

The America’s Cup World Series is already underway and the competition has already met in Cascais, Portugal and will meet again at Plymouth, United Kingdom September 10th – 18th.  Below is the course map and the venue map, should you be lucky enough to attend:

Map of Plymouth Course via Americas Cup

Plymouth Venue Map via Americas Cup

If you’re not so lucky but still want to follow races and some great footage check out the Americas Cup YouTube Channel.  Watch the below clip showcasing  the new cataraman style of boats:

More to come on the Americas Cup as it progresses!