The National Geographic Society has launched Topo.com, a comprehensive database and guide for topographic maps in the United States of America. Topo.com will allow its visitors to browse inside and around the Google maps that NGS has links to.

Tarvel News reports that the best part of this database is that its users can add their own video, pictures and trip reports to the site, making it incredibly easier to research a trip.

User content is still a bit low on the site, but take the opportunity to tool around your local area and see how the topography of the land around you changes. It’s really interesting to see your neighborhood not from the perspective from the roads, proper, but rather from the perspective of elevation and boundaries.

According to NationalGeographic.com, the database has new features and innovations, which include support for video and higher-resolution photography, seamless 3-D panning, a powerful Web-based place finder, a sleek new interface and an entirely new database of detailed maps and aerial photographs known as SuperQuads.

Each SuperQuad is comprised of seven layers, including genuine USGS 1:24,000-, 1,100:000- and 1:250,000- scale topographic maps, i-cubed aerial photography, Tele Atlas roads, geographic names and elevation models, and a new HybridQuad, that combines aerial photography and topographic line work. SuperQuads can be freely browsed on the Web and are available for purchase via download for $1.00 each. National Geographic has begun development to offer other maps via download from TOPO! Explorer, including its popular Trails Illustrated maps.

Topo’s new retail packages, TOPO! Explorer and TOPO! Explorer Deluxe, are available for sale with retail prices ranging from $24.95 to $49.95.

Photo:© R. Seiji