GIS Weekly Brief: June 24–30, 2025
Hey everyone! Hope you had a good week navigating the digital landscape. This past week was packed with some pretty significant updates in the GIS world, especially on the software front and with some critical data releases. We saw major platform enhancements, important satellite milestones, and foundational data improvements from various agencies. It’s a good reminder of how dynamic our field is, always pushing forward with new capabilities and insights.
This Week’s Top Geospatial Stories
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ArcGIS Online Gets a Big June 2025 Update
Esri’s June 2025 update for ArcGIS Online is here, packed with new features and improvements. You’ll find enhancements in Map Viewer, like easier map sharing and new styling options, alongside improved editing tools. Significant updates to analysis capabilities include ModelBuilder reaching general availability and new AI assistants in preview for tools like ArcGIS Business Analyst and Survey123. These changes aim to make advanced GIS tools more accessible and streamline workflows.
Published: June 25, 2025
What's new in ArcGIS Online (June 2025) -
NOAA’s GOES-19 Satellite Celebrates One Year of Critical Monitoring
NOAA’s GOES-U satellite, now GOES-19, just hit its one-year launch anniversary and became the operational GOES East satellite in April. It’s crucial for monitoring the Western Hemisphere, tracking hurricanes, severe weather, wildfires, and volcanic eruptions. This satellite provides real-time data for short-term forecasts and warnings across the U.S. Its new CCOR-1 instrument is also enhancing space weather predictions, which is vital for protecting our power grids and communication networks.
Published: June 25, 2025
2025 News │ GOES-R Series -
USGS Releases New Topographic Wetness Indexes for Colorado River Basins
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) released new 30-meter raster datasets this week, featuring Topographic Wetness Indexes (TWI) for the Upper and Lower Colorado River basins.[2] These indexes are crucial for understanding hydrological processes, predicting soil moisture, and assessing flood risk in these vital water resource areas.[2] This data release supports ongoing efforts in water resources management and environmental modeling across the western U.S.
Published: June 24, 2025
https://www.usgs.gov/data/topographic-wetness-indexes-upper-and-lower-colorado-river-basins -
Wisconsin Digitizes Historic Bordner Maps, Creating Statewide GIS Layer
The University of Wisconsin, with the help of many students and staff, has successfully digitized the historic 1930-era Bordner dataset.[3] This effort has created a new statewide GIS layer, offering invaluable historical land use and natural resource data.[3] The project provides a unique temporal perspective for researchers and planners interested in Wisconsin’s landscape evolution. It’s a great example of transforming historical archives into dynamic, accessible geospatial resources.
Published: June 25, 2025
https://www.sco.wisc.edu/2025/06/25/digitizing-the-historic-bordner-maps-a-group-effort/
Tools & Tips
- ArcGIS Data Pipelines: Streamlining Your Data Prep
If you’re tired of complex data preparation, ArcGIS Data Pipelines just got some cool updates in the June 2025 release.[4] They’ve added beta support for connecting to secured URLs and Databricks, plus a handy new Clip tool.[4] This means easier integration of diverse data sources directly into your ArcGIS Online workflows, saving you a ton of time on cleaning and transforming data.
What's New in ArcGIS Data Pipelines (June 2025)
Fun Fact
Did you know that the summit of Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador is actually the farthest point on Earth from the Earth’s center?[6] Even though Mount Everest is taller above sea level, Chimborazo’s location along the equatorial bulge gives it this unique distinction, making it a fun geographical fact that highlights the complexities of measuring our planet!
https://www.reddit.com/r/gis/comments/7vemr9/what_are_some_fun_and_interesting_gisgeographic/
We’d love to hear from you!
Have you participated in any GIS events or utilized new GIS tools recently? Share your experiences or insights with us—we’re featuring selected community voices in next week’s edition.