An overview of new basemaps developed for KNMI

WorldMap

A simple basemap of the World for overview, data overlay and use with custom projections.
WorldMap

KNMI GeoWeb WorldMap

The KNMI GeoWeb WorldMap basemap is a simple color basemap of the World. It can be best used for use cases where overview is needed or for when there is a need to visualize data as an overlay on top of the background map. The colors used give a good contrast between water and land. There is no detail in this basemap. Exclusive of this basemap is that it can be used with several custom projections. For this reason, this basemap is currently the default basemap in KNMI GeoWeb.

WorldMap Light Grey Canvas

A simple greyscale basemap of the World for overview and data overlay.
WorldMap_Light_Grey_Canvas

KNMI GeoWeb WorldMap Light Grey Canvas

The KNMI GeoWeb WorldMap Light Grey Canvas basemap is a simple greyscale basemap of the World. It can be best used for use cases where overview is needed or for when there is a need to visualize data as an overlay on top of the background map. Therefore this basemap is useful for when the weather observations have to stand out.

OpenStreetMap NL

An extensive basemap for the extent of the Netherlands for when a lot of detail is needed when zooming in. Not recommended for data overlay. Recommended for users that are used to the standard OpenStreetMap style.
OpenStreetMap_NL

KNMI GeoWeb OpenStreetMap NL

The KNMI GeoWeb OpenStreetMap NL an extensive basemap for the extent of the Netherlands based on the default OpenStreetMap style called 'mapnik'. It is recommended to use for when a lot of detail is needed when zooming in. Because this style contains a lot of information and map elements, it is not recommended for data overlay. However, it can be recommended for users that are used to the standard OpenStreetMap style.

OpenStreets NL

A custom styled basemap for the extent of the Netherlands for when balanced detail is needed when zooming in. Recommended for general purposes and for when Rijksdriehoekstel projection (EPSG:28992) is needed.
OpenStreets_NL

KNMI GeoWeb OpenStreets NL

The KNMI GeoWeb OpenStreets NL is a custom styled basemap for the extent of the Netherlands for when balanced detail is needed when zooming in. It is a recommended basemap for general purposes and for when Rijksdriehoekstel projection (EPSG:28992) is needed. A lot of attention has been paid on the styling of this basemap, and compared to the default OpenStreetMap basemap it is less overwhelming because there is a better balance of different map elements on the different zoom-levels. Only essential map elements are visualized in this style. The openstreets-nl project is based on individual shapefiles, which means that there is no need for connecting a PostGIS database with the Tilemill project. Docker Mapnik OSM can be used, either Tilemill and MBUtil.

OSM Blossom NL

A custom styled basemap for the extent of the Netherlands for when balanced detail is needed when zooming in. Recommended for users that need buildings in high zoom levels.
OSM_Blossom_NL

KNMI GeoWeb OSM Blossom NL

The KNMI GeoWeb OSM Blossom NL basemap is a custom styled basemap for the extent of the Netherlands for when balanced detail is needed when zooming in. It is a recommended basemap for users that wish to see detail about buildings in high zoom levels. Exclusive is that on zoom level 7 and zoom level 8 the names of the provinces stand out, this can be a feature which is useful for certain specific users. Compared to the default OpenStreetMap basemap it is less overwhelming because there is a better balance of different map elements on the different zoom-levels.

OSM Antarctica

A simple basemap of the Antarctica region in Polar projection for overview or data overlay.
OSM_Antarctica

KNMI GeoWeb OSM Antarctica

basemap is a simple color basemap for the region of Antarctica in custom polar projection (EPSG:3412). It is recommended to be used with data related to this specific South Pole region. Because it is a custom projection basemap, it is more suitable for the polar regions compared to the default Web Mercator projection where the polar regions are distorted in size. Regarding the style of the basemap, it is suitable for when overvoew is needed or for when there is a need to visualize data as an overlay on top of the background map. The colors used give a good contrast between water and land. There is no detail in this basemap.

Positron NL

A custom styled basemap for the extent of the Kingdom of the Netherlands for balanced overview, data overlay and some detail when zooming in. Recommended for data overlay.
Positron_NL

KNMI GeoWeb Positron NL

The KNMI GeoWeb Positron NL basemap is a custom styled greyscale basemap for the extent of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The basemap can also be used as a world map, however less detail is available because these tiles only go up to zoom-level 9. Exclusive of this basemap is that it has detail (up to zoom level 16) for the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao) which are part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. This basemap is the most recommendable basemap to be used when overview is needed as well as detail when zooming in. For this reason this basemap is also very suitable for data overlay such as weather observations.

Positron NL No Labels

A custom styled basemap without labels for the extent of the Kingdom of the Netherlands for balanced overview, data overlay and some detail when zooming in. Recommended for data overlay.
Positron_NL_NoLabels

KNMI GeoWeb Positron NL No Labels

The KNMI GeoWeb Positron NL No Labels basemap is a custom styled greyscale basemap without labels for the extent of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The basemap can also be used as a world map, however less detail is available because these tiles only go up to zoom-level 9. Exclusive of this basemap is that it has detail (up to zoom level 16) for the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao) which are part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Moreover, this basemap has no labels, which can be of added value for some specific use cases or users. This basemap is recommended to be used when overview is needed as well as detail when zooming in. For this reason this basemap is also very suitable for data overlay such as weather observations. Especially the fact that there are no distracting place name labels makes this basemap style very soft.

Klokantech Basic NL

A custom styled basemap for the extent of the Kingdom of the Netherlands for balanced overview, data overlay and some detail when zooming in. Recommended for users that are used to the Google Maps style.
Klokantech_Basic_NL

KNMI GeoWeb Klokantech Basic NL

The KNMI GeoWeb Klokantech Basic NL basemap is a custom styled basemap for the extent of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The basemap can also be used as a world map, however less detail is available because these tiles only go up to zoom-level 9. Exclusive of this basemap is that it has detail (up to zoom level 16) for the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao) which are part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. This basemap is recommended to be used when overview is needed as well as detail when zooming in. The basemap style looks to some extent to the style of Google Maps, which can be useful or recommended for users that are familiar with Google Maps. The soft colors used make this basemap a pleasant style with colors giving sufficient contrast between the different map elements.

Klokantech Basic NL No Labels

A custom styled basemap without labels for the extent of the Kingdom of the Netherlands for balanced overview, data overlay and some detail when zooming in. Recommended for users that are used to the Google Maps style.
Klokantech_Basic_NL_NoLabels

KNMI GeoWeb Klokantech Basic NL No Labels

The KNMI GeoWeb Klokantech Basic NL No Labels basemap is a custom styled basemap without labels for the extent of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The basemap can also be used as a world map, however less detail is available because these tiles only go up to zoom-level 9. Exclusive of this basemap is that it has detail (up to zoom level 16) for the ABC islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao) which are part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. This basemap is recommended to be used when overview is needed as well as detail when zooming in. The basemap style looks to some extent to the style of Google Maps, which can be useful or recommended for users that are familiar with Google Maps. The fact that there are no distracting place name labels makes this basemap style very soft (soft colors are used). The colors give sufficient contrast between the different map elements.

About

This website is part of an internship project at KNMI from March 2018 until August 2018 which aimed at creating tiled basemaps for the KNMI geospatial infrastructure. This website presents a new set of basemaps for KNMI GeoWeb. By clicking on the images in the gallery on the homepage of this website, a short description and demo are given for each basemap. Furthermore, information and links are provided regarding the projections supported, usable endpoints, cartographic styling languages used, data used, and tools used with corresponding GitHub repositories.

About the internship project

The purpose of the internship project at KNMI was twofold: on the one hand, the development of tools to produce and reproduce tiled basemaps was central, while on the other hand, the goal was to create tiled basemaps for the KNMI geospatial infrastructure that meet the organization's use and user requirements. The internship project resulted into tiled basemaps for KNMI GeoWeb that are: (1) reproducible by means of open-source solutions and tools, and (2) better suited for the overlay of geospatial (weather) data as a result of proper basemap styles and relevant custom cartographic projections.

Why this internship project?

As an operational organization, KNMI needed to be independent of external basemap services. Furthermore, the former default OpenStreetMap remote basemap in KNMI GeoWeb contained a lot of overly detailed information. Because weather forecasters need to focus on weather model visualization, they should not be hindered by overly detailed background maps.

What was researched?

First, a literature research was performed on several cartographic topics (Web Mapping trends and standards & cartographic map design, generalization and projections) to understand what makes an effective basemap for use in KNMI GeoWeb. Afterwards, a use and user requirement analysis was conducted in order to understand the wishes and needs of (potential) KNMI GeoWeb users regarding basemaps. By taking into account findings from the literature research as well as the use and user requirement analysis, it became clear that KNMI needed basemaps that are (1) reproducible, (2) interactive (i.e. ability to zoom-in and out), and (3) well-designed in order to match with the main function of basemaps in KNMI GeoWeb which is to serve as a background for the overlay of geospatial data and weather visualizations.

What are the results?

The deliverables give KNMI GeoWeb developers a set of tools and solutions to generate tiled basemaps that give KNMI, as an operational organization, independence of remote basemap services. Furthermore, the end-users of KNMI GeoWeb are provided with a set of pre-defined basemap styles and projections for which they can choose from for different purposes. There are basemaps with a lot of detail and basemaps that can be used for overview. The developed tiled basemaps respond well to the advantages of interactive maps that enable to have additional 'hidden' information which can be accessed by the map user through interaction (e.g zooming). For this internship project, a “less-is-more approach” was applied for the cartographic design and generalization process while creating new basemaps for KNMI GeoWeb. The ability to have different information on different zoom levels and to have more balanced, clear and legible basemap styles stimulates the effective use of GeoWeb and contributes to a better user experience of KNMI GeoWeb.