Surfer and MapViewer come with a convenient feature of connecting to a WMS server and downloading layers automatically into your project. This article lists known WMS servers. WMS servers can go up and down with some frequency. We have included a few servers within these programs by default, which we believe are mainly reliable, but we wanted to create a place that has a larger list of available servers known to work.
We will do our best to add to this list, keep this list relatively current, and remove servers that no longer work. However, please note that not all layers on each server may work. In some cases, only a few layers will work. In other cases, it may appear that a layer does not work (an “empty” preview is displayed), but changing the extents or zoom level of the preview allows the map to be displayed.
To add a server, right click over a major category in the Download Online Maps dialog (i.e. Imagery, U.S. Data, or Worldwide Data) and click Add. Enter a name for the server, the URL and click Next. As long as the initial test is a success, click Finish. It the initial test failed, you can click Back to edit the information or click Cancel. The test may fail if there is a typo in the URL, if the server is not actually a WMS server, or if the server no longer works.
If you delete the Geode.ini (for Surfer 12 and MapViewer 8) or Geode.xml (for Surfer 13) file from the C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Golden Sofware\Shared directory, or the Select Data Source list in the Download Online Maps dialog is empty, you can download them from here: Geode.ini and Geode.xml.
If you have any updated information (servers to add to this list, or reports of servers on this list that no longer work), please email the information to: wms@goldensoftware.com
Lists of Servers (some servers on these pages may not work, but many do)
- TNRIS (Texas Natural Resources Information System): https://tnris.org/maps-and-data/online-mapping-services/
- U.S. State Geologic Maps (by state): http://mrdata.usgs.gov/wms.html
- U.S. data: http://catalog.data.gov/dataset?q=wms
- Geology/Mining of world: http://mrdata.usgs.gov/wms.html
- Australia Geoscience (be sure to select the WMS servers, not the WFS ones): http://www.geoscience.gov.au/wms.html
- British Columbia, Canada Data: http://www.data.gov.bc.ca/dbc/geographic/connect/index.page
- Czech Geological Survey: http://www.geology.cz/extranet-eng/maps/online/wms
- Geoportal ČÚZK: https://geoportal.cuzk.cz/(S(mpsdrpyxwq2zq42dxspl05is))/Default.aspx?lng=EN&mode=TextMeta&side=wms.verejne&text=WMS.verejne.uvod&head_tab=sekce-03-gp&menu=311
Regional Servers
Canada:
- Arctic Voyage Planning Guide:
- Canadian Hydrographic Service - Chart Index:
- Canadian Hydrographic Service - Levels of Service:
France:
- Risques en Haute-Savoie Cartographie: http://cartorisque.prim.net/wms/74
Germany:
- Bayerisches Landesamt für Umwelt: Bodenfunktionenkarte Bayern (you may need to zoom in on some layers for the map to appear in the preview): https://www.lfu.bayern.de/umweltdaten/geodatendienste/index.htm
- Orthophotos: http://www.ldbv.bayern.de/produkte/luftbild/orthophotos.html
Netherlands:
Norway:
-
Norwegian Petroleum Directorate (publication using these maps must include source): http://npdwms.npd.no/npdwmsmap_wgs84.asp
Russia:
- Bedrock geology: http://wms.vsegei.ru/VSEGEI_Bedrock_geology/wms
- Geoportal WMS service: http://gptl.ru/wms/Meteor-M1
Spain:
- WMS Ortofoto de la Desembocadura del Río Guadiana (Algarve-Andalucía): http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/medioambiente/mapwms/REDIAM_Ortofoto_Guadiana_InterregII_2000
US:
- US Aquifers: http://gstore.unm.edu/apps/rgis/datasets/3205beb6-3406-4293-adef-a59ff0575965/services/ogc/wms?SERVICE=wms&REQUEST=GetCapabilities&VERSION=1.1.1
- USGS NAIP Imagery: https://services.nationalmap.gov/arcgis/services/USGSNAIPImagery/ImageServer/WMSServer
- NAIP 1-Foot Resolution Color Imagery for US:http://raster.nationalmap.gov/arcgis/services/Orthoimagery/USGS_EROS_Ortho_1Foot/ImageServer/WMSServer
- US State outlines, cities and rivers: http://sampleserver1.arcgisonline.com/ArcGIS/services/Specialty/ESRI_StatesCitiesRivers_USA/MapServer/WMSServer?
- US Boundaries (roads, urban areas, states, etc. You may need to use smaller extents to view/download information on the layers): http://www.geocommunicator.gov/arcgis/services/Basemaps/MapServer/WMSServer?request=GetCapabilities&service=WMS
- DEM hillshading: http://gis.ngdc.noaa.gov/arcgis/services/dem_hillshades/ImageServer/WMSServer
- USGS Land Cover: http://raster.nationalmap.gov/arcgis/services/LandCover/USGS_EROS_LandCover_NLCD/MapServer/WMSServer?request=GetCapabilities&service=WMS
Alaska
- Alaska Mapped: http://wms.alaskamapped.org/extras
New Mexico
- General Public Use Airports: http://gstore.unm.edu/apps/rgis/datasets/7387537d-dff6-48d1-9004-4f089f48dea1/services/ogc/wms?SERVICE=wms&REQUEST=GetCapabilities&VERSION=1.1.1
- Roads: http://gstore.unm.edu/apps/rgis/datasets/ab17adb4-0992-436b-8ae4-575d8405d188/services/ogc/wms?SERVICE=wms&REQUEST=GetCapabilities&VERSION=1.1.1
- School Districts: http://gstore.unm.edu/apps/rgis/datasets/b4ae8f53-8dff-46bb-9058-e5501cabdd1b/services/ogc/wms?SERVICE=wms&REQUEST=GetCapabilities&VERSION=1.1.1
North Dakota
- Army Corps of Engineers Land: http://ndgishub.nd.gov/arcgis/services/All_GovtLands_Federal/MapServer/WMSServer?
- DEM NED 10meter: http://ndgishub.nd.gov/arcgis/services/All_Elevation/MapServer/WMSServer?
- State Plane Zone Coordinate System: http://ndgishub.nd.gov/arcgis/services/All_GeographicReference/MapServer/WMSServer?
- Railroad Mileposts: http://ndgishub.nd.gov/arcgis/services/All_Transportation/MapServer/WMSServer?
Continental/Global Servers
- Only the Landsat layer works: http://irs.gis-lab.info/
- Coastwatch: http://coastwatch.pfeg.noaa.gov/erddap/wms/erdBAssta5day/request
Updated August 24, 2020
Comments
4 comments
Hi, I want to use data from the French Geographical Institute (IGN). Server can be accessed in wms format with an URL containing a user specific key. The server is recognized by Surfer, however the server is protected by a user login and password and I can't find where to enter mine. Thus there is a "!" in front of each layer and in the map window (which is blank), when you click the "!" it says : "The remote server returned an error: (401) unauthorized access".
Is there a way to enter my credentials in Surfer to unlock WMS server access ?
Thanks
Hi Thomas,
Typically, servers that require a key will have a specific way of adding that key to the server's URL. You might want to reach out to IGN to see if they can provide an example of how it can be added to the URL. In the meantime, I was able to find a page from IGN that you may find helpful: API keys and web services access rights. If you have more questions, please feel free to email our support team at support@goldensoftware.com.
Thanks!
Hi, I've noticed that most canadian links are not valid. Also, the USGS Worldwide Topographic Base is not precise enough to get a good resolution in northen Canada (around lat. 48 and up for example which is not that north). Is there a WMS for satelite view with decent resolution? I've seen in other software this type of service such as this one : https://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=10df2279f9684e4a9f6a7f08febac2a9
Is there anything equivalent in Surfer?
thanks.
Olivier H.
Hi Olivier,
Thank you for bringing this to our attention! Seeing as WMS services go up and down often, we will be testing all of the links on this page and updating accordingly. In the meantime, you may find this link to the Natural Resources Canada Web Services helpful:
https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/science-and-data/science-and-research/earth-sciences/geography/topographic-information/web-services/17216#g2
Thanks!
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