Find a place
Use the search bar to find a town or region, then choose a result. This moves the map; select the dataset separately in Data Explorer.
The Map Explorer field guide
Find your way from map to insight.
Choose a product, follow it through time and inspect a location. Learn the controls here, then try them on the map.
A layer. A date. A place. Start with these three choices.
01 / Learn the layout
Five steps. One clearer picture.
Select a step or a highlighted control in the illustration. The live explorer starts with its Data Explorer collapsed.
Illustration · not a data map
01 / 05
Choose your product
Open Data Explorer on the left. Expand West Africa → Monitoring → Rangeland, then select Rangeland Water Requirement. The layer name above the map confirms your selection.
All four rangeland products are selectable. The three forage products cover Ghana; check each layer’s legend and available dates.
02 / A small practice space
Try it before you map it.
These controls use invented data. Change the mode, move through six dates, then open the table. No map service or account is needed.
Read the mode
Sample onlyValues describe the indicator itself. This example uses millimetres; always check the unit for your chosen product.
Lower valueHigher value
Move through time
Play animates the example. Moving the slider pauses it. Dates here are monthly examples, not the coverage of a real layer.
One pixel, six dates
28mm
Horizontal axis: months 01–06 of 2025. The highlighted point follows the date slider. Open Table for exact values.
In the live explorer, graph points and table dates select a map date. A value of zero is a valid measurement; No data means missing information.
The illustrated map, colours, values and anomalies are teaching examples. Use the live layer legend and published metadata to interpret actual products.
03 / Keep these close
A toolkit for your questions.
The map tools are grouped at the upper right. Collapse panels when you need more room.
Change the background
Choose a basemap for context and switch between globe and flat-map projections. The selected data layer remains active.
Navigate and reset
Zoom in or out, open fullscreen for a larger workspace, or use Reset View to return to the initial global camera.
Locate yourself
Locate me asks your browser for permission to use your location. This is optional; you can always search or navigate manually.
Make space
Collapse the toolbar, legend or timeline using its header control. Adjust layer opacity in the legend. Drag the timeline header to reposition it.
Save a useful record
Use Share for a reproducible view, PNG for the map image, GeoTIFF for raster data and CSV for a pixel series. Keep the product, date, units and mode with your results.
04 / When something looks different
A few useful answers.
Availability depends on the selected product, date and service response.
Reading the mapsWhy is there no time slider?
Elevation and soil water-holding capacity are static layers. Temporal layers need dates from GeoServer. If dates are loading, wait; if metadata fails, retry. Close an open historical-series panel to reveal the timeline again.
Why is the map empty here?
The product may not cover your location or date. The new rangeland layer spans approximately 8.75°W–1.33°E and 4.10°N–11.26°N. Zoom to this area and check the selected date, layer visibility and opacity.
Why is Anomaly unavailable?
Anomaly is available only for products with a configured standardized-anomaly layer. Seasonal forecasts are separate products with their own meaning; do not interpret them as monitoring anomalies.
What does No data mean?
The sampled pixel has no usable value for that date, or a request failed. It does not mean zero. The series panel distinguishes missing values and failed requests, and offers a retry when requests fail.
Which rangeland products can I explore?
Rangeland Water Requirement, Vegetation Dry-matter Production, Standing Herbaceous Biomass (ungrazed) and Forage on offer are available in Monitoring → Rangeland. Only Water Requirement currently has a configured anomaly layer.
Can these products guide a farm decision?
These are experimental research prototypes. Check methods, units, time period, reference climatology and uncertainty, and compare with local observations and expert advice. They are not standalone operational advisories.
Ready to explore?
Explore RangelandStart with rangeland water demand.
Open the new layer over its West African extent, then choose a date and inspect a pixel.
Experimental products for research, learning and evaluation. Read the disclaimer