How to create and share a web map in ArcGIS Pro
In ArcGIS Pro, you can share maps and layers to your ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise portal. You can access your portal items from Map Viewer, ArcGIS Pro, and other ArcGIS apps. You can make content changes and updates directly in the portal with Map Viewer; you can also make updates from ArcGIS Pro.
In this article, you'll share an ArcGIS Pro map to your active ArcGIS Online portal. You'll make changes to the web map in Map Viewer (ArcGIS Online).
Another article "How to open a Web Map in ArcGIS Pro" will allow you to view the updated content in ArcGIS Pro, make further changes to the web map in ArcGIS Pro and save them to your portal.
Software requirements:
- ArcGIS Pro 3.2.2
- ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise account with sharing privileges
1 - Data download.
Follow this link to download the ArcGIS Pro package that will be used in this scenario https://tribalgis-my.sharepoint.com/:u:/p/sarques/EVDVp1XEgdxElnZV5IotKskBxkmxkkkLuj1GFtBWQz1btw?e=zQ8Q98. Save it in a meaningful location.
2 - Double-click on the package to open the project in ArcGIS Pro. Sign in into your ArcGIS Online account if required.
This map depicts the locations of indigenous communities in coastal areas across the U.S.A states and territories that may face or are already experiencing the effect of Sea Level Rise (SLR).
The map's coordinate system is NAD 1983 HARN, and both the coordinate system and the symbology can be changed to fit your needs.
To determine the vulnerability of indigenous communities to SLR, we used the SLR inland extent and relative depth of inundation from 0 to 10 feet above mean higher high water (MHHW) (NOAA Office for Coastal Management, 2024). Although the dataset does not account for natural processes such as erosion, subsidence, or future construction, it provides crucial insights into the potential impact of coastal flooding or SLR up to 10 feet above MHHW.
All coastal states and territories are included in the viewer except for Alaska and the Olympic Peninsula (WA) due to a lack of adequate statewide or local elevation data. As per NOAA, the Olympic Peninsula should be available in September 2024, and Alaska in 2025.
For Alaska, we used the "Erosion exposure assessment of infrastructure in Alaska coastal communities Web Map" (DGGS Administrator, Alaska Department of Natural Resources, 2021, updated May 6, 2024)
If you are interested in the Great Lakes, all Great Lakes states are included in a separate viewer, called the Lake Level Viewer (coast.noaa.gov/llv). These areas have been mapped for both inundation and lake level drop.
See the Resources section at the end of this article for URL links.
3 - View the Layer Properties
Open the layer properties to view the layer's metadata and coordinate system.
4 - In the Contents pane, right-click the layer's name (Indigenous Communities) and click Properties.
5 - On the Layer Properties dialog box, click the Metadata tab.
When you share your web map, the information in these fields (except the title) will be included in the web map's item details page.
6 - In the Layer Properties dialog box, click the Source tab and expand the Spatial Reference to check your coordinate system.
The current geographic coordinate system is NAD 1983 HARN. You may convert it to the basemap's coordinate system WGS 1984 Web Mercator (auxiliary sphere) if needed. You may also project it in another projection if you need to measure distances, areas, directions or if you need to work with another geographic or projected coordinate system.
We'll convert it to the WGS 1984 Web Mercator (auxiliary sphere) as your Web Map will use an ArcGIS online basemap service that is in this coordinate system.
7 - Let's project our Indigenous Communities layer into the WGS 1984 Web Mercator (auxiliary sphere). Close the Layer Properties dialog box.
8 - In your Contents pane, right-click on Map and select Properties.
9 - In the Map Properties window, click the Coordinate Systems tab and select WGS 1984 Web Mercator (auxiliary sphere). Click OK.
On the ribbon click the Analysis tab. In the Geoprocessing group, click Tools. Search Project.
10 - Open the Project tool.
- For Input Dataset or Feature Class choose Indigenous Communities.
- For Output Dataset or Feature Class accept the default name IndigenousCommunitie_Project. You can always rename your layer later.
- For Output Coordinate System choose Current Map in the drop down menu. The tool will not only convert your layer to the chosen projection but also transform your datum. Click Run.
Alternatively, you can also right-click on your layer, select "Data", and then choose "Export Features" to modify the Output Coordinate System. In the "Export Features" window, click on "Environments" and select the desired Output Coordinate System.
11 - Your newly projected layer has been added to your Contents pane. Check your new layer's Spatial Reference (Layer Properties) to make sure that it now displays the right coordinate system.
12 - Feel free to rename it and delete the non-projected one. Close the Geoprocessing window.
We deleted it and renamed the layer "Indigenous Communities".
13 - Now we need to Enable the assignment of numeric IDs to layers in the Map Properties dialog box.
This is an important step in sharing a web map that you may update later.
14 - In the Content pane, right-click the Map group and click Properties.
15 - Click the General tab and check the Allow assignment of unique numeric IDs for sharing web layers check box. You can ignore the message about avoiding ID reassignment.
Checking the box assigns a layer ID to each layer in the map based on drawing order. It helps maintain the integrity of your data by ensuring that each feature has a unique identifier, which is essential for proper data management. Unique numeric IDs facilitate efficient data transfer and synchronization between your local GIS environment and the web. Also, many web mapping applications and systems rely on unique identifier to reference and interact with spatial data.
16 - Click Apply and/or OK.
It isn't necessary to click Apply because every change you make in the Map Properties dialog box is saved when you click OK. However, clicking Apply allows you to see a change reflected immediately on the map. This is useful when you are making several changes and want to confirm the effect of a change before committing other changes.
17 - Prepare the Map for sharing
When you share a web map, several items are created in your portal: a web map, a web layer, and a service definition file (.sd). Typically, the web layer is a single item that includes all the layers from the ArcGIS Pro map (excluding basemap and reference layers, which are web services already). If the map contains both feature and raster layers, two web layers are created: a web feature layer from the feature layers, and a web tile layer from the raster layers.
If you need to share a single layer from the map as a web layer, right-click the layer in the Contents pane and click Sharing > Share As Web Layer.
16 - On the ribbon, click the Share tab. In the Share As group, click Web Map.
17 - The Share As Web Map pane appears. At the top of the pane, the Map tab is selected.
18 - In the Name box, replace the default name with Indigenous_Communities_SLR. SL stands for Sea Level Rise.
19 - The Summary and Tags fields are filled in with information you saw in the map's metadata.
When you share a web map, a web layer is created with the same name as the map. Web layers in your ArcGIS organization must have unique names; therefore, giving the map a unique name prevents potential layer name conflicts.
20 - Under Select a Configuration, click the drop-down arrow, and click Copy all Data: Exploratory. If your active portal is ArcGIS Online, this is the default configuration. If your active portal is ArcGIS Enterprise, select this configuration.
The Use symbol types compatible with all clients check box converts ArcGIS Pro symbols to web symbols that render in all applications, including "older clients" like Map Viewer Classic. This may result in downgraded symbology. You'll work with the web map in Map Viewer, which supports ArcGIS Pro symbols, so you'll leave the box unchecked.
21 - Under Location, accept the default blank folder setting. When no folder is specified, the map is shared to the root level of your portal content.
22 - Under Share with, check the box next to the name of your organization.
When the map is shared, everyone in your organization can open it in Map Viewer, ArcGIS Pro, and other ArcGIS apps.
23 - At the top of the Share As Web Map pane, click the Configuration tab.
On the Input Layers tab, you see the items that will be shared to your portal: a web map and a web feature layer. The web feature layer has one sublayer corresponding to the feature layer in the map. The number to the right of the sublayer is its unique ID.
Do not worry if you don't have the same number.
24 - At the bottom of the Share As Web Map pane, under Finish Sharing, click Analyze. You should have no errors nor warnings.
Analyzer errors and warnings, if any, appear on the Messages tab. Errors prevent sharing and must be fixed. Warnings may affect web map performance or display but don't prevent sharing. Right-click a warning or error to take corrective action.
25 - You are ready to share your map
26 - In the Share As Web Map pane, under Finish Sharing, click Share. When the map is shared, a success message appears at the bottom of the pane.
The process may take some time depending on network traffic or connection stability. If it fails, you may need to share it again.
To monitor the sharing process more closely, click Jobs under Finish Sharing to open the Job Status pane.
27 - On the success message, click Manage the web map to open a web browser window or tab. Sign in to your ArcGIS organization if necessary. The map's item details page appears with the Overview tab selected at the top of the page.
28 - Scroll down to the Description heading. To the right of the heading, click Edit.
29 - In the Description text box, type or copy and paste the following text: This map depicts the locations of indigenous communities in coastal areas across the U.S.A states and territories (Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands) that may face or are already experiencing the effect of Sea Level Rise (SLR). To determine the vulnerability of indigenous communities to SLR, we used the SLR inland extent and relative depth of inundation from 0 to 10 feet above mean higher high water (MHHW) (NOAA Office for Coastal Management, 2024). Although the dataset does not account for natural processes such as erosion, subsidence, or future construction, it provides crucial insights into the potential impact of coastal flooding or SLR up to 10 feet above MHHW. All coastal states and territories are included in the viewer except for Alaska and the Olympic Peninsula (WA) due to a lack of adequate statewide or local elevation data. As per NOAA, the Olympic Peninsula should be available in September 2024, and Alaska in 2025. For Alaska, we used the "Erosion exposure assessment of infrastructure in Alaska coastal communities Web Map" (DGGS Administrator, Alaska Department of Natural Resources, 2021, updated May 6, 2024).
30 - Under the text box, click Save.
31 - Scroll down to the Terms of Use heading. To the right of the heading, click Edit.
32 - In the Edit terms of Use text box, type or copy and paste the following: Public datasets. Compiled by NTGISC.
33 - Under the text box, click Save.
34 - Scroll to the right to the Credits (Attribution) heading. To the right of the heading, click Edit.
35 - In the Edit Credits (attribution) text box, type or copy and paste the following:
- United States Census Bureau
https://www.census.gov/geographies/mapping-files/time-series/geo/tiger-line-file.html
https://www.census.gov/cgi-bin/geo/shapefiles/index.php
https://www2.census.gov/geo/tiger/TIGER2023/AIANNH/
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Sea Level Rise
https://coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/slr.html
https://coast.noaa.gov/data/digitalcoast/pdf/slr-inundation-methods.pdf
- Alaska - State of Alaska Geoportal
https://gis.data.alaska.gov/maps/db176e04b0b54f7894049f55aeefb548/about
36 - Under the text box, click Save.
37 - Now you will open, explore, and modify the web map in Map Viewer. You will also look at the items created in your portal content.
The default map viewer can be set either to Map Viewer or Map Viewer Classic by your organization administrator or in your personal settings. They are a little bit different. You can choose either of them on the item details page.
38 - At the top right of the item page, click Open in Map Viewer. If you see Open in Map Viewer Classic instead, click the drop-down arrow on the button and click Open in Map Viewer.
The web map opens with the Contents (red) toolbar and the Layers pane on your left (green) and the Properties pane on the right (orange).
The Contents toolbar allows you to add layers, tables, change basemaps, add charts, and bookmarks. It also provides access to map properties for further customization.
The Properties pane offers a range of tools to fine-tune the appearance and behavior of map elements. You can adjust styles, apply filters, and add effects to enhance the visual presentation of layers. The Properties pane also provides options for configuring pop-ups, labels, and symbology. Additionally, it offers a suite of spatial analysis tools that allow users to perform tasks like summarizing data, finding location, analyzing patterns, using proximity, and managing spatial data.
39 - On the Contents toolbar, click Legend. The map legend appears. We do not have many elements in our legend yet.
40 - Close the Legend.
41 - On the Contents toolbar, click Layers. Below your Indigenous Communities layer, click Add.
Alternatively, you can click Add on the Contents toolbar, and Browse layers.
42 - In the Add layer window, click on the My content drop down menu, and select ArcGIS Online. Alternatively, you can use the Living Atlas. Both give you access to online content (maps, apps, data layers...).
43 - In the Search type or copy and paste the text: Sea Level Rise EPA.
You can see various Tile Layers depicting NOAA Sea Level Rise (SLR) inundation at different levels, ranging from 0 feet to 7 feet above mean higher high water (MHHW). Since we utilized the 10 feet above MHHW to map the indigenous locations, let's opt for an intermediate level, such as 5 feet, to assess potential changes in vulnerability. By selecting this intermediate level, we can evaluate if there are notable alterations in vulnerability patterns and better understand the potential impacts of SLR on the indigenous communities.
A Tile Layer is a type of map layer used to display raster data, susch as satellite imagery or map tiles, over a geographic area. The tile layer is composed of pre-rendered image tiles that cover the map area at various zoom levels. Tile layers are commonly used for displaying basemaps, aerial imagery, and other raster data in GIS software and online mapping platforms like ArcGIS Online and Google Maps.
44 - Look for the NOAA 5-foot Sea Level Rise Inundation Tile layer and click Add.
45 - Zoom to a specific area of interest to analyze the potential changes in vulnerability or other relevant factors. You have the option to adjust the visibility or transparency of your layers using the Layer Properties. Additionally, you can rearrange your layers so that the Indigenous Communities layer, which displays locations, is positioned on top of the SLR layer.
From the Sea Level Rise Inundation item overview (left click on the NOAA 5-foot Sea Level Rise Inundation item), we learn that the layer was created by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to depict potential sea level rise and its associated impacts on the nation’s coastal areas. The purpose of this layer is to show potential sea level rise inundation of five foot above current Mean Higher High Water (MHHW) for the area.
You can add different SLR inundation levels as separate tile layers to compare and analyze the potential impacts at various levels of SLR.
In the figure below, it is evident that numerous indigenous communities in Louisiana would face submersion with a 5-foot SLR.
The Legend displays the confidence levels for wet and/or dry areas.
46 - Let's add another ArcGIS Online layer. On the Contents toolbar, click Layers. Below your Indigenous Communities layer, click Add.
47 - In the Add layer window, click on the My content drop down menu, and select ArcGIS Online.
48 - In the Search type or copy and paste the text: Sea Level Rise EPA.
49 - Look for the Climate Indicator Sea Level Change, 1880 - 2021 (EPA 2022) Feature layer and click Add.
50 - On the Contents toolbar, click Layers and move the Indigenous Communities layer at the top.
51 - On the Contents toolbar, click Legend. You may zoom out a little to adjust your data view extent.
Now, this is an interesting dataset. Relative sea level rose along much of the U.S. coastline between 1880 and 2021, particularly the Mid-Atlantic coast and parts of the Gulf coast. Meanwhile, relative sea level fell at some locations in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. At those sites, even though absolute sea level has risen, land elevation has risen more rapidly.
The SLR unit is inches in both maps.
The map below shows the same trends between 1960 and 2015.
52 - On the Contents toolbar, click Save and open. In the list of options, click Save.
As the web map owner, changes you make to the map or to layer properties are saved with the map. Other users in your organization can also open the map and make changes, but their changes must be saved to a new map. On the web map's item page, on the Settings tab, you can choose whether to allow others to save a copy of the map. The default setting allows it.
According to data from NASA, global sea levels have risen due to main factors such as thermal expansion, melting of land glaciers and ice sheets, coastal erosion, and inundation. The global sea level rise rate has risen by approximately 3.2 millimeters per year since the early 1990s (https://sealevel.nasa.gov/). However, the sea is not level! It is important to note that while the global trend indicates an overall increase, localized variations exist. In some areas, despite global rise, sea levels have decreased due to local or regional factors such as land elevation and gradient, land subsidence, land uplift, tidal ranges, ocean currents, and dominant wind directions. These factors can influence sea level changes differently across regions, leading to varied observations in sea level trends over time.
For coastal indigenous communities, the impact of SLR presents complex challenges. While global trends indicate a rise in sea levels, localized variations due to factors such as land elevation, subsidence, and oceanographic dynamics can lead to divers and sometime unpredictable outcomes for specific communities. In addition to the challenges posed by sea level rise, some coastal indigenous communities are already facing the reality of relocation due to the immediate threat of inundation or costal erosion. These communities are often forced to grapple with the loss of ancestral lands, cultural heritage, and traditional ways of life. Recognizing and addressing the needs of these communities is crucial in the broader conversation about climate adaptation and social justice. It underscores the urgency of implementing equitable policies and providing support to ensure the well-being and resilience of costal indigenous communities in the face of SLR.
We hope that this article has been helpful! If you have any feedback or questions, please feel free to send us an email or connect with us for a chat. The NTGISC team is here to assist you further!
Look for the next article titled "How to open a web map in ArcGIS Pro".
Resources
United States Census Bureau
https://www.census.gov/geographies/mapping-files/time-series/geo/tiger-line-file.html
https://www.census.gov/cgi-bin/geo/shapefiles/index.php
https://www2.census.gov/geo/tiger/TIGER2023/AIANNH/
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Sea Level Rise
https://coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/slr.html
https://coast.noaa.gov/data/digitalcoast/pdf/slr-inundation-methods.pdf
Lake Level
https://coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/llv.html
Alaska - State of Alaska Geoportal
https://gis.data.alaska.gov/maps/db176e04b0b54f7894049f55aeefb548/about