Emissions Interactive Map FAQs 

This page provides answers to questions you may have about using the GIS tool. It is recommended to have this page open in a new browser window or tab while using the GIS tool so you can easily refer to it.

Which datasets are available through the UK emissions interactive map?
National 1x1 km emission maps of key pollutants are available for interrogation here. The emission maps are produced each year for the most recent National Inventory year. The full UK datasets are also available for download from the "Emission maps for the UK and DAs" page at http://naei.defra.gov.uk/data/map-uk-das.
How do I choose the datasets I want to view through the GIS Tool?
Select a data layer (pollutant) from the drop-down menus at the top of the page. You can also select from additional drop-down menus the sector and subsector of interest (not all sectors generate subsectors).
How do I interrogate the data available through the GIS Tool?
Click one of the four buttons "Select Tool", "Radius Tool", "Draw Area", or "Polygon Search" to choose you preferred method for interacting with the data.
What overlays are available for the maps?
By clicking the "Add Overlays" menu button you can add the outlines of UK "Zones and Agglomerations", "Local Authorities", or "UK Boundary" onto the map. For pollutants where an AQMA has been defined an additional tick box will appear to enable you to overlay the AQMA outlines for that pollutant.
Please note that the AQMA information in the overlay is only for the most recently available full year and is updated in October each year for the previous year's records. AQMA data is currently subject to licence.
You can only interact with the data using the "Select Tool" when you have overlays switched on.
To remove overlays click "none" in the overlays menu.
What is the purpose of the "Show point sources" tick box?
You can overlay markers for each of individual large sources from the industrial and commercial sector, also called 'point sources', onto the maps. On selecting a point source, detailed information of the site and its emissions are shown in a pop-up message.
How do I use the location search (top right corner of the map display)?
Enter a valid postcode or place name in the white box where indicated and click "zoom". The map will then zoom in to your area of interest.
How do I manually zoom into the maps?
Either click on the up and down arrows in the top left corner of the map display, or use the scroll wheel in your mouse if you have one. Click and drag the map using your left mouse button to centre the area you want to zoom into.
How do I use the "Select Tool"?
On its own the "Select Tool" can be used to select and display model results for the individual 1km grid squares or road links available from the map. Simply click the "Select Tool" button, zoom in until you can see the area of interest and then point and click at the relevant square or link.
The "Select Tool" can be used with the overlays for AQMAs, zones etc. Once you have the required overlay in place identify the area you are interested in, switch on the "Select Tool", and then click within the marked boundary. Interrogation of the data starts automatically.
How do I use the "Radius Tool"?
Click the "Radius Tool" button and enter a distance ("Buffer Radius") in km in the white box where indicated. Maximum radius is currently "999" but this may take a long time to produce results. Click on the map in the centre of area of interest to automatically start interrogation of the data.
How do I use the "Draw Area"?
Click the "Draw Area" button and then draw a freehand shape on the map by holding down the left mouse button (ends of the drawn line will be automatically joined). Interrogation of the data starts automatically as soon as the left mouse button is released.
How do I use the "Draw Polygon"?
Click the "Polygon Search" button and then draw a polygon on the map by holding down the left mouse button. Interrogation of the data starts automatically as soon as the left mouse button is released.
What does the "Clear Map" option do?
This clears any shapes which have been drawn on the map, and the monitoring network markers.
What does the "Fullscreen Map" option do?
This may not be available in some web browsers. This allows you to interact with the maps in "fullscreen" mode with all surrounding website links and accompanying text removed. Click "Close Fullscreen" to return to normal.
Where will I see the results of my interrogation of the GIS maps?
If you click individual 1km grid squares or road links using the "Select Tool" then the results are displayed as a pop-up next to the area clicked. Information about monitoring network stations is presented in a similar way.
For all other queries the results pad to the right of the map is used to display progress and results for your queries. It's possible to have more than one query in progress at the same time if your interrogation has selected large amounts of data. Results will be presented on the pad either in a table with the option to create a CSV file, or as a link to a "Zip file ready for download". For each query you can click to "show area on map" to remind you of the selection you made. The history of all the queries you have submitted during your current browser session is stored on the results pad.
Is there a maximum amount of data/analysis I can request through the tool?
The largest area you can currently request is 250,000 square kilometres (applicable for any tool). The larger the area, the longer the data analysis will take, so particularly large areas just under the limit could take several minutes to complete.
What are "AQMAs"?
AQMAs are air quality management areas which have been set up to manage air quality in the UK as part of the national policies for Local Air Quality Management, see http://aqma.defra.gov.uk and http://laqm.defra.gov.uk/.
Which coordinate system is used in the GIS tool and download data?
The data in this tool are presented in British National Grid format, OSGB 1936. All coordinates provided will be Cartesian eastings and northings. Also see Spatial Reference 27700 (new window)