# EarthObserver

> Interactive globe and map explorer with detailed Earth data. (iPhone/iPad app by Columbia University.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/earthobserver/id405514799 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Columbia University](https://appshunter.io/developer/405514802)
- Category: Education, Reference
- Price: Free
- Rating: 3.90/5 from 26 App Store ratings · 34 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 3.1 · 7 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2010-12-23
- Data updated: 2026-06-10
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/earthobserver/id405514799/reviews.md

## What is EarthObserver?

Explore your planet as never before with the mobility of EarthObserver. Use your fingertips to travel through terrestrial landscapes and across the ocean floor. Visit frozen icecaps, study geological maps, scout mountains to climb and trips on coastal waters and exploit a rich atlas of other earth and environmental imagery. 

EarthObserver brings to you the latest compilation of detailed ocean floor relief gathered by oceanographic research ships using modern swath mapping technologies, combined with land elevations from satellite stereo imagery.

Features:
- World, North Polar, and South Polar views
- Zoomable interface from global scale to street and harbor scale
- Maps draped over topography with adjustable transparency
- Tap any map for its digital or text values
- The elevation anywhere - right at your finger tip
- Geographic names for land and ocean features
- Further educational content including data sources and suggested readings
- Data streamed to your device via Wi-Fi or 3G network
- Content cached locally after delivery so you can view it offline
- Instructions and Frequently Asked Questions

Content:
- Basemap (computer-generated color-shaded relief of land and ocean floor)
- US Coastal Bathymetry (with color palette appropriate to provide details of bays, sounds, estuaries, harbors and rivers)
- US Nautical Charts (paper raster and digital electronic at all scales for Atlantic, Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, Bering Sea, Arctic and Great Lakes)
- US Topographic Sheets (entire USGS collection for US mainland, Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico)
- Geologic Maps (entire world, by continent, by country and by US state showing formation ages, names and rock types)
- Geophysical Maps (global earthquakes, tectonic plates and boundaries, gravity anomalies, geoid height, magnetic anomalies and the configuration of world stress)
- Land Surface (temperatures day and night, primary productivity, vegetation index, land cover classifications and diversity, forest cover types and fragmentation)
- NASA Visible Earth (global earth scenes for each month)
- Ocean Floor (crustal age, sediment types, sediment thickness, seabed heatflow, seafloor true color, seafloor spreading rates, manganese nodules)
- Ocean Surface (temperature, salinity, primary productivity, temperature during prior ice age)
- Human Impact (area per person, human footprint index, population density (2010), infant mortality rate, underweight children)
- Hydrology (river drainage basin outlines, drainage networks, river flow accumulation)
- Natural Hazards (cyclones, drought, earthquakes, floods, landslides, tornadoes, volcanic eruptions)
- Atmosphere and Clouds (aerosols, carbon monoxide, cloud fraction, cloud optical thickness, cloud particle radius, cloud reflectance, cloud water content, radiation, solar insolation)
- Snow, Ice and Water (ice cover, permafrost cover, snow cover, snow-water equivalent, water leaving radiance, water vapor)
- Shorelines and Political Boundaries (countries, provinces, states, maritime)

Developed by Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (Columbia University)
Columbia University continually seeks to advance the frontiers of knowledge and address the complex global issues of our time.

## Key features

- Interactive globe and map exploration
- Detailed ocean floor and land elevation data
- Zoomable interface from global to street scale
- Tap for digital and text map values
- Geographic names for features
- Educational content and data sources

## Recent user reviews (10 of 34)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/earthobserver/id405514799/reviews.md

### 5/5 — earth observer

*2019-04-25, version 2.3*

This is a wonderful app but now doesn’t work on iOS devices.
I hope that it is updated soon for the Apple app store...please.

### 2/5 — Key Overlays don't work

*2017-10-17, version 2.3*

Had high hopes for this app, but the roads and place names overlays don't work. Downloaded MapQuest in hopes that would solve the problem, but no such luck. I can figure out where I am by overlaying the NM geology map, but it is at such a low resolution that the formation codes are illegible.

### 1/5 — Not detailed

*2016-09-05, version 2.3*

Maps are not detailed 
Can't zoom in to see basic details.  
Some areas bottled out or fogged out  basically I bout a smoke screen

### 5/5 — Amateur rock guy

*2016-08-29, version 2.3*

GREAT APP!! Best $1 
I ever spent! Thank You

### 4/5 — This rules!

*2016-02-12, version 2.3*

I'm a student at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania, and we use geomapapp in our geology classes all the time. Huge fan now that I've got it my pocket with easy to access ocean floor and geology maps. An update for the newer OS would be cool but still going to be using this regardless!

### 5/5 — From an earth science teacher

*2014-10-25, version 2.3*

I use this app regularly in class for many reasons.  The maps are great!  Thank you for making this!  I recommend it for earth science classes.

### 3/5 — Needs to be updated

*2014-09-20, version 2.3*

The newer iPad screen abilities far exceed the focus and resolution of this app. Zooming in on some maps looks extremely grainy.

### 5/5 — This is What I'm Talking About!

*2014-09-13, version 2.3*

I've had this program on my iPad for some time now and have started referring to it once again only recently. Would that I had returned to it sooner. In between all the automatic updates, I've tried other programs that have left me nearly bereft what with the flash of pictures and pretty graphs. I started looking through this application about a week ago and was very surprised and ecstatic, nearly, to see what updates had been taking place while I was "cheating" on this one.

  I'm still going through this App and experimenting with the plethora of options and real scientific datum available. Occasional crashes I can take knowing that the programmers are working out the bugs. Worth the money easily.

### 5/5 — LOVE this!!!

*2013-02-01, version 2.3*

I love this app!  I teach sixth grade science and will definitely use this app when we talk about plate tectonics, sea-floor spreading, volcanoes, earthquakes, rocks, etc.  I'm past these topics now, but am excited to use it next year.  It has so many uses for all of the earth science topics I cover.  One thing I'd like to see is a way to switch out of the metric system of measurement.  Since I teach in the US we don't use the metric system, so I would love to be able to use feet, miles, etc. since it is the form of measurement my student are familiar with.  The other comment would be to have the ability to turn on outlines of states all the time so when we look at the different maps and overlays, it's easier to observe what is being shown in specific locations, like our state.  Otherwise, super great app!

### 4/5 — on the verge of greatness

*2012-12-13, version 2.3*

I like this app.  It's a wonderful way to explore the earth.  My main complaint is the inability to increase the level of detail on the base map itself, e.g., I'd love to add more place names to help get oriented.

## Frequently asked questions about EarthObserver

### What does EarthObserver do?

EarthObserver allows you to explore your planet with interactive terrestrial and oceanic landscapes. You can travel through geological maps, scout mountains, and view coastal waters, accessing a rich atlas of earth and environmental imagery.

### What kind of data can I find in EarthObserver?

The app provides detailed ocean floor relief, land elevations, basemaps, US coastal bathymetry and nautical charts, US topographic sheets, geologic and geophysical maps, land surface data, and information on human impact, hydrology, natural hazards, atmosphere, and snow/ice/water.

### Is EarthObserver free to use?

Yes, based on the provided information, EarthObserver is a free application. There are no mentions of subscription fees or in-app purchases.

### Can I use EarthObserver offline?

Yes, content is streamed to your device via Wi-Fi or 3G and is then cached locally after delivery. This allows you to view the content offline, ensuring accessibility even without an internet connection.

### Who would benefit from using EarthObserver?

This app is ideal for students, educators, researchers, geographers, geologists, oceanographers, and anyone with a general interest in exploring and understanding the Earth's diverse features and environmental data.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2.3 — 2012-08-16

Added volcanic information and more in-depth seismic/earthquake data

### 2.2 — 2012-05-16

Adding seismic data to all projections along with minor bug fixes.

### 2.1 — 2012-03-24

Fixed iOS 5 compatiblity

### 2.0 — 2012-01-08

Bug Fixes

### 1.2 — 2011-12-06

Updated for iOS 5

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All apps by Columbia University: https://appshunter.io/developer/405514802

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-10.*