2016.03.23 edition
Nuclear explosions. The Oklahoma Geological Survey Observatory’s “Catalog of Nuclear Explosions” contains a “nearly complete” list of such detonations — more than 2,000 of them between 1945 and 2006. The dataset roughly (but not precisely) overlaps with the explosions listed in the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s “Nuclear Explosions, 1945–1998” (PDF) report. Both datasets list the date and location of each explosion, the country responsible, the detonation site, and (where known) its explosive yield, among other variables. And both reports use unconventional formatting, so I’ve extracted a couple of CSVs for you.
British property sales. The UK’s Price Paid Data contains virtually all of the country’s residential property sales, with only a few exceptions. (Sales forced under court order are excluded, for example.) Each row includes the sale price, address, property type, and more. The full, multi-gigabyte dataset covers all sales since 1995, but you can also download files for individual years or the most recent month, or just search the dataset online. Related: Where can you afford to buy a house? [h/t Helena Bengtsson]
Rising waters. The U.S. National Water Level Observation Network tracks water levels at hundreds of tide gauges around the country. The data is available via an API. Related: Water’s Edge, a 2014 Reuters investigation based on the gauge data. Also related: The Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service’s flood observations and warnings, as structured data. [h/t Ryan McNeill]
What kind of economy does your county have? The USDA Economic Research Service’s County Typology Codes categorize each U.S. county based on (a) its dependence on certain industries and on (b) various socio-economic factors. For example, the data classifies 219 counties as “mining-dependent.” [h/t Steven Romalewski]
Rodents of New York. NYC’s 311 dataset contains a special category for rat sightings. This slice of data, which is updated daily and stretches back to 2010, contains more than 73,000 rows. One-third of sightings have occurred in Brooklyn. Related: An academic study of NYC rat sightings. Also related: Reply All #56 — ”Zardulu”.