Coverage, sources and freshness
Live monitoring, stored research and directory entries are different things; how to tell which you are looking at.
What you get: You can judge, for any layer or page, whether it is being read live, is a dated research snapshot, or is only an entry in a list.
Steps
- Before relying on a layer, read its row in the "LAYERS" panel: source, cadence and coverage.
- For a page (Intellivoir, Elections, Flashpoints), read its coverage note: it states what is collected and what is not.
| What you see | What it means |
|---|---|
| A live feed | The product reads the source on a schedule (minutes to daily). The layer row or panel shows when it last read successfully. |
| Stored research | A dataset collected once or occasionally and dated. It does not change until it is collected again. |
| A catalogue or directory entry | The product knows the layer or source exists and how to describe it. That is not proof its feed is running now. |
The full list of layers, with each one's source, update cadence, resolution and confidence, is the layer reference. Layers → "Coverage & readiness…" shows the map's own view of what is loaded.
What success looks like
You can say whether what you are reading is live, dated research, or a listing.
Limits to know
- A feed can fail. When it does, the layer says it is unavailable or stale rather than showing zero.
- Vessel coverage is shore-based; aircraft and vessels do not replay; much weather detail is United States only.
Related
- Why a map can look empty
- What observed, aging, estimated, modelled and scenario mean
- Choose a desk and control layers
Last checked against the product on 23 September 2026. Live contents change; this describes how the product works.