Geologic Mapping in Progress

This part of the National Geologic Map Database (NGMDB) provides information about active geologic mapping in the United States being conducted through the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program. This program is coordinated by the U.S. Geological Survey and implemented by a consortium of geologic mappers from the USGS ("FEDMAP"), State Geological Surveys ("STATEMAP"), and academia ("EDMAP").

This database of "Geologic Mapping in Progress" complements the NGMDB's searchable catalog of available geologic maps. Once a geologic map becomes available to the public, it moves from the "Geologic Mapping in Progress" database to the Catalog. Initially, the "Geologic Mapping in Progress" database will include only those geologic maps in progress in the United States under the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program. This program coordinates the vast majority of geologic mapping in the U.S., but not all. Eventually, links will be built between this database and all other producers of publically-available geologic maps in the country.

This database is comprehensive for only the two most common scales of information, 1:24,000 (this is the scale of the familiar 7.5-minute quadrangle topographic maps produced by the USGS) and 1:100,000 (published by the USGS in 30x60-minute quadrangles, an area equivalent to 32 7.5-minute quadrangles). In Alaska, two scales of geologic mapping are common -- 1:63,360 (1 inch = 1 mile; published in 15-minute quadrangles) and 1:250,000 (published in quadrangles that are 1 degree of latitude by a variable number of degrees longitude), and both will be included in this database. Most of the new geologic mapping being done in the U.S. is at 1:24,000-scale with regional compilation and synthesis at 1:100,000-scale. The long term goal of the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program is the production of 1:24,000-scale geologic map coverage for high-priority areas of the States and a National, 1:100,000-scale digital geologic map database.

• Quadrangles (both 7.5-minute and 30x60-minute) in which geologic mapping is in progress, but for which a geologic map was not available to the public by September 30th of that year,
• Contact information for the person(s) who can discuss the status of geologic mapping more completely and answer questions concerning availability of the geologic map information, and
• A short synopsis of the geologic mapping project.

The baseline year for the "Geologic Mapping in Progress" database is 1996. This database will be updated annually near the end of each calendar year; for example, the 1999 database will be available in January of 2000. Each year, the database will include geologic mapping that began in that year, as well as geologic mapping continued from previous years.

Because this database reflects geologic mapping conducted under the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program, it includes only those State Geological Survey geologic mapping activities that are funded under the Program. Users of this database are encouraged to contact the appropriate State Geologist and/or the appropriate State geological survey website for information about additional State-funded geologic mapping. Contact information for each state survey can be found at the Association of American State Geologists web site.

Geologic Mapping in Progress