MAPPING OVERVIEW

No matter what you want to build, remove, or protect, it all starts with a map. Geological maps are vital tools in the effort to understand, develop, and protect natural resources and to locate and avoid hazards to public safety.

Information on such maps is used for:

• finding water, minerals, and oil and gas
• evaluating hazards such as landslides and earthquakes
• land management and environmental protection
• mitigation of coastal and stream erosion
• siting of such critical facilities as power plants and waste disposal
• planning basic earth science research

Responding to the need for high quality geological maps, the United States Congress enacted the National Geological Mapping Act of 1992 to expedite the production of a geological map data base for the Nation. The law mandates that the U. S. Geological Survey cooperate with the geological surveys of the individual states to produce new geological maps in traditional paper and digital format at an appropriate scale. For more information, visit http://ncgmp.usgs.gov.