USGS Home
Contact USGS
Search USGS

Mineral Resources > Online Spatial Data > Geology > by state

Preliminary integrated databases for the United States - Western States: California, Nevada, Arizona, and Washington

Frequently anticipated questions:

• What does this data set describe?
  1. How might this data set be cited?
  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
  3. What does it look like?
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
  5. What is the general form of this data set?
  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
• Who produced the data set?
  1. Who are the originators of the data set?
  2. Who also contributed to the data set?
  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
• Why was the data set created?
• How was the data set created?
  1. From what previous works were the data drawn?
  2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?
  3. What similar or related data should the user be aware of?
• How reliable are the data; what problems remain in the data set?
  1. How well have the observations been checked?
  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the data, including topology?
• How can someone get a copy of the data set?
  1. Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?
  2. Who distributes the data?
  3. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set?
  4. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?
  5. How can I download or order the data?
• Who wrote the metadata?

What does this data set describe?

1. How might this data set be cited?
   Ludington, Steve, Moring, Barry C., Miller, Robert J., Flynn, Kathryn S., and Hopkins, Melanie J., 2005, Preliminary integrated databases for the United States - Western States: California, Nevada, Arizona, and Washington: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report OFR 2005-1305, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia, USA.

   Online Links:

   • http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2005/1305

2. What geographic area does the data set cover?

   West_Bounding_Coordinate: -120.852539
   East_Bounding_Coordinate: -112.760960
   North_Bounding_Coordinate: 42.811891
   South_Bounding_Coordinate: 34.369863
   

3. What does it look like?
4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?

   Calendar_Date: 2005Currentness_Reference: publication date
   

5. What is the general form of this data set?

   Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: vector digital data
   

6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
   1. How are geographic features stored in the data set?
      This is a Vector data set. It contains the following vector data types (SDTS terminology):
      • Complete chain (73287)
      • Label point (21029)
      • GT-polygon composed of chains (21029)
      • Point (45)
      • String (0)
      • String (0)
   2. What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?
      The map projection used is Lambert Conformal Conic.
      

      Projection parameters:

      Standard_Parallel: 33.000000
      Standard_Parallel: 45.000000
      Longitude_of_Central_Meridian: -100.000000
      Latitude_of_Projection_Origin: 0.000000
      False_Easting: 0.000000
      False_Northing: 0.000000
      

      Planar coordinates are encoded using coordinate pair
      Abscissae (x-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 0.002048
      Ordinates (y-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 0.002048
      Planar coordinates are specified in meters
      The horizontal datum used is North American Datum of 1927.
      The ellipsoid used is Clarke 1866.
      The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378206.400000.
      The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/294.978698.
      
7. How does the data set describe geographic features?

   nvgeol_lcc.aat

   FID

   Internal feature number. (Source: ESRI) Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.

   Shape

   Feature geometry. (Source: ESRI) Coordinates defining the features.

   FNODE#

   Internal node number for the beginning of an arc (from-node). (Source: ESRI) Whole numbers that are automatically generated.

   TNODE#

   Internal node number for the end of an arc (to-node). (Source: ESRI) Whole numbers that are automatically generated.

   LPOLY#

   Internal node number for the left polygon. (Source: ESRI) Whole numbers that are automatically generated.

   RPOLY#

   Internal node number for the right polygon. (Source: ESRI) Whole numbers that are automatically generated.

   LENGTH

   Length of feature in internal units. (Source: ESRI) Positive real numbers that are automatically generated.

   NVGEOL_LCC#

   Internal feature number. (Source: ESRI) Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.

   NVGEOL_LCC-ID

   User-defined feature number. (Source: ESRI)

   ARC-CODE

   unique identifier for line features

   Value	Definition
   1	Contact, location certain
   2	Contact, location approximate
   4	Normal fault, location certain
   5	Normal fault, location approximate
   7	Shoreline or riverbank
   8	Internal contact
   10	Thrust fault, location certain
   11	Thrust fault, location approximate
   30	Fault, sense of displacement unknown or undefined, location certain
   31	Fault, sense of displacement unknown or undefined, location approximate
   32	Fault, sense of displacement unknown or undefined, location inferred or queried
   52	Normal fault, concealed
   53	Thrust fault, concealed
   57	Right lateral fault, concealed
   58	Left lateral fault, concealed
   87	Right lateral fault, location certain
   88	Right lateral fault, location approximate
   89	Right lateral fault, location inferred or queried
   90	Left lateral fault, location certain
   91	Left lateral fault, location approximate
   92	Left lateral fault, location inferred or queried
   100	Fault, sense of displacement unknown, concealed
   109	Detachment fault, location certain
   113	Strike-slip fault, motion unknown, location certain
   114	Strike-slip fault, motion unknown, location approximate
   115	Strike-slip fault, motion unknown, location inferred
   116	Strike-slip fault, motion unknown, location concealed
   124	State boundary
   125	International boundary
   129	Playa shoreline

   ARC-PARA1

   additional spatial information about structures; not used

   ARC-PARA2

   available scratch field; not used

   SOURCE

   a coded reference citation indicating source used (Source: Steve Ludington)

   Value	Definition
   NV001	from original coverage
   NV801	flipped arc polarity to conform to right-hand rule
   NV802	changed ARC-CODE to 4 to conform to printed map
   US001	state boundary

   nvgeol_lcc.pat

   polygon attribute table (Source: ESRI)

   FID

   Internal feature number. (Source: ESRI) Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.

   Shape

   Feature geometry. (Source: ESRI) Coordinates defining the features.

   AREA

   Area of feature in internal units squared. (Source: ESRI) Positive real numbers that are automatically generated.

   PERIMETER

   Perimeter of feature in internal units. (Source: ESRI) Positive real numbers that are automatically generated.

   NVGEOL_LCC#

   Internal feature number. (Source: ESRI) Sequential unique whole numbers that are automatically generated.

   NVGEOL_LCC-ID

   User-defined feature number. (Source: ESRI)

   ORIG_LABEL

   unmodified map unit symbol from source coverage

   Formal codeset
   Codeset Name:	NVunits
   Codeset Source:	Accompanying attribute table in OFR 2005-1305. View by opening .csv file in Excel

   SGMC_LABEL

   orig_label + ;n, where n is a province number (0 if no provinces) (Source: Steve Ludington)

   Formal codeset
   Codeset Name:	NVunits
   Codeset Source:	Accompanying attribute table in OFR 2005-1305. View by opening .csv file in Excel

   UNIT_LINK

   sgmc_label, preceded by 2-letter state abbreviation); provides a unique identifier (Source: Steve Ludington)

   Formal codeset
   Codeset Name:	NVunits
   Codeset Source:	Accompanying attribute table in OFR 2005-1305. View by opening .csv file in Excel

   SOURCE

   a coded reference citation indicating source used (Source: Steve Ludington)

   Value	Definition
   NV001	from original source coverage
   NV901	resketched according to Whitebread & John, 1992, USGS MF-1877-A; changed label to Ta3
   NV902	completed a dangling arc to create an additional polygon
   NV903	changed unit label to reflect age information developed in 1989 for Nevada Mineral Resource Assessment (NBMG OF96-2
   NV904	changed unit labels to correspond to geologic age information developed for this study, using personal knowledge, literature, and National Radiometric Age Database

   UNIT_AGE

   free-form field best representing geologic age of unit (Source: Steve Ludington)

   Formal codeset
   Codeset Name:	NVage
   Codeset Source:	Accompanying attribute table in OFR 2005-1305. View by opening .csv file in Excel

   ROCKTYPE1

   most abundant lithology in map unit (Source: Steve Ludington)

   Formal codeset
   Codeset Name:	NVunits
   Codeset Source:	Accompanying attribute table in OFR 2005-1305. View by opening .csv file in Excel

   ROCKTYPE2

   second most abundant lithology in map unit (Source: Steve Ludington)

   Formal codeset
   Codeset Name:	NVunits
   Codeset Source:	Accompanying attribute table in OFR 2005-1305. View by opening .csv file in Excel

Who produced the data set?

1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)
   • Steve Ludington
   • Barry C. Moring
   • Robert J. Miller
   • Kathryn S. Flynn
   • Melanie J. Hopkins
2. Who also contributed to the data set?

   U.S. Geological Survey

3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
   Steve Ludington

   U.S. Geological Survey

   geologist

   U.S. Geological Survey, MS 901

   Menlo Park, CA
   

   USA

   650.329.5371 (voice)

   slud@usgs.gov

Why was the data set created?

Provide digital maps and databases that, because of their common structure and format, allow creation of regional maps that depict age and lithology of map units.

How was the data set created?

1. From what previous works were the data drawn?

   USGS OFR 03-066 (source 1 of 2)

   Raines, G.L., Connors, K.A., Moyer, L.A., and Miller, R.J, 2003, Spatial digital database for the geologic map of Nevada: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report OFR 03-066, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

   Online Links:

   • http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2003/of03-66/

   Type_of_Source_Media: CD-ROM
   

   US001 (source 2 of 2)

   Johnson, Bruce R., State boundaries.

   Type_of_Source_Media: online
   Source_Scale_Denominator: 100000
   Source_Contribution: Provided linework for state boundaries
   

2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?

   Date: 2003 (process 1 of 12)

   Dataset copied.

   Date: 2004 (process 2 of 12)

   Adjusted the perimeter of the coverage to match a reference dataset of state boundaries derived from 1:100,000 scale digital line graphs. This allows the map to be used together with adjoining state maps referenced to the same boundary data. Replaced a section of the state boundary that follows the Colorado River with a line from 1:100,000 scale digital line graph hydrographic files. The state boundaries have a source of US001 in the AAT.

   Date: 2004 (process 3 of 12)

   Thirty-one arcs had their polarity flipped to conform to the right-hand rule (source in AAT = NV801)

   Date: 2004 (process 4 of 12)

   One arc was assigned ARC-CODE = 4, to conform to the printed map (source in AAT = NV802)

   Date: 2004 (process 5 of 12)

   Changed map unit to Ta3, and eliminated one polygon (SP_OBJ_ID=32012272), after Whitebread, D.H. and John D.A., 1992, USGS MF-1877-A (source in PAT = NV901)

   Date: 2004 (process 6 of 12)

   Completed a dangling arc to create new polygon, to conform to printed map (source in PAT = NV902)

   Date: 2004 (process 7 of 12)

   Updated the map unit label for 229 plutonic rock polygons, using age information developed in 1989, during preparation of the Nevada Mineral Resource Assessment (Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Open-File report OF96-2) (source in PAT = NV903)

   Date: 2004 (process 8 of 12)

   Updated the map unit label for 33 plutonic rock polygons, using literature information, personal communications, and the National Radiometric Age Database (source in PAT = NV904)

   Date: 2005 (process 9 of 12)

   To prepare a uniform AAT file, the following items were added: arc-code, arc-para1, and arc-para2. The last two are not used. Arc-code was populated, using the information in the original item, and inspection of the printed map. Then the original items in the AAT were deleted (LINECODE, FAULT_CONT, DWNTHR, SOURCE_ID, SPATIAL_OBJ_ID)

   Date: 2005 (process 10 of 12)

   To prepare a uniform PAT file, the following items were added: ORIG_LABEL, SGMC_LABEL, UNIT_LINK, SOURCE, UNIT_AGE, ROCKTYPE1, and ROCKTYPE2. ORIG_LABEL was populated from the original item (PTYPE), SGMC_LABEL and UNIT_LINK were populated with information in the accompanying attribute table AZunits, UNIT_AGE was populated with information in the accompanying attribute table AZage, and ROCKTYPE1 and ROCKTYPE2 were populated with information in the accompanying attribute table AZlith. Then the original items in the PAT were deleted (MAP_UNIT, UNIT, SOURCE_ID, SPATIAL_OBJ_ID)

   (process 11 of 12)

   Metadata imported. Data sources used in this process:

   • C:\DOCUME~1\Barry\LOCALS~1\Temp\xml18C.tmp

   (process 12 of 12)

   Metadata imported. Data sources used in this process:

   • C:\DOCUME~1\slud\LOCALS~1\Temp\xmlD.tmp

3. What similar or related data should the user be aware of?

How reliable are the data; what problems remain in the data set?

1. How well have the observations been checked?
   Map unit designations follow original compilation faithfully. Additional information about age and lithology was obtained from the paper map legend and geologic literature.
2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
   The geologic map was digitized from compilations ranging in scale from 1:100,000 to 1:1,000,000, and is an accurate representation of the source maps. It is intended to be used at scales equal to or smaller than 1:500,000. Display at significantly larger scales may produce error in location of contacts or faults relative to features contained in other data sets. The state boundary arcs are based on the 1:100,000 scale USGS topographic map series digital line graphs.
3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
   
4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
   The dataset contains all the map units and faults that were portrayed on the original printed map. Bodies of water are classified as water, and geologic units underlying them are not portrayed.
5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
   All internal polygons were checked for closure. Overshoots and undershoots have been deleted or corrected as appropriate.

How can someone get a copy of the data set?

Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?

Access_Constraints:

No warranty, expressed or implied, is made regarding the accuracy or utility of this data for general or scientific purposes, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty. The U.S. Geological Survey shall not be held liable for improper or incorrect use of this data.

Use_Constraints:

This database is not meant to be used at scales appreciably larger or smaller than the original scale. Any printed material utilizing these databases shall clearly indicate their source. If modifications to the data are made, this should be clearly indicated and described in print. Users specifically agree not to misrepresent these data, nor to imply that any changes they have made were approved by the U.S. Geological Survey. This database has been approved for release and publication by the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey. Although the database has been subjected to review and is substantially complete, the U.S. Geological Survey reserves the right to revise the data pursuant to further analysis and review. The database is released on the condition that neither the U.S. Geological Survey or the United States Government may be held liable for any damages resulting from its authorized or unauthorized use.

1. Who distributes the data set? (Distributor 1 of 1)
   
   U.S. Geological Survey Information Services

   U.S. Geological Survey, 507 National Center

   Reston, VA
   

   USA

   1.800.ASK.USGS (voice)

   http://www.usgs.gov/contact/
2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set? U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report OFR 2005-1305
3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?

   This report is preliminary and has not been reviewed for conformity with U.S. Geological Survey editorial standards, nor with the North American Stratigraphic Code. Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Geological Survey. Although these data have been used by the U.S. Geological Survey, and imported into appropriate software, no warranty, express or implied, is made by the U.S. Geological Survey as to how successfully or accurately the data can be imported into specific application software running on specific hardware platforms. The fact of distribution shall not constitute any such warranty, and no responsibility is assumed by the U.S. Geological Survey in connection therewith. This data is not meant to be used or displayed at scales substantially larger than 1:500,000.

4. How can I download or order the data?
   • Availability in digital form:

     Data format:	geologic units and structural features in format ArcInfo Export (version 8.3) Size: 21.093
     Network links:	http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2005/1305/

   • Cost to order the data: none

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:

Last modified: 16-Aug-2005

Metadata author:

U.S. Geological Survey

Attn: Steve Ludington

geologist

USGS, MS 901

Menlo Park, CA

USA

650.329.5371 (voice)

slud@usgs.gov

Metadata standard:

Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998)