Geologic Formation Maps "how-To"

[Bev]

Okay, I know I am not the sharpest knife in the rack, but I've been at this almost a year now and finally figured out how to access Geologic Formation maps! I just did a "how-to" post on my Fossil Adventure Blog for other beginners like myself.

It is for Minnesota, but I think that every state has county geologic maps and probably every country in the world does too. You just have to figure out how to get them!

I broke it down into another post on how I figured out where to go hunting in Winona County. Then another post on the prospecting hunt itself - Wow, did we hit Decorah Shale and fossils! Just need to get back there again!

http://www.bluffcountryfossils.com/blog/geologic-formation-maps-for-minnesota/

PS. If anyone knows how to translate a Road Map to overlay the Geologic Map - PLEASE POST a FOR DUMMIES How-to! It sure would make things easier!

Bev :-D

[Oxytropidoceras]

Other sources of geological maps.

1. Digital geologic maps of the US states with consistent lithology,

age, GIS database structure, and format. - United States Geological

Survey (USGS) http://tin.er.usgs.gov/geology/state/ and

http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2005/1351/index_map.htm

2. The National Geological Map Database (United States, USGS)

http://ngmdb.usgs.gov/ngmdb/ngmdb_home.html

(Note: the individual entries for specific maps in this database

will often indicate if the map is available online and, if so,

where to find it.)

3. USGS Publications Warehouse - http://pubs.er.usgs.gov/

4. Geologic Atlas of Texas - 1:250,000 Scanned Sheets

http://www.twdb.state.tx.us/groundwater/aquifer/gat/ and more maps

at http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/2005/170/

5. Downloadable PDF files of geological maps of Louisiana

http://www.lgs.lsu.edu/deploy/content/PUBLI/contentpage17.php

6. Database of the Geologic Map of North America (USGS)

http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/424/

For creating for own maps from GIS shapefiles, DRGs, and

other GIS material, I would recommend Global Mapper at

http://www.bluemarblegeo.com/products/global-mapper.php

For the price and ease of use, it is the best GIS software to

be found. Unlike certain other GIS software, it is a one time

purchase and a person does not to continually shell out

money on very expensive annual licensing fees every year.

There are powerful open source GIS systems, i.e. GRASS,

however they take a lot of time to learn how to use. The

GRASS open-source software can be found at http://grass.osgeo.org/ .

Yours,

Paul H.

Edited August 3, 2013 by Oxytropidoceras

[Bev]

Incredible! Thank you Paul!