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At least 595 records · Page 33Linked to original sources
USGS2021

Geologic map of the Aeolis Dorsa Region, Mars

The Aeolis Dorsa region of Mars, located just north of the global dichotomy boundary, includes the Aeolis and Zephyria Plana, and a depositional basin between them. This interplana region consists of extensive networks of ridges—the eponymous Aeolis Dorsa—and is interpreted as having formed by topographic inversion of fluvial and alluvial deposits. To the south is a nearly 1-km-deep trough (Aeolis Chaos) and the southern highlands. These elements of the map area compose a landscape of extensive erosional and depositional sedimentary processes. The plana are pervasively abraded into yardangs, and the interplana area shows scattered yardangs superposed on the underlying terrain. The Aeolis Dorsa fluvial deposits are concentrated within and around the margins of the interplana region, exposed and (or) inverted by this pervasive aeolian abrasion. During this period of extensive erosion and deposition, impacts have also redistributed material. The geologic mapping of this region, conducted at 1:500,000 scale to enable depiction of the fine-scale fluvial features, divides the landscape into six unit groups. The highlands units group comprises three units, located in the southwestern map area. These units, having the highest elevation in the map area, consist of mesas surrounded by more gently sloping terrain. The transitional units group, located northeast of the highlands units, includes the Aeolis Chaos, denoted as a chaos terrain unit, and two transitional units, differentiated on the basis of surface texture and relative elevation. The plana units group comprises five units. The oldest unit consists of mesas similar to those of the highlands mesas unit but located about 200 kilometers north of the highlands in Aeolis Planum. Three other plana units, located on the Aeolis and Zephyria Plana, are differentiated on the basis of yardang texture, crosscutting relations, and relative elevations. They are interpreted as abraded sedimentary and (or) volcaniclastic deposits. The fifth plana unit, which crops out in the north corners of the map area, is at low elevation, has numerous small craters, and is interpreted as cratered lava plains. The interplana units group hosts a hummocky unit and a mounds unit, differentiated on the basis of texture and relief. In the Aeolis Dorsa units group, four units are mapped on the basis of dorsa morphology and adjacent textures. Stratigraphic relations indicate a decrease in discharge over time. The crater units group includes a crater unit, found throughout the map area although concentrated within the interplana region, and a crater fill unit that is found within several craters in this interplana region. Based on this mapping, the interpretation of the regional geologic record begins with emplacement of the highlands terrain during the Noachian Period. Emplacement was followed during the Early Hesperian by erosion and redistribution of this high-standing terrain to form the transitional units, and Aeolis Chaos formed after deposition of the other transitional units. The high-standing plana were emplaced and eroded repeatedly throughout the Hesperian and Early Amazonian time, and impact cratering occurred at decreasing crater sizes. The fluvial and alluvial activity that gave rise to the Aeolis Dorsa also extended throughout this time, leaving their diagnostic signature on this region.

Scientific Investigations Map↗
USGS2012

Geologic map of the Hecate Chasma quadrangle (V-28), Venus

The Hecate Chasma quadrangle (V–28) extends from lat 0° to 25° N. and from long 240° E. to 270° E. The quadrangle was mapped at 1:5,000,000 scale as part of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Planetary Geologic Mapping Program. Hecate Chasma is an extensive rift system consisting of multiple branches that lies in the lowland region of Hinemoa Planitia in the northern hemisphere of Venus. Here, we use the term “rift” and “chasma” (plural “chasmata”) to designate the trough and fracture zones that make up the Hecate system. Lineaments within the Hecate rift system that define Hecate, Zverine, and Hanwi Chasmata are mapped in red for emphasis. The system consists of several rifts and fracture belts, low-lying plains units, coronae and numerous small volcanic edifices including shields, domes and cones. The three branches of the Hecate rift system in this quadrangle are Hecate Chasma (centered at lat 18.2° N., long 254.3° E.), Zverine Chasma (centered at lat 18.5° N., long 271° E.), and Hanwi Chasma (centered at lat 10.5° N., long 247° E.). The quadrangle also contains many intermediate to large volcanoes, including Polik-mana Mons and Nazit Mons. Eighteen coronae are located in the quadrangle, the largest of which is the 525 km across Taranga Corona, along with fourteen impact craters. Corona maximum widths are measured to the outer edge of the annulus. Lineaments that form the corona annulus are mapped in green for emphasis. The overall topography of V–28 consists of plains located slightly below mean planetary radius (MPR, 6051.84). The lowest regions are found in the rift trough (3.3 m below MPR), and the highest along the rift rim (4.3 km above MPR). The regions that are the roughest at Magellan radar wavelengths in the quadrangle occur along Hecate Chasma (root mean square [rms] slopes >10°), with most regions being relatively smooth (roughnesses comparable to the average Venus surface value of 2.84°). Emissivity values in the quadrangle are typical of most venusian plains regions, with a range in values for the quadrangle of 0.68–0.91. The highest emissivity values in the quadrangle lie at the highest elevations in the quadrangle (corona rims and interiors).

Scientific Investigations Map↗
USGS2012

Discrimination of a chestnut-oak forest unit for geologic mapping by means of a principal component enhancement of Landsat multispectral scanner data

A principal component image enhancement has been effective in applying Landsat data to geologic mapping in a heavily forested area of eastern Virginia. A chestnut-oak forest unit, which occurs on metavolcanic rocks and some metaclastic rocks in the western Piedmont and on highly weathered upland gravel deposits in the eastern Piedmont, can be discerned on a digitally enhanced Landsat winter image. The image enhancement procedure consists of a principal component transformation, a histogram normalization, and the inverse principal component transformation. The enhancement preserves the independence of the principal components, yet produces a more readily interpretable image than does a single principal component transformation. To determine how the chestnut-oak forest unit was being enhanced, average Landsat multispectral scanner (MSS) values were extracted for four sample forest types and were calculated through the inverted principal component transformation. Slope and intercept values for the linear histogram normalization were chosen to keep the scale between the raw MSS bands and the inverted principal component (PC) bands constant. Plots of the inverted principal component data show that the most separation between forest types is in inverted PC band 5. The chestnut-oak forest unit is characterized by a high value for inverted PC band 5 as opposed to a low value for inverted PC band 4. In contrast, raw MSS band 4 is greater than MSS band 5 for the four forest types sampled in the winter image. Such observations cannot be readily deduced from analysis of only the principal component rotation matrix. They may ultimately provide a means to map the distribution of chestnut-oak forest from Landsat.

Geophysical Research Letters↗
USGS2015

Geologic map of Mauritania (phase V, deliverables 51a, 51b, and 51c)

In 1996, at the request of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, a team of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists produced a strategic plan for the acquisition, improvement and modernization of multidisciplinary sets of data to support the growth of the Mauritanian minerals sector and to highlight the geological and mineral exploration potential of the country. In 1999, the Ministry of Petroleum, Energy, and Mines of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania implemented a program for the acquisition of the recommended basic geoscientific information, termed the first Projet de Renforcement Institutionnel du Secteur Minier (Project for Institutional Capacity Building in the Mining Sector, PRISM-I). As a result of the PRISM-I efforts, a great deal of new geological, geophysical, geochemical, remote sensing, and hydrological data became available for evaluation and synthesis. However, the Ministry of Petroleum, Energy, and Mines recognized that additional work was required to extract the full benefit of the data before it could be of greatest use to the international community and of benefit to the Mauritanian minerals and development sector. To achieve this benefit, the Ministry of Petroleum, Energy, and Mines implemented a second Projet de Renforcement Institutionnel du Secteur Minier (PRISM-II) in 2006 to consolidate, synthesize, and interpret all of the existing data, create a new 1:1,000,000 scale geologic map, and define the mineral resource potential of the country. A consortium in which the USGS was the lead scientific agency carried out the majority of the PRISM-II work. In 2008, the USGS Mauritania Minerals Project was interrupted due to political changes in Mauritania. PRISM-II work resumed in 2011, and was completed in 2013 with the delivery of over 40 separate written reports and plates, an access file containing the Mauritanian National Mineral Deposits Database, and an interactive GIS containing all of the multi-disciplinary data and interpretive areas of mineral resource potential in Mauritania. This report contains the USGS results of the PRISM-II Mauritania Minerals Project and is presented in cooperation with the Ministry of Petroleum, Energy, and Mines of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. The Report is composed of separate chapters consisting of multidisciplinary interpretive reports with accompanying plates on the geology, structure, geochronology, geophysics, hydrogeology, geochemistry, remote sensing (Landsat TM and ASTER), and SRTM and ASTER digital elevation models of Mauritania. The syntheses of these multidisciplinary data formed the basis for additional chapters containing interpretive reports on 12 different commodities and deposit types known to occur in Mauritania, accompanied by countrywide mineral resource potential maps of each commodity/deposit type. The commodities and deposit types represented include: (1) Ni, Cu, PGE, and Cr deposits hosted in ultramafic rocks; (2) orogenic, Carlin-like, and epithermal gold deposits; (3) polymetallic Pb-Zn-Cu vein deposits; (4) sediment-hosted Pb-Zn-Ag deposits of the SEDEX and Mississippi Valley-type; (5) sediment-hosted copper deposits; ( 6) volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits; (7) iron oxide copper-gold deposits; (8) uranium deposits; (9) Algoma-, Superior-, and oolitic-type iron deposits; (10) shoreline Ti-Zr placer deposits; (11) incompatible element deposits hosted in pegmatites, alkaline rocks, and carbonatites, and; (12) industrial mineral deposits. Additional chapters include the Mauritanian National Mineral Deposits Database are accompanied by an explanatory text and the Mauritania Minerals Project GIS that contains all of the interpretive layers created by USGS scientists. Raw data not in the public domain may be obtained from the Ministry of Petroleum, Energy, and Mines in Nouakchott, Mauritania.

Open-File Report↗
USGS2015

Bedrock geologic map of the Spring Valley, West Plains, and parts of the Piedmont and Poplar Bluff 30'x60' quadrangles, Missouri, including the upper Current River and Eleven Point River drainage basins

This map covers the drainage basins of the upper Current River and the Eleven Point River in the Ozark Plateaus physiographic province of southeastern Missouri. The two surface drainage basins are contiguous in their headwaters regions, but are separated in their lower reaches by the lower Black River basin in the southeast corner of the map area. Numerous dye-trace studies demonstrate that in the contiguous headwaters areas, groundwater flows from the Eleven Point River basin into the Current River basin. Much of the groundwater discharge of the Eleven Point River basin emanates from Big Spring, located on the Current River. This geologic map and cross sections were produced to help fulfill a need to understand the geologic framework of the region in which this subsurface flow occurs. The map includes all of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, a national park created by an Act of Congress in 1964 to protect 134 miles of the Current and Jacks Fork Rivers in south-central Missouri. Located within the park are numerous large springs, including Big Spring, the largest spring in Missouri and one of the ten largest springs in the world. Also within the map area is Greer Spring, which is the main source of the Eleven Point River. Greer Spring is the largest spring on National Forest land in the United States. During flood, flow from Greer Spring is almost as large, volumetrically, as that from Big Spring. The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act in 1968 established a 44-mile section of the Eleven Point River as the Eleven Point National Scenic River, which is entirely within the boundaries of this map. Potentially economic mineral resources are present in the subsurface in the map area. Exploration drill-hole data indicate that anomalously high concentrations of base-metal sulfides locally occur within the Cambrian Bonneterre Formation. The geologic setting of these anomalous concentrations is similar to that found in the Viburnum Trend, part of the largest lead-mining district in the world. The southernmost part of the Viburnum Trend extends into the northern part of the map area and is exploited by the Sweetwater Mine. Undeveloped and potentially economic occurrences of base metals are known also beneath Blair Creek, a tributary to the Current River in the north-central part of the map area.

Missouri↗
USGS2004

Surficial geologic map of the Northwest Memphis quadrangle, Shelby County, Tennessee, and Crittenden County, Arkansas

The depiction of geology on this map is designed to aid in urban planning and analysis of potential damage in the event of strong earthquake motion. The geologic map by itself does not analyze potential earthquake damage, but is designed to be used by seismologists who perform such analyses. The nature of geologic materials to a degree determines the severity of damage to infrastructure sustained during a strong earthquake.

Scientific Investigations Map↗
USGS1978

Geochemical and generalized geologic map showing distribution and abundance of molybdenum, copper, and lead in stream sediments in the Chandalar Quadrangle, Alaska

This geochemical map shows the distribution and abundance of molybdenum (Mo), copper (Cu), and lead (Pb) of -80 mesh (177 micrometers) stream sediment samples in the Chandalar quadrangle, Alaska. The map is a part of a series of geochemical maps that together with the background information circular (Reiser and others, 1978) comprise the folio on the Chandalar quadrangle, Alaska. The data are plotted on a subdued base map showing the generalized geology, topography, and sample localities. Map symbols showing the ranges of metal values are indicated on the accompanying histograms and all values shown are considered anomalous. An explanation of sampling, preparation, analytical procedures and geochemical raw data for all samples are discussed by O'Leary and others (1976). The -80 mesh (177 micrometers) stream sediment medium was used in this study because of the regional setting in the north-central Brooks Range. Given the rather restrictive time and manpower constraints the -80 mesh (177 micrometers) stream sediment combined with panned concentrates was determined to be the most economical and adequate medium in this case where clastic sediments are being derived from local bedrock. The study area is generally one of high relief with short fast-moving streams and broad glacial valleys. All samples were taken from active streams, as close to the center channel as possible. All sediments were considered to be locally derived. Care was taken, when sampling an obviously glaciated terrane, to sample above or upstream from morainal material, wherever possible. Most samples were taken in areas where bedrock was within 30 m of the sample site.

Alaska↗
USGS1978

Geochemical and generalized geologic map showing distribution and abundance of zinc in stream sediments in the Chandalar Quadrangle, Alaska

This geochemical map shows the distribution and abundance of zinc in -80 mesh (177 micrometers) stream sediment samples in the Chandalar quadrangle, Alaska. The map is a part of a series of geochemical maps that together with the background information circular (Reiser and others, 1978) comprise the folio on the Chandalar quadrangle, Alaska. The data are plotted on a subdued base map showing the generalized geology, topography, and sample localities. Map symbols show the metal values that are considered anomalous; these symbols are defined on the accompanying histograms. An explanation of sampling, preparation, analytical procedures and the geochemical raw data for all samples are presented by O'Leary and others (1976). The -80 mesh (177 micrometers) stream sediment medium was used in this study because of the regional setting in the north-central Brooks Range. Given the rather restrictive time and manpower constraints the -80 mesh (177 micrometers) stream sediment combined with panned concentrates was determined to be the most economical and adequate medium in this case where clastic sediments are being derived from local bedrock. The study area is generally one of high relief with short fast-moving streams and broad glacial valleys. All samples were taken from active streams, as close to the center channel as possible. All sediments were considered to be locally derived. Care was taken, when sampling an obviously glaciated terrane, to sample above or upstream from morainal material, wherever possible. Most samples were taken in areas where bedrock was within 30 m of the sample site. Due to poor sensitivity for zinc by spectrographic analysis (200 ppm) all zinc analyses were done by atomic absorption.

Alaska↗
USGS1979

Geochemical and generalized geologic map showing distribution and abundance of nickel, cobalt, lanthanum and yttrium in stream sediments, Chandalar 1° by 3° quadrangle, Alaska

This geochemical map shows the distribution and abundance of nickel (Ni), cobalt (Co), lanthanum (La), and yttrium (Y) in -80 mesh (177 micrometers) stream sediment samples in the Chandalar quadrangle, Alaska. The map is a part of a series of geochemical maps that together with the background information circular (Reiser and others, 1978) comprise the folio on the Chandalar quadrangle, Alaska. The data are plotted on a subdued base map showing the generalized geology, topography, and sample localities. Map symbols showing the ranges of metal values are indicated on the accompanying histograms and all values shown are considered anomalous. An explanation of sampling, preparation, and analytical procedures, and geochemical raw data for all samples are discussed by O'Leary and others (1976). The -80 mesh (177 micrometers) stream-sediment medium was used in this study because, given the rather restrictive time and manpower constraints, this medium combined with panned concentrates was determined to be the most economical and adequate medium in this area of the north-central Brooks Range where clastic sediments are derived from local bedrock. The study area is generally one of high relief with short fast moving streams and broad glacial valleys. All samples were taken from active streams, as close to the center channel as possible. All sediments were considered to be locally derived. Care was taken, when sampling an obviously glaciated terrane, to sample above or upstream from morainal material, wherever possible. Most samples were taken in areas where bedrock was within 30 m of the sample site.

Alaska↗
USGS1978

Geochemical and generalized geologic map showing distribution and abundance of barium, arsenic, boron, and vanadium in stream sediments in the Chandalar Quadrangle, Alaska

This geochemical map shows the distribution and abundance of barium (Ba), arsenic (As), boron (B), and vanadium (V) in -80 mesh (177 micrometers) stream sediment samples in the Chandalar quadrangle, Alaska. The map is a part of a series of geochemical maps that together with the background information circular (Reiser and others, 1978) comprise the folio on the Chandalar quadrangle, Alaska. The data are plotted on a subdued base map showing the generalized geology, topography, and sample localities. Map symbols showing the ranges of metal values are indicated on the accompanying histograms and all values shown are considered anomalous. An explanation of sampling, preparation, analytical procedures, and geochemical raw data for all samples are discussed by O'Leary and others (1976). The -80 mesh (177 micrometers) stream sediment medium was used in this study because of the regional setting in the north-central Brooks Range. Given the rather restrictive time and manpower constraints the -80 mesh (177 micrometers) stream sediment combined with panned concentrates was determined to be the most economical and adequate medium in this case where clastic sediments are being derived from local bedrock. The study area is generally one of high relief with short fast-moving streams and broad glacial valleys. All samples were taken from active streams, as close to the center channel as possible. All sediments were considered to be locally derived. Care was taken, when sampling an obviously glaciated terrane, to sample above or upstream from morainal material, wherever possible. Most samples were taken in areas where bedrock was within 30 m of the sample site. Due to the poor sensitivity by spectrographic analysis for arsenic, 200 ppm (parts per million), all arsenic analyses were done by colorimetry.

Alaska↗
USGS2026

Preliminary geologic map of the Sparta East, Sparta West, and parts of the Glade Valley and Whitehead 7.5-minute quadrangles, North Carolina and Virginia, and the epicentral area of the August 9, 2020, Mw 5.1 earthquake near Sparta, North Carolina

Introduction New bedrock and surficial geologic mapping in the Sparta East, Sparta West, and parts of the Glade Valley and Whitehead 7.5-minute quadrangles, North Carolina and Virginia, investigates the geologic framework and causative mechanisms of the August 9, 2020, Mw 5.1 earthquake near Sparta, North Carolina. The mapping documents (1) the coseismic surface rupture from the 2020 earthquake and related brittle structures in the bedrock; (2) the fault contact between the western Blue Ridge and eastern Blue Ridge; (3) lithostratigraphy in the Lynchburg Group, Ashe Metamorphic Suite, and Alligator Back Metamorphic Suite; (4) the nature of the contact between the Lynchburg Group, Ashe Metamorphic Suite, and Alligator Back Metamorphic Suite; and (5) surficial deposits.

North Carolina, Virginia↗
USGS2016

Geologic map of the Rio Rico and Nogales 7.5’ quadrangles, Santa Cruz County, Arizona

The Rio Rico and Nogales (Arizona) 1:24,000-scale quadrangles are located in the Basin and Range Province of southern Arizona, and the southern edge of the map is the international border with Sonora, Mexico. The major urban area is Nogales, a bi-national city known as “the gateway to Mexico.” Rocks exposed in the map area range in age from Jurassic through Quaternary. Major physiographic, geologic, and hydrologic features in the map area include the southern San Cayetano Mountains, Grosvenor Hills, and Sonoita Creek in the northern part, and Mount Benedict and the Mount Benedict horst block in the southcentral part. The horst block is bounded by the Santa Cruz River on the east and Nogales Wash on the west. The objectives of our mapping were to define the geologic framework for the Nogales area and the upper Santa Cruz basin to support ongoing multidisciplinary projects. This new work will improve understanding of the Nogales Formation to more fully assess its groundwater resource potential. We significantly revised the Miocene Nogales Formation based on geologic mapping combined with new geochronologic, geophysical, and petrographic studies.

Arizona↗
USGS2017

Geothermal implications of a refined composition-age geologic map for the volcanic terrains of southeast Oregon, northeast California, and southwest Idaho, USA

Sufficient temperatures to generate steam likely exist under most of the dominantly volcanic terrains of southeast Oregon, northeast California, and southeast Idaho, USA, but finding sufficient permeability to allow efficient advective heat exchange is an outstanding challenge. A new thematic interpretation of existing state-level geologic maps provides an updated and refined distribution of the composition and age of geologic units for the purposes of assessing the implications for measurement and development of geothermal resources. This interpretation has been developed to better understand geothermal and hydrologic resources of the region. Comparison of the new geologic categories with available hydrologic data shows that younger volcanogenic terrains tend to have higher primary permeability than older terrains. Decrease in primary permeability with age is attributable to weathering and hydrothermal alteration of volcanogenic deposits to pore-filling clays and deposition of secondary deposits (e.g., zeolites). Spring density as a function of geology and precipitation can be used to infer groundwater flow path length within the upper aquifers. Beneath the upper aquifers, we postulate that, due to accelerated hydrothermal alteration at temperatures ~>30 °C, primary permeability at depths of geothermal interest will be limited, and that secondary permeability is a more viable target for hydrothermal fluid withdrawal. Because open fractures resulting from tensile stresses will affect all geologic layers, regions with a significant amount of groundwater flow through shallow, structurally controlled secondary permeability may overlay zones of deep secondary permeability. Regardless of whether the shallow permeability is connected with the deep permeability, shallow groundwater flow can mask the presence of deep hydrothermal flow, resulting in blind geothermal systems. Ideally, hydraulic connectivity between shallow and deep secondary permeability is limited, so that shallow groundwater does not cool potential geothermal reservoirs.

Conference Paper↗
USGS2004

Geologic Map of the Woodland Quadrangle, Clark and Cowlitz Counties, Washington

The Woodland 7.5' quadrangle is situated in the Puget-Willamette Lowland approximately 50 km north of Portland, Oregon (fig. 1). The lowland, which extends from Puget Sound into west-central Oregon, is a complex structural and topographic trough that lies between the Coast Range and the Cascade Range. Since late Eocene time, the Cascade Range has been the locus of an active volcanic arc associated with underthrusting of oceanic lithosphere beneath the North American continent along the Cascadia Subduction Zone. The Coast Range occupies the forearc position within the Cascadia arc-trench system and consists of a complex assemblage of Eocene to Miocene volcanic and marine sedimentary rocks. The Woodland quadrangle lies at the northern edge of the Portland Basin, a roughly 2000-km2 topographic and structural depression that is the northernmost of several sediment-filled structural basins, which collectively constitute the Willamette Valley segment of the Puget-Willamette Lowland (Beeson and others, 1989; Swanson and others, 1993; Yeats and others, 1996). The Portland Basin is approximately 70 km long and 30 km wide; its long dimension is oriented northwest. Its northern boundary coincides, in part, with the lower Lewis River, which flows westward through the center of the quadrangle. The Lewis drains a large area in the southern Washington Cascade Range, including the southern flank of Mount St. Helens approximately 25 km upstream from the quadrangle, and joins the Columbia River about 6 km south of Woodland (fig. 1). Northwest of Woodland, the Columbia River exits the broad floodplain of the Portland Basin and flows northward through a relatively narrow bedrock valley at an elevation near sea level. The flanks of the Portland Basin consist of Eocene through Miocene volcanic and sedimentary rocks that rise to elevations exceeding 2000 ft (610 m). Seismic-reflection profiles (L.M. Liberty, written commun., 2003) and lithologic logs of water wells (Swanson and others, 1993; Mabey and Madin, 1995) indicate that as much as 550 m of late Miocene and younger sediments have accumulated in the deepest part of the basin near Vancouver. Most of this basin-fill material was carried in from the east by the Columbia River but sediment deposited by streams draining the adjacent highlands are locally important. The Portland Basin has been interpreted as a pull-apart basin located in the releasing stepover between two en echelon, northwest-striking, right-lateral fault zones (Beeson and others, 1985, 1989; Beeson and Tolan, 1990; Yelin and Patton, 1991; Blakely and others, 1995). These fault zones are thought to reflect regional transpression and dextral shear within the forearc in response to oblique subduction of the Pacific Plate along the Cascadia Subduction Zone (Pezzopane and Weldon, 1993; Wells and others, 1998). The southwestern margin of the Portland Basin is a well-defined topographic break along the base of the Tualatin Mountains, an asymmetric anticlinal ridge that is bounded on its northeast flank by the Portland Hills Fault Zone (Balsillie and Benson, 1971; Beeson and others, 1989; Blakely and others, 1995), which is probably an active structure (Wong and others, 2001; Liberty and others, 2003). The nature of the corresponding northeastern margin of the basin is less clear, but a poorly defined and partially buried dextral extensional fault zone has been hypothesized from topography, microseismicity, potential field-anomalies, and reconnaissance geologic mapping (Beeson and others, 1989; Beeson and Tolan, 1990; Yelin and Patton, 1991; Blakely and others, 1995). Another dextral structure may control the north-northwest-trending reach of the Columbia River between Portland and Longview (Blakely and others, 1995; Evarts, 2002; Evarts and others, 2002). This map is a contribution to a U.S. Geological Survey program designed to improve the geologic database for the Portland Basin part of the Pacific Northwest urban corridor,

Scientific Investigations Map↗
USGS2007

Geologic Map of Oasis Valley Spring-Discharge Area and Vicinity, Nye County, Nevada

This map report presents the geologic framework of an area in southern Nye County, Nevada, that extends from the southern limit of the Oasis Valley spring-discharge site, northeastward to the southwest margin of the Pahute Mesa testing area, on the Nevada Test Site. This map adds new surficial mapping and revises bedrock mapping previously published as USGS Open-File Report 99-533-B. The locations of major concealed structures were based on a combination of gravity and magnetic data. This report includes a geologic discussion explaining many of the interpretations that are presented graphically on the map and sections. Additional discussion of the geologic framework of the Oasis Valley area can be found in an interpretive geophysical report and in a geologic report (USGS Open-File Report 99-533-A that was a companion product to the previously published version of this map. The map presented here covers nine 7.5-minute quadrangles centered on the Thirsty Canyon SW quadrangle. It is a compilation of one previously published quadrangle map and eight new quadrangle maps, two of which were published separately during the course of the study. The new bedrock mapping was completed by S.A. Minor from 1991 to 1995, by C.J. Fridrich from 1992 to 1998, and by P.L. Ryder from 1997 to 1998. New surficial-deposits mapping was completed by J.L. Slate and M.E. Berry in 1998 and 1999. The new bedrock and surficial mapping is partly a revision of several unpublished reconnaissance maps completed by Orkild and Swadley in the 1960's, and of previously published maps by Maldonado and Hausback (1990), Lipman and others (1966); and Sargent and Orkild (1976). Additionally, mapping of the pre-Tertiary rocks of northern Bare Mountain was compiled from Monsen and others (1992) with only minor modification. The cross sections were drawn to a depth of about 5 km below land surface at the request of hydrologists studying the Death Valley ground-water system. Below a depth of about 1 kilometer, surface constraints offer only faint guidance, and the deep interpretations shown are constrained primarily by geophysical data, and are model-dependent. The estimated thickness of the Tertiary volcanic and sedimentary strata is shown on the cross sections with an overlain blue line, which has a very rounded form because it was modeled from gravity data. Several small faults that appear on the map were omitted from the cross sections for the sake of clarity. Within the Oasis Valley basin alone, the pattern of domino-style faulting shown on the cross sections is based on an interpretation of aeromagnetic data, but is strictly schematic.

Scientific Investigations Map↗
USGS2004

Geologic Map of the Saint Helens Quadrangle, Columbia County, Oregon, and Clark and Cowlitz Counties, Washington

The Saint Helens 7.5' quadrangle is situated in the Puget-Willamette Lowland approximately 35 km north Portland, Oregon. The lowland, which extends from Puget Sound into west-central Oregon, is a complex structural and topographic trough that lies between the Coast Range and the Cascade Range. Since late Eocene time, Cascade Range has been the locus of a discontinuously active volcanic arc associated with underthrusting of oceanic lithosphere beneath the North American continent along the Cascadia Subduction Zone. The Coast Range occupies the forearc position within the Cascadia arc-trench system and consists of a complex assemblage of Eocene to Miocene volcanic and marine sedimentary rocks. The Saint Helens quadrangle lies in the northern part of the Portland Basin, a roughly 2000-km2 topographic and structural depression. It is the northernmost of several sediment-filled structural basins that collectively constitute the Willamette Valley segment of the Puget-Willamette Lowland (Beeson and others, 1989; Swanson and others, 1993; Yeats and others, 1996). The rhomboidal basin is approximately 70 km long and 30 km wide, with its long dimension oriented northwest. The Columbia River flows west and north through the Portland Basin at an elevation near sea level and exits through a confined bedrock valley less than 2.5 km wide about 16 km north of Saint Helens. The flanks of the basin consist of Eocene through Miocene volcanic and sedimentary rocks that rise to elevations exceeding 2000 ft (610 m). Seismic-reflection profiles (L.M. Liberty, written commun., 2003) and lithologic logs of water wells (Swanson and others, 1993; Mabey and Madin, 1995) indicate that as much as 550 m of late Miocene and younger sediments have accumulated in the deepest part of the basin near Vancouver. Most of this basin-fill material was carried in from the east by the Columbia River but contributions from streams draining the adjacent highlands are locally important. The Portland Basin has been interpreted as a pull-apart basin located in the releasing stepover between two echelon, northwest-striking, right-lateral fault zones (Beeson and others, 1985, 1989; Beeson and Tolan, 1990; Yelin and Patton, 1991; Blakely and others, 1995). These fault zones are thought to reflect regional transpression and dextral shear within the forearc in response to oblique subduction along the Cascadia Subduction Zone Pezzopane and Weldon, 1993; Wells and others, 1998). The southwestern margin of the Portland Basin is a well-defined topographic break along the base of the Tualatin Mountains, an asymmetric anticlinal ridge that is bounded its northeast flank by the Portland Hills Fault Zone (Balsillie and Benson, 1971; Beeson and others, 1989; Blakely and others, 1995), which is probably an active structure (Wong and others, 2001; Liberty and others, 2003). The nature of the corresponding northeastern margin of the basin is less clear, but a poorly defined and partially buried dextral extensional fault zone has been hypothesized from topography, microseismicity, potential fieldanomalies, and reconnaissance geologic mapping (Beeson and others, 1989; Beeson and Tolan, 1990; Yelin and Patton, 1991; Blakely and others, 1995). Another dextral structure, the Kalama Structural Zone of Evarts (2002), may underlie the north-northwest-trending reach of the Columbia River north of Woodland (Blakely and others, 1995). This map is a contribution to a U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) program designed to improve the geologic database for the Portland Basin region of the Pacific Northwest urban corridor, the populated forearc region of western Washington and Oregon. Better and more detailed information on the bedrock and surficial geology of the basin and its surrounding area is needed to refine assessments of seismic risk (Yelin and Patton, 1991; Bott and Wong, 1993), ground-failure hazards (Madin and Wang, 1999; Wegmann and Walsh, 2001) and resource availability in this rapid

Scientific Investigations Map↗
USGS2000

Geologic map of the Alligator Ridge area, including the Buck Mountain East and Mooney Basin Summit quadrangles and parts of the Sunshine Well NE and Long Valley Slough quadrangles, White Pine County, Nevada

Data set describes the geology of Paleozoic through Quaternary units in the Alligator Ridge area, which hosts disseminated gold deposits. These digital files were used to create the 1:24,000-scale geologic map of the Buck Mountain East and Mooney Basin Summit Quadrangles and parts of the Sunshine Well NE and Long Valley Slough Quadrangles, White Pine County, east-central Nevada.

IMAP↗
USGS2000

Geologic map and database of the Salem East and Turner 7.5 minute quadrangles, Marion County, Oregon: A digital database

The Salem East and Turner 7.5-minute quadrangles are situated in the center of the Willamette Valley near the western margin of the Columbia River Basalt Group (CRBG) distribution. The terrain within the area is of low to moderate relief, ranging from about 150 to almost 1,100-ft elevation. Mill Creek flows northward from the Stayton basin (Turner quadrangle) to the northern Willamette Valley (Salem East quadrangle) through a low that dissects the Columbia River basalt that forms the Salem Hills on the west and the Waldo Hills to the east. Approximately eight flows of CRBG form a thickness of up to 700 in these two quadrangles. The Ginkgo intracanyon flow that extends from east to west through the south half of the Turner quadrangle is exposed in the hills along the southeast part of the quadrangle. Previous geologic mapping by Thayer (1939) and Bela (1981) while providing the general geologic framework did not subdivide the CRBG which limited their ability to delineate structural elements. Reconnaissance mapping of the CRBG units in the Willamette Valley indicated that these stratigraphic units could serve as a series of unique reference horizons for identifying post-Miocene folding and faulting (Beeson and others, 1985,1989; Beeson and Tolan, 1990). Crenna, et al. (1994) compiled previous mapping in the Willamette Valley in a study of the tectonics of the Salem area. The major emphasis of this study was to identify and map CRBG units within the Salem East and Turner Quadrangles and to utilize this detailed CRBG stratigraphy to identify and characterize structural features. Water well logs were used to provide better subsurface stratigraphic control. Three other quadrangles (Scotts Mills, Silverton, and Stayton NE) in the Willamette Valley have been mapped in this way (Tolan and Beeson, 1999). This area was a lowland area of weathered and eroded marine sedimentary when the Columbia River basalts encroached on this area approximately 15-16 m.y. ago. An incipient Coast Range apparently stopped or diverted the fluid lava flows from moving much farther westward toward the coast at this latitude. It is assumed also that an ancestral Willamette River flowed northward through this low-lying area so that water was present as streams and ponds along the flood plain.

Oregon↗