GEOLOGICAL MAPPING: VITAL INFORMATION FOR NATIONAL DECISIONS

Geoscience information underpins essential decisions made by local, state, and national decision makers on topics ranging from natural hazard mitigation to climate change adaption to infrastructure planning to energy, water, and mineral resource development. It is crucial that this information is collected and presented to enhance understanding and usefulness: geologic maps frequently serve that purpose. Several recent pieces of legislation from the 115^th Congress recognize the importance of geologic mapping and highlight the need for additional mapping to meet national goals. For example, the “Energy and Natural Resources Act of 2017” (S.1460), calls for geological mapping to identify potential locations of critical minerals and the “National Landslide Preparedness Act” (H.R.1675, S.698), encourages mapping, specifically 3D elevation data, as a tool for identifying landslide hazards. Yet the current era of constrained federal budgets means greatly increased federal resources for mapping and geoscience research are unlikely. What are the opportunities and challenges presented by new mapping technologies, the big data revolution, and open access trends in scholarly publishing to drive demand and resources for mapping from policymakers and the public? Is there a role for scientific societies and scientists to create geoscientific information maps and derivatives for user communities while maintaining scientific rigor and respecting the sometimes regulatory role the maps may play?