CATALOGING DIGITAL DATA FROM PUBLISHED SUBSURFACE MAPPING BY THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

Subsurface geologic mapping requires significant investment of resources in compiling, formatting, processing, analyzing, and interpreting data. Ideally, these data should be treated as a corporate information asset. However, subsurface mapping at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is decentralized and data are developed on a project-by-project basis. There is no archive of 3D geological models (multilayer collections and X,Y,Z point grids)- and digital data from the subsurface is stored in a variety of places and formats that are not all connected to one another. Subsurface data compilation and synthesis efforts further Federal goals to develop and administer digital infrastructure for the curation, and dissemination of 3D geologic models and model-relevant subsurface data.

Here, we report progress on the development of a catalog of vector data derived from published structure contour and isopach maps that were produced by prior USGS subsurface investigations. The catalog includes a spatial geodatabase of bounding polygons that surround the mapped contours, plus attributes and nonspatial tables that define data type, source publication, data format, data resolution, and describe the geologic units being mapped. The current inventory contains more than 80 attributed vector datasets with associated nonspatial tables. Challenges in assembling this digital catalog included finding published studies in various on-line repositories, converting older spatial datasets to a standard, accessible format, developing a naming convention, and establishing common set of data attributes for user accessibility.

This database will be released as a downloadable spatial database accompanied by a report that discusses inventory methodology, and by a public-facing web-app where users may view and query the inventoried bounding polygons and be directed to downloadable datasets of the digital contour data. The inventory is intended to be updated on an as needed basis and the digital dataset versioned as additional datasets are added.