Database of the Geologic Map of North America

U.S. Geological Survey

The “Geologic Map of North America” shows the geology of a significantly large area of the earth, centered on North and Central America and including the submarine geology of parts of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It is the first geologic map of North America to be compiled since the general acceptance of plate-tectonic theory and since radiometric dates for plutonic and volcanic rocks became widely available.

Through a lengthy process, the source maps were converted to a file geodatabase and published as U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 424. The geodatabase and associated style files replicate the cartography of the source map and distinguish more than 900 unique rock units, 110 of which are offshore.

As noted by the map’s compilers, “The ‘Geologic Map of North America’ is an essential educational tool for teaching the geology of North America to university students and for the continuing education of professional geologists in North America and elsewhere. In addition, simplified maps derived from the ‘Geologic Map of North America’ are useful for enlightening younger students and the general public about the geology of the continent.”

Free access to the database encourages study of the map by a much broader audience and facilitates comparison and analysis of the continent’s geology in conjunction with other types of data (for example, land use, soils, biology) to better understand the complex interrelations among factors that affect the earth’s resources, hazards, ecosystems, and climate.

Courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey.

Map Book Page [PDF]