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Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS)

Frequently-anticipated questions:

• What does this data set describe?
  1. How should this data set be cited?
  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
  3. What does it look like?
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
  5. What is the general form of this data set?
  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
• Who produced the data set?
  1. Who are the originators of the data set?
  2. Who also contributed to the data set?
  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
• Why was the data set created?
• How was the data set created?
  1. From what previous works were the data drawn?
  2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?
  3. What similar or related data should the user be aware of?
• How reliable are the data; what problems remain in the data set?
  1. How well have the observations been checked?
  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the data, including topology?
• How can someone get a copy of the data set?
  1. Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?
  2. Who distributes the data?
  3. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set?
  4. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?
  5. How can I download or order the data?
• Who wrote the metadata?

What does this data set describe?

1. How should this data set be cited?

   George T. Mason, Jr., and Arndt, Raymond E. , 1996, Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS): U.S. Geological Survey Digital Data Series DDS-20, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA.

2. What geographic area does the data set cover?

   West_Bounding_Coordinate: -180

   East_Bounding_Coordinate: 180

   North_Bounding_Coordinate: 90

   South_Bounding_Coordinate: -90

3. What does it look like?

4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?

   Beginning_Date: 1968

   Ending_Date: 1998

   Currentness_Reference: Period in which information was added to the MRDS.

5. What is the general form of this data set?

6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
   1. How are geographic features stored in the data set?

      This is a Point data set. It contains the following vector data types (SDTS terminology):

      • Entity Point (111955)

   2. What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?

      Horizontal positions are specified in geographic coordinates, that is, latitude and longitude. Latitudes are given to the nearest 1. Longitudes are given to the nearest 1. Latitude and longitude values are specified in Degrees, minutes, and decimal seconds.

7. How does the data set describe geographic features?

   Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:

   1     RECNO               RECORD NUMBER:
   2     REC_TYPE            RECORD TYPE:
   3     USER_FIELD          USER FIELD:
   4     REP_DATE            REPORT DATE:
   5     ENTRY_DATE          DATE RECORD ENTERED FILE:
   6     FIL_LINK            FILE LINK IDENTIFICATION:
   7     REP                 REPORTER'S NAME:
   8     REP_AFF             REPORTER'S AFFILIATION:
   9     SYN                 SYNONYM NAME:
   10    DIST                MINING DISTRICT/AREA/SUBDIST:
   11    COUNTY              COUNTY:
   12    STATE_CODE          STATE CODE:
   13    CTRY_CODE           COUNTRY CODE:
   14    PHYS                PHYSIOGRAPHIC PROVINCE:
   15    DRAIN               DRAINAGE AREA:
   16    LAND_ST             LAND CLASSIFICATION:
   17    QUAD1               FIRST QUADRANGLE NO. OR NAME:
   18    Q1_SCALE            FIRST QUADRANGLE SCALE:
   19    QUAD2               SECOND QUADRANGLE NO. OR NAME:
   20    Q2_SCALE            SECOND QUADRANGLE SCALE:
   21    ELEV                ELEVATION:
   22    UTM_N               UTM (UNIVERSAL TRANSVERSE MERCATOR) NORTHING:
   23    UTM_E               UTM (UNIVERSAL TRANSVERSE MERCATOR) EASTING:
   24    UTM_Z               UTM (UNIVERSAL TRANSVERSE MERCATOR) ZONE NUMBER:
   25    ACC                 ACCURACY:
   26    TOWNSHIP            TOWNSHIP:
   27    RANGE               RANGE:
   28    SECTION             SECTION:
   29    SECT_FRACT          SECTION FRACTIONS:
   30    MERIDIAN            MERIDIAN:
   31    POSITION            POSITION FROM NEAREST SIGNIFICANT LOCALITY:
   32    LOCATION            LOCATION COMMENTS:
   33    SITE                DEPOSIT NAME:
   34    LAT                 LATITUDE:
   35    LONG                LONGITUDE:
   36    REFNO               REFERENCE NUMBERS:
   37    CTRY_NAME           COUNTRY NAME:
   38    COMMOD              COMMODITIES PRESENT:
   39    ORE_MAT             ORE MATERIALS (MINERALS, ROCKS):
   40    COM_USE             COMMODITY SUBTYPES OR USE CATEGORIES:
   41    GAD                 ANALYTICAL DATA (GENERAL):
   42    COMMOD_COM          COMMODITY COMMENTS:
   43    MAJOR               MAJOR PRODUCTS:
   44    MINOR               MINOR PRODUCTS:
   45    CLH_USE             CLEARING HOUSE USE:
   46    TRACE               TRACE OR OCCURRENCE COMMODITY:
   47    DEPL_ENV            DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT:
   48    ORE_AREA            OREBODY AREA:
   49    PROD                PRODUCTION (PROD, SML, MED, LGE, YES, NO):
   50    LOC_STRUCT          SIGNIFICANT LOCAL STRUCTURES:
   51    STATUS              STATUS OF EXPLORATION OR DEVELOPMENT:
   52    DISC                DISCOVERED BY WHOM:
   53    YR_DISC             YEAR OF DISCOVERY:
   54    NAT_DISC            NATURE OF DISCOVERY:
   55    YRFST_PROD          YEAR OF FIRST PRODUCTION:
   56    YRLST_PROD          YEAR OF LAST PRODUCTION:
   57    OWNER               PRESENT/LAST OWNER:
   58    OPER                PRESENT/LAST OPERATOR:
   59    EXPL_COM            EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT COMMENTS:
   60    DEP_TYPE            DEPOSIT TYPES:
   61    DEP_FORM            FORM/SHAPE OF DEPOSIT:
   62    DEPTH_TOP           DEPTH TO TOP:
   63    D_T_U               UNITS (DEPTH TO TOP):
   64    DEPTH_BOT           DEPTH TO BOTTOM:
   65    D_B_U               UNITS (DEPTH TO BOTTOM):
   66    MAX_LEN             MAX LENGTH:
   67    M_L_U               UNITS (MAX LENGTH):
   68    MAX_WID             MAX WIDTH:
   69    M_W_U               UNITS (MAX WIDTH):
   70    MAX_THICK           MAX THICKNESS:
   71    M_T_U               UNITS (MAX THICKNESS):
   72    DEP_SIZE            SIZE OF DEPOSIT:
   73    STRIKE              STRIKE OF OREBODY:
   74    DIP                 DIP OF OREBODY:
   75    PLUNGE_DIR          DIRECTION OF PLUNGE:
   76    PLUNGE              PLUNGE OF OREBODY:
   77    DDESC_COM           COMMENTS (DESCRIPTION OF DEPOSIT):
   78    QUAD250             NAME OF QUADRANGLE AT 1:250,000 SCALE:
   79    DEPTH_WK            DEPTH OF WORKINGS BELOW SURFACE:
   80    D_W_U               UNITS (DEPTH OF WORKINGS BELOW SURFACE):
   81    LEN_WK              LENGTH OF WORKINGS:
   82    L_W_U               UNITS (LENGTH OF WORKINGS):
   83    OV_LEN_WK           OVERALL LENGTH OF MINED AREA:
   84    O_L_U               UNITS (OVERALL LENGTH OF MINED AREA):
   85    OV_WID_WK           OVERALL WIDTH OF MINED AREA:
   86    O_W_U               UNITS (OVERALL WIDTH OF MINED AREA):
   87    OV_AREA_WK          OVERALL AREA:
   88    O_A_U               UNITS (OVERALL AREA):
   89    DWORK_COM           COMMENTS (DESCRIPTION OF WORKINGS):
   90    HR_AGE              AGE OF HOST ROCKS:
   91    HR_TYPE             HOST ROCK TYPES:
   92    AR_AGE              ASSOCIATED ROCK AGE:
   93    AR_TYPE             ASSOCIATED ROCK TYPE:
   94    MIN_AGE             AGE OF MINERALIZATION:
   95    NORE_MINS           PERTINENT MINERALOGY OTHER THAN ORE MINERALS:
   96    ORE_CNTL            IMPORTANT ORE CONTROL/LOCUS:
   97    ADMIN_AREA          ADMINISTRATIVE AREA:
   98    TECT_SET            TECTONIC SETTING:
   99    REG_STRUCT          MAJOR REGIONAL STRUCTURES OR TRENDS:
   100   ALTER               SIGNIFICANT ALTERATION:
   101   CONC                GEOLOGICAL PROCESSES OF CONCENTRATION OR ENRICHMENT:
   102   HRU_AGE             HOST ROCK UNIT AGE:
   103   HRU_NAME            HOST ROCK UNIT NAME:
   104   NAME                EDITOR'S NAME:
   105   DATE                DATE EDITED:
   106   ARU_AGE             ASSOCIATED ROCK UNIT AGE:
   107   ARU_NAME            ASSOCIATED ROCK UNIT NAME:
   108   ED_COM              EDIT COMMENTS:
   109   CONT_CODE           CONTINENT CODE:
   110   GEOL_COM            COMMENTS (GEOLOGY AND MINERAL):
   111   GEN_COM             GENERAL COMMENTS:
   112   REF                 REFERENCES:
   113   CONT_NAME           CONTINENT NAME:
   114   STATE_NAME          STATE NAME:
   115   ID_COM              IDENTIFICATION COMMENTS:
   116   COMMOD_SPC          COMMODITY SPECIALIST INFORMATION:
   117   WORK_TYPE           WORKINGS (SURFACE, UNERGROUND OR BOTH):
   118   AP_ITEM             ITEMS (ANNUAL PRODUCTION):
   119   AP_ACC              ACCURACY (ANNUAL PRODUCTION):
   120   AP_AMT              AMOUNT (ANNUAL PRODUCTION):
   121   AP_U                THOUSAND UNITS (ANNUAL PRODUCTION):
   122   AP_YEAR             YEAR (ANNUAL PRODUCTION):
   123   AP_GRADE            GRADE (ANNUAL PRODUCTION):
   124   CP_ITEM             ITEMS (CUMULATIVE PRODUCTION):
   125   CP_ACC              ACCURACY (CUMULATIVE PRODUCTION):
   126   CP_AMT              AMOUNT (CUMULATIVE PRODUCTION):
   127   CP_U                THOUSAND UNITS (CUMULATIVE PRODUCTION):
   128   CP_YEAR             YEARS (CUMULATIVE PRODUCTION):
   129   CP_GRADE            GRADE (CUMULATIVE PRODUCTION):
   130   AP_SOURCE           SOURCE OF INFORMATION (PRODUCTION):
   131   AP_COM              PRODUCTION COMMENTS:
   132   RPR_ITEM            ITEMS (RESERVES AND POTENTIAL RESOURCES):
   133   RPR_ACC             ACCURACY (RESERVES AND POTENTIAL RESOURCES):
   134   RPR_AMT             AMOUNT (RESERVES AND POTENTIAL RESOURCES):
   135   RPR_U               THOUSAND UNITS (RESERVES AND POTENTIAL RESOURCES):
   136   RPR_YEAR            YEAR (RESERVES AND POTENTIAL RESOURCES):
   137   RPR_GRADE           GRADE (RESERVES AND POTENTIAL RESOURCES):
   138   RPR_SOURCE          SOURCE OF INFORMATION (RESERVES AND POTENTIAL RESOURCES):
   139   RPR_COM             COMMENTS (RESERVES AND POTENTIAL RESOURCES):
   140   R_ITEM              ITEMS (RESERVES ONLY):
   141   R_ACC               ACCURACY (RESERVES ONLY):
   142   R_AMT               AMOUNT (RESERVES ONLY):
   143   R_U                 THOUSAND UNITS (RESERVES ONLY):
   144   R_YEAR              YEAR (RESERVES ONLY):
   145   R_GRADE             GRADE (RESERVES ONLY):
   146   R_SOURCE            SOURCE OF INFORMATION (RESERVES):
   147   R_COM               COMMENTS (RESERVES):
   148   PR_ITEM             ITEMS (POTENTIAL RESOURCES ONLY):
   149   PR_ACC              ACCURACY (POTENTIAL RESOURCES ONLY):
   150   PR_AMT              AMOUNT (POTENTIAL RESOURCES ONLY):
   151   PR_U                THOUSAND UNITS (POTENTIAL RESOURCES ONLY):
   152   PR_YEAR             YEAR (POTENTIAL RESOURCES ONLY):
   153   PR_GRADE            GRADE (POTENTIAL RESOURCES ONLY):
   154   PR_SOURCE           SOURCE OF INFORMATION (POTENTIAL RESOURCES):
   155   PR_COM              COMMENTS (POTENTIAL RESOURCES):
   156   SPEC_1              SPECIAL FIELD 1:
   157   OREMAT_CD           ORE MATERIAL CODED:
   158   DUP_RECS            DUPLICATE RECORDS:
   159   ELEV_U              ELEVATION UNITS:
   160   VOL_U               OREBODY VOLUME UNITS:
   161   ECON_COM            ECONOMIC COMMENTS:
   162   VOL                 OREBODY VOLUME:
   163   RECL_ST             RECLAMATION STATUS:
   164   RECL_STS            RECLAMATION STATUS SOURCE:
   165   ENV_COM             ENVIRONMENT COMMENTS:
   166   AREA_U              OREBODY AREA UNITS:
   167   MILL_CAP            MILL CAPACITY:
   168   INFRA               INFRASTRUCTURAL AND RESIDUAL FEATURES:
   169   USGS_WORK           1) WORK DONE BY USGS:
   170   NUSGS_WORK          1) WORK DONE BY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS:
   171   REPORTS             REPORTS AVAILABLE:
   172   PROD_YEARS          PRODUCTION YEARS:
   173   NOREMAT_CD          NON-ORE MATERIAL CODED:
   174   HR_CD               HOST ROCK CODED:
   175   AR_CD               ASSOCIATED ROCK CODED:
   176   PROV_CD             PROVINCE CODED:
   177   PDEP_ENV            PROFILE OF DEPOSIT ENVIRONMENT:
   178   UPD_DATE            UPDATED:
   179   UPDATER             BY:
   180   GAD_SRC             GENERAL ANALYTICAL DATA SOURCE:
   181   COMMOD_TYP          COMMODITY TYPE:
   182   MILL_BEN            MILLING BENEFICIATION PROCESS:
   183   QUAD24              NAME OF QUADRANGLE AT 1:24,000 SCALE:
   184   QUAD6250            NAME OF QUADRANGLE AT 1:62,500 SCALE:
   185   QUAD100             NAME OF QUADRANGLE AT 1:100,000 SCALE:
   186   QUAD_OTHR           NAME OF OTHER QUADRANGLE:
   187   QOTHR_SCL           SCALE OF OTHER QUADRANGLE:
   188   DATE_ISSUE          DATE RECORD ISSUED:
   189   REF_PAGE            PAGE NUMBERS FOR REFERENCES:
   190   UPD_AFF             UPDATER'S AFFILIATION:
   191   MODEL               USGS MODEL NAME:
   192   MODEL_NUM           USGS MODEL NUMBER:
   193   PROF_ID             ID PROFILE:
   194   PROF_LOC            LOCATION PROFILE:
   195   PF_COMMOD           COMMODITY PROFILE:
   196   PROF_EXPL           EXPLORATION PROFILE:
   197   PFDESC_DEP          DESCRIPTION OF DEPOSIT:
   198   PFDESC_WRK          DESCRIPTION OF WORKINGS:
   199   PROF_GEOL           GEOLOGY PROFILE:
   200   PROF_REF            REFERENCE PROFILE:
   201   PPROD_RESV          PRODUCTION AND RESERVES PROFILE:
   202   PROF_ALL            RECORD PROFILE:
   203   TPR_ITEM            TOTAL PRODUCTION, RESERVES, RESOURCES ITEM:
   204   TPR_ACC             TOTAL PRODUCTION, RESERVES, RESOURCES ACCURACY:
   205   TPR_AMT             TOTAL PRODUCTION, RESERVES, RESOURCES AMOUNT:
   206   TPR_U               TOTAL PRODUCTION, RESERVES, RESOURCES UNITS:
   207   TPR_YEAR            TOTAL PRODUCTION, RESERVES, RESOURCES YEAR:
   208   TPR_GRADE           TOTAL PRODUCTION, RESERVES, RESOURCES GRADE:
   209   TPR_SOURCE          TOTAL PRODUCTION, RESERVES, RESOURCES SOURCE:
   210   TPR_COM             TOTAL PRODUCTION, RESERVES, RESOURCES COMMENTS:
   211   HR_AGE_MV           MULTI-VALUED VERSION OF HOST ROCK AGE:
   212   HR_TYPE_MV          MULTI-VALUED VERSION OF HOST ROCK TYPE:
   213   HR_NUMBER           HOST ROCK NUMBER FOR SORTING MULTI-VALUES:
   214   AR_AGE_MV           MULTI-VALUED VERSION OF ASSOCIATED ROCK AGE:
   215   AR_TYPE_MV          MULTI-VALUED VERSION OF ASSOCIATED ROCK TYPE:
   216   AR_NUMBER           ASSOCIATED ROCK NUMBER FOR SORTING MULTI-VALUES:
   217   OREBODY_NM          ORE BODY NAME:
   218   OREBODY_NB          ORE BODY NUMBER:
   219   NAME_WK             WORKINGS NAME:
   220   WIDTH_WK            WIDTH OF WORKINGS:
   221   W_WK_U              WIDTH OF WORKINGS UNITS:
   222   HEIGHT_WK           HEIGHT OF WORKINGS:
   223   H_WK_U              HEIGHT OF WORKINGS UNITS:
   224   UNPUB_SRC           UNPUBLISHED REFERENCES:
   225   TYPE                EDITOR TYPE, EDITOR, REPORTER, UPDATER:
   226   AFFIL               EDITOR'S AFFILIATION:
   227   DEP_CODE            DEPOSIT TYPE CODE:
   228   HUC                 HYDROLOGIC UNIT:
   229   CP_SOURCE           CUMULATIVE PRODUCTION SOURCE:
   230   CP_COM              CUMULATIVE PRODUCTION COMMENTS:
   

   Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation:

   For indexed fields in the database, additional information about the attribute values is contained in the database and is accessible only through the help messages in the search software interface.

Who produced the data set?

1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)
   • George T. Mason, Jr.
   • Raymond E. Arndt

2. Who also contributed to the data set?

   Developments leading to the release of the digital Minerals Resources Data System on CD-ROM took several years and involved the efforts of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) commodity specialists, MRDS staff, and the Minerals Information Offices of the USGS. Data were obtained through cooperative agreements with geological surveys of U.S. States and other countries.
   The authors wish to acknowledge the following individuals who have contributed to the software and CD-ROM layout:
   Kim Butttleman , USGS, wrote GSSEARCH, the retrieval software.
   Dave Traudt, USGS, assembled the files and directories and created the MRDS menus.
   We used an eight digit hydrologic unit code from the U.S. Geological Survey Office of Water Data Coordination and GIRAS (Geographic Information Retrieval and Analysis system).
   The following individuals at the USGS provided the final technical review:
   Richard B. McCammon Walter J. Bawiec
   The authors would like to thank the contributors/updaters. The contributor is found in reporter name field (REP) and the updater is found in updater name field (UPDATER) of the record.
   The authors wish to thank the following individuals for their efforts in preparing and updating records for the Unix version of MRDS.
   

   Beougher, Deliah J.
   Berger, Mary
   Bolm, Karen
   Boyce, Edward G., Jr.
   Carrico, Linda
   Frank, David
   Huber, Don
   Jenness, Jane
   Johnson, Kate
   Marcus, Sue
   Mosier, Dan L.
   Pierce, Frances
   Schruben, Paul
   Sherlock, Maureen
   

3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
   George Mason
   U.S. Geological Survey
   915 National Center
   Reston, VA 20192
   USA
   

   (703) 648-4404 (voice)
   (703) 648-6252 (FAX)
   gmason@usgs.gov
   

Why was the data set created?

MRDS was developed primarily to store descriptive and archived historical data about mineral deposit sites, including mines, prospects, and occurrences. MRDS became a reference tool for Federal, State, and nongovernment scientists seeking location and descriptive geologic information about a deposit.

How was the data set created?

1. From what previous works were the data drawn?

2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?

   Date: 1996 (process 1 of 1)

   Data were gathered by USGS from the following agencies over a period of many years. In some cases information came from existing data bases, while in others the data were assembled from smaller sources and citations. The database contains fields indicating the name of the person who entered or updated each record.
   FEDERAL AGENCIES
   

   U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
   U.S. Bureau of Mines (USBM)
   U.S. Department of State (DOS)
   U.S. Department of State, Regional Resource Officers (DOS-RRO)
   U.S. Forest Service (USFS)
   U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
   U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA)
   U.S. Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)
   

   STATE AGENCIES
   

   Alabama Geological Survey (AGS)
   Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys (ADGGS)
   Arizona Bureau of Geology and Mineral Technology (ABGMT)
   Arizona Geological Survey (AZGS)
   Colorado Geological Survey (CGS)
   Georgia Geological Survey (GGS)
   Idaho Bureau of Mines and Geology (IBMG)
   Idaho Geological Survey (IGS)
   Illinois State Geological Survey (ISGS)
   Michigan Geological Survey Division (MGSD)
   Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology (MBMG)
   Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology (NBMG)
   New Jersey Bureau of Geology and Topography (NJBGT)
   New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources (NMBMMR)
   New York State Geological Survey (NYSGS)
   North Carolina Division of Land Resources (NCDLR)
   Oklahoma Geological Survey (OGS)
   Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (ODGMI)
   South Carolina Geological Survey (SCGS)
   South Dakota Geological Survey (SDGS)
   Tennessee Department of Conservation, Division of Geology (TDCDG)
   Utah Geological and Mineral Survey (UGMS)
   Virginia Division of Mineral Resources (VDMR)
   Vermont Agency of Environmental Conservation (VAEC)
   

   FOREIGN AGENCIES
   

   Australia Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology, and Geophysics (ABMRGG)
   British Geological Survey (BGS)
   Bundesanstalt Fuer Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe (BGR)
   Bureau of Mineral Resources, Canberra, Australia (BMRAU)
   Energy Mines and Resources of Canada (EMRC)
   Geological Survey of Canada (GSC)
   Geological Survey of South Africa (GSSA or SAGS)
   Institute of Geology; Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOGCH)
   Instituto Geologico Minero Metalurgico, Peru (INGEMMET)
   Mineral Policy Sector, Department of Energy Mines and Resources, Ottawa, Canada (CANMPS)
   Minerals Bureau of South Africa (MBSA)
   Ministerio de Recursos Naturales de la Republica de Honduras (MRNRH)
   Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources (PRDNR)
   Servicio Geologico de Bolivia (GEOBOL)
   

   OTHERS
   

   Adelaide University (AU)
   BHP Utah Industries (BHP)
   Universidad Nacional De Agustin, Peru (UNSA)
   University of Arizona (UAZ)
   University of Oklahoma (OU)
   

3. What similar or related data should the user be aware of?

How reliable are the data; what problems remain in the data set?

1. How well have the observations been checked?

   The data came from many different sources and there has been no consistent program to verify the accuracy of the information. The database field ACC is intended to indicate the accuracy of each record, although this quantity primarily refers to the positional accuracy and was entered by the person who created or updated each record.
   

2. How accurate are the geographic locations?

   Positional accuracy is variable among records in the database because the data came from multiple sources and no consistent program has been implemented to verify the accuracy of the positional information. The database field ACC contains an indicator of the accuracy of the information in the record, which generally focuses on the positional accuracy but may in some cases refer to other attributes as well.

3. How accurate are the heights or depths?

4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?

   Although the dataset is global in extent, coverage varies from country to country and state to state because the data collection was contingent upon formal scientific collaboration or research programs being established by USGS in those areas.

5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?

   Because the data come from multiple sources, terminology varies and similar characteristics may be described differently.

How can someone get a copy of the data set?

Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?

Access_Constraints: none

Use_Constraints: none

1. Who distributes the data set? (Distributor 1 of 1)
   U.S. Geological Survey Information Services
   Box 25286, Denver Federal Center
   Denver, CO 80225-0286
   USA
   

   1-8888-ASK-USGS (voice)
   (303) 202-4693 (FAX)
   

2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set?

   USGS Digital Data Series DDS-20

3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?

   Although all data and software published on this CD-ROM have been used by the USGS, no warranty, expressed or implied, is made by the USGS as to the accuracy of the data and related materials or the functioning of the software. The act of distribution shall not constitute any such warranty, and no responsibility is assumed by the USGS in the use of these data, software, or related materials.
   

4. How can I download or order the data?
   • Availability in digital form:

     Data format:	database records in format GSSEARCH database format, documented in software/gssearch.doc
     Media you can order:	CD-ROM (format ISO 9660)

   • Cost to order the data: See <http://mapping.usgs.gov/esic/prices/index.html>

5. What hardware or software do I need in order to use the data set?

   GSSEARCH software provided on the CD runs under MS-DOS or compatible operating system.

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:

Last modified: 23-Sep-1998

Metadata author:

George Mason
U.S. Geological Survey
915 National Center
Reston, VA 20192
USA

(703) 648-4404 (voice)
(703) 648-6252 (FAX)
gmason@usgs.gov

Metadata standard:

Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998)