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Additional USGS Geoscience data can be found by geographic location or by publication series.

Southern Wasatch Plateau geology

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?

   U.S. Geological Survey, Central Energy Resources Team, Dubiel, R.F., Kirschbaum, M.A., Roberts, L.N.R., Mercier, T.J., and Heinrich, A., 2000, Southern Wasatch Plateau geology: U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, CO.

   Online Links:

   • <http://energy.cr.usgs.gov/coal/nca/cpgis.htm>

   Other_Citation_Details:

   in subdir 62k (defines appropriate maximum scale for data use)
   chap. S, Geology and coal resources of the Blackhawk Formation in the southern Wasatch Plateau, central Utah

   This is part of the following larger work.

   Kirschbaum, M.A., Roberts, L.N.R., and Biewick, L.R.H., 2000, Geologic Assessment of Coal in the Colorado Plateau: U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1625-B, U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, CO.

2. What geographic area does the data set cover?

   West_Bounding_Coordinate: -111.5252

   East_Bounding_Coordinate: -111.1250

   North_Bounding_Coordinate: 39.2502

   South_Bounding_Coordinate: 38.6250

3. What does it look like?

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

   Calendar_Date: 2000

   Currentness_Reference: Publication Date

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

   Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: map

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

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

      • GT-polygon composed of chains (51)

   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 .0001. Longitudes are given to the nearest .0001. Latitude and longitude values are specified in Decimal degrees.

      The horizontal datum used is North American Datum 1927.
      The ellipsoid used is Clarke 1866.
      The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378206.4.
      The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/294.98.
      

7. How does the data set describe geographic features?

   ws_geol.dbf

   Shapefile Attribute Table (Source: None)

   Area

   Area of polygon (Source: Software computed)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0.000
   Maximum:	0.116

   Perimeter

   Perimeter of polygon (Source: Software computed)

   Range of values
   Minimum:	0.003
   Maximum:	3.913

   Code

   name of geologic unit

Who produced the data set?

1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)
   • U.S. Geological Survey, Central Energy Resources Team
   • Dubiel, R.F.
   • Kirschbaum, M.A.
   • Roberts, L.N.R.
   • Mercier, T.J.
   • Heinrich, A.

2. Who also contributed to the data set?

3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
   U.S. Geological Survey, Central Energy
   P.O. Box 25046 MS 939 Denver Federal Center
   Denver, CO 80225
   USA
   

   303.236.4608 (voice)
   

Why was the data set created?

The Nation's coal resources are being reassessed by the USGS. This assessment identifies and characterizes the coal beds and coal zones that will provide the bulk of the nation's coal-derived energy during the next century. This assessment is different from previous large-scale USGS assessments because files and databases are being stored in a digital format and are being analyzed using a Geographic Information System (GIS).

How was the data set created?

1. From what previous works were the data drawn?

   Spieker, 1931 (source 1 of 1)

   Spieker, E.M., USGS, 1931, The Wasatch Plateau Coal Field, Utah: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 819, U.S. Geological Survey, Washington, DC.

   Other_Citation_Details: Plates 31, 32, and 33

   Type_of_Source_Media: paper

   Source_Scale_Denominator: 62500

   Source_Contribution: geologic unit polygons of the southern Wasatch Plateau

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

   Date: 1997 (process 1 of 1)

   Paper map was digitized on tablet using ARC/INFO. Polygon topology was built and the Code field was added to the polygon attribute table and attributed accordingly. The resultant Polyconic coverage was then loaded into ArcView and converted to a geographic shapefile.

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?

   All attributes have been cross-checked with published USGS maps and are accurate.

2. How accurate are the geographic locations?

   limited to software coordinate precision

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 observations, including topology?

   topologically clean

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: 1:62500 scale

1. Who distributes the data set? (Distributor 1 of 1)
   U.S. Geological Survey, Central Energy
   P.O. Box 25046, MS 939 Denver Federal Center
   Denver, CO 80225
   USA
   

   303.236.4608 (voice)
   

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

3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?

   Any use of trade, product, or company names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system at the U.S. Geological Survey, no warranty expressed or implied is made by the USGS regarding the utility of the data on any other system, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty. This data is not a legal document and is not intended to be used as such.

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

     Data format:	ARC/INFO coverage, export file, and shapefile (version ARC/INFO 7.0.4, ArcView 2.1)
     Network links:	<http://energy.cr.usgs.gov/coal/nca/cpgis.htm>
     Media you can order:	CD-ROM (format ISO 9660)

   • Cost to order the data: none

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

   need ARC/INFO 7.0.4 or greater and/or ArcView 2.1 or greater and/or ArcExplorer (which can be downloaded free from <URL:http://www.esri.com>) and/or other software that can read ARC/INFO coverages, ARC/INFO export files, or shapefiles
   

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:

Last modified: 1998

Metadata author:

U.S. Geological Survey, GD, Central Energy
Box 25046 MS 939 Denver Federal Center
Denver, CO 80225
USA

303.236.4608 (voice)

Metadata standard:

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