Sunday, April 14, 2019

Many Uses For A Geologic Map

By Douglas Lee


Typical everyday maps are useful for understanding distances between cities and planning a trip. Beyond this, their use is limited. A geologic map, however, has many uses because the information presented is valuable to city planners, construction industries, governments, landowners, and more. The information provided shows rock formations above and below the surface, fissures, mineral sources and other information that is used in many industries.

Highway construction almost always requires a geological survey. In order to be sure the road will last for years, they have to know what type of material they are laying the concrete over. If the ground is too soft or too hard to work with they can relocate or plan the route in a different area. They can also choose different materials to be sure the road works well on any material. Construction companies either hire a geologist company or have one on staff to read and interpret the information for planning.

One of the features provided is the location of groundwater. Desert areas especially need this information in order to locate aquifers and dig wells to provide water to a small community or individual landowner. In cases where there is a lot of water, construction companies need to know where the water table rises to avoid building in unstable areas.

Planning a location for a landfill is critical in many ways. The information from a geological survey helps with the location of a landfill to be sure any toxic runoff cannot enter a local water supply. This would be dangerous for people living in the area.

Locating tectonic plates is part of the building and planning process. Not only can a state help plan for safe building, but they can also avoid situations altogether by refusing permits for drilling and blasting in a zone that would cause earthquakes. They can also see changes over time and predict possible earthquakes in the future.

Mineral mining was greatly improved by using these systems. Companies are able to locate the minerals by depth and area to determine the best and safest mining procedures. They can also come close to determining how much might be available and whether or not mining would be worth it.

Timber companies also benefited by being able to use the surveys generated for the maps to get a count of the trees in an area. From here, they can produce the lumber, paper, and other products we use daily. With the soil and ground information, they are also able to work with environmental concerns to regrow and replace the trees that have been used for everyone's benefit.

Governments from the local to the federal level use the data for planning. Road construction usually requires this information. Local and state governments use the data to plan utility pipes, underground lines, and sewage systems to provide the services needed to a community.

Maps are something that everyone is familiar with. However, many are unaware of what or how geological surveys and maps are used to benefit our lives by construction companies and governments. Every day this data is used for consumer and environmental protection.




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