Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Historic Geologic Map And The First Mapmakers

By Matthew Perry


When it comes to maps, there are many different types. In one case, a geologic map has nothing to do with travel. For, this type of map refers locations of interest based on geological aspects of different areas, such as that of fossils and rocks. As such, this type of map differs greatly from that of a road atlas or maps used by GPS systems.

In most cases, geologic data and strata are shown by colors and symbols to indicate a location based on land surface. Whereas, structural data such as plunges, lineages, folds and faults are shown with strikes and dips or trend marks. As a result, these markings often create a 3-D effect in the object.

Surface identification and marking can be somewhat more complex. For, if the object has been exposed to topsoil, backfill, bedrock or other materials, distance can often be miscalculated. As such, the individual measuring the distance from the surface to a geological unit will obtain the wrong information if these materials were included in the measurement.

The Turin Papyrus which has been well preserved is considered to be the oldest geological map in the world. For, the map dates back to 1150 BCE and shows the deposits of gold and stone from locations in Egypt. As such, the map has been one of the most interesting finds in the history of archaeology, geography, geology and history.

While the map dating back to 1150 BCE is the oldest, the oldest map of modern times is believed to be one which dates back to 1771, showing part of Auyergne. In this case, the map was made out of basalt while using prisms, balls and rocks to denote different geographical locations. While there have been a number of geological maps created over time, these are considered to be the most important in relation to the earliest days of the world.

Credit for developing the first geological map in the United States goes to William Maclure. For, in 1807 Maclure undertook the task of traveling to and surveying every state in the Union at the time. During the survey, it is reported that Maclure crossed the Allegheny mountains more than fifty times.

It was a journey and survey which would take over two years to complete. Reports show that the surveyor and mapmaker crossed over the Allegheny Mountains at least, if not more than fifty times in the process. As a result, findings show the distribution of five classes of different rocks now known only to exist in the Eastern most states of present-day United States.

While almost all United States geological maps are similar in comparison to that of the first one, a number are now overlaid on other topographical maps with colors, letters and symbols to mark different geographical aspects of the area. While symbols and letters are often used to notate different areas of the surface, faultlines and fossil findings, color is almost always used to denote the bedrock's exposure to the surface. As such, geological maps are often now used in earthquake sciences, marine biology, history, topology and other subsets of these areas.




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