USGS: science for a changing world

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CIRCULAR 1178

1998 Assessment of Undiscovered Deposits of Gold, Silver, Copper, Lead, and Zinc in the United States—CD-ROM Containing Circular Report, Data Base, and Graphical Display Program

By  
the U.S. Geological Survey National Mineral Resource Assessment Team

U.S. Department of the Interior
Bruce Babbitt, Secretary

U.S. Geological Survey
Charles G. Groat, Director

Free on application to the U.S. Geological Survey, Information Services, Box 25286, Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225

2000

Prepared in the Eastern Region, Reston, VA.
Approved for publication February 11, 1999

 

Overview

The 1998 National Mineral Resource Assessment of Undiscovered Deposits of Gold, Silver, Copper, Lead, and Zinc of the United States is a Windows desktop application. The program is designed to be an entirely standalone application. The goal of the application is to provide an easy way to access and explore a wide variety of mineral resource data for the Nation as a whole.

System Requirements

The following are minimum and recommended requirements for running the USGS National Mineral Resource AssessmentÔ

Installation

To install the USGS National Mineral Resource Assessment, launch Windows Explorer and double-click on NASetup.exe. Follow the instructions given by the installation program.

The installation process may request a reboot during the install. Leave the CD in the drive during the reboot. After the reboot, continue selecting the Next and Finish buttons to complete the install.

The USGS National Mineral Resource Assessment installs on the hard drive of your computer and accesses the GIS data directly from the CD. Although the USGS National Mineral Resource Assessment will run only on Win32 operating systems, the CD can be used on Macintosh and Unix computers for access to data and HTML files via your browser.

If you do not already have Acrobat Reader installed on your machine please use the installers in the Acrobat folder.

Features

As a standalone desktop application, USGS National Mineral Resource Assessment is a complete, easy-to-use GIS data viewer. With USGS National Mineral Resource Assessment you can:

Tutorial

The opening splash screen offers two choices - Alaska and the conterminous United States.  Selecting Alaska opens two windows - the map browser window and this user manual in a larger web-browser window behind the map window.

The map window consists of a menu bar and  tool bar across the top, a map key on the left with tabs on the top, the map window on the right, and an index map in the lower left showing where the map window is positioned in the overview.

Doubleclicking on the Alaska layer in the key prompts the user with

Select "Yes."

The map window shows the Alaska region map.  Select the Layers tab at the top of the key. Select the check box just to the left of "Besshi Massive Sulfide."   Next highlight the Besshi theme in the key by selecting the paintbrush icon to the left of the checkbox.  Now select the redraw tool at the left-hand end of the tool bar.  This draws the Besshi tracts in the main map window.  The colors of the tracts have no significance.  They were chosen at random.

Select the tool, then click on a tract.  This displays the tabular information for the tract.  Put it away with the x button. 

The next step will put away this user manual but you can restore it at any time by selecting the "Back" tool in the web browser window or by selecting the map browser in the taskbar at the bottom of your screen, then selecting the Help menu in the map browser. 

Select the tool.  Then click on the purple tract on the southern coast to display the rationale for the tract.  In the rationale, select any of the blue hypertext links to see tonnages, model description, or the significant deposits list.

User Interface

The application user interface consists of:

The application interface is show below. The View frame lists the Layer/Map views and is located in the top left frame. Below it is the Inset view showing the location of the currently displayed map region. The large frame on the upper right is the Map view.

ToolBar Reference

The toolbar provides access to USGS National Mineral Resource Assessment's display, query, and analytical functions. The function of each tool is outlined below. These tools are described from left to right on the tool bar.

Redraw: Use this tool to refresh the view after turning on new themes. You can select themes to turn on by clicking on the layers tab and then clicking on from the list of layers.
Global View: Use this tool to display a view of the entire State or Quadrangle.
Save Shapefile. This tool allows you to save the shapefile for the selected layer from the CD to your hard disk.
Zoom In. Use this tool to zoom in on the position you click or the box you create by dragging the mouse on a view.
Zoom Out. Use the Zoom Out tool to zoom out from the position you click or the area you drag on a view.
Pan. Pan the Map view by dragging it in any direction.
Identify. Identify a feature by clicking on it.  First highlight the layer by clicking on the paintbrush icon.
Display rationales by clicking on a tract. You can also search for all tracts in an area by shift-clicking on the point of interest.
Select Features button allows the user to select features of an active theme in an area of interest. The user can draw a polygon in the area of interest, and the program will create a subset of data (tabular and features) for the area.  Click for each corner point of the selection polygon.  Doubleclick to close.
Go to Feature Record button allows the user to jump to a features record in an active table created by the Select Features command.
Find button. Use this tool to bring up the Find Feature dialog box and locate a map feature(s) based on a string in a text field. (Works on text fields only; use the Query Builder to find features based on numeric values.)
Query button. Use this button to query a data base. For an active theme, the user can query the data base by interactively creating logical expressions. For example, assuming the Conterminous US maps are loaded, highlight the Significant Deposits layer. Select the Query tool, STATE = 'NV', and the application will produce a subset of data matching that expression as well as highlight in yellow on the view those samples that match the expression.
Theme on Themes Selection button. Use to analyze relationships of one theme to another. User must first use Query button to create a subset of data upon which an analysis can be made. For example, assuming the Conterminous US maps are loaded, select Layers, then highlight the Cyprus tracts. Select the Query tool, STATE = 'NV', New Set. Select "New Set." Then select the Theme on Theme Selection tool, Target Layer, Significant Deposits. Select Use a distance..., (for example, 1000 meters) to find deposits that are within the specified distance of the Cyprus model tracts in Nevada.
Clear Selection button. Use to clear a selection from the screen or to clear an expression.
Show Table button. Use to show tabular dataset associated with a selection. You must first build a query to create a data subset.
Export Table button. Use to export all or part of a data table to a text file. For example, you can save the results of the Query outlined above for Significant Deposits, STATE = 'NV' as a table named "nv.txt". This file is comma-delimited plain text with quotes around the text fields. It can be imported into Excel or a data base.
Description or Metadata button. Use to display the metadata for particular theme. For example, highlight the Shaded Relief layer, select the Metadata tool, and the browser displays metadata such as on the original data source, resolution, and image-processing methods used to create the theme.
Map Tips button.  Highlight a theme in the key.  The data for a field in that theme will then be displayed for each feature on the map as the user moves the cursor on the screen.
Print button. Use Print to output the Map view to a preformatted map layout on your default printer.
Exit button. Use to exit the program at any time.

CD-ROM Organization and Contents

The CD-ROM contains a collection of geospatial data and associated information and is organized to allow for access to a variety of data files in a number of formats. The data directory on the CD-ROM contains ESRI shapefiles that may be used with ArcView GIS, ArcExplorer, and other GIS applications. The images used in this application are georeferenced and may be used in GIS applications as well.  

The tractmaps and tables have various colors chosen at random.  The specific colors have no particular significance and were chosen merely to add contrast.  All the tracts of each model have the same color making it easier to separate different models plotted on the same map.

The folder names and their contents follow:

Acrobat - Acrobat installer files

data

basedata - basemap shape files such as rivers, political boundaries

na - tract shape files

documentation - this user manual and associated files

html - rationales, metadata

images - splash screen and other images

install - microsoft cabinet file containing application and setup files

source_files -

Alaska rationales and references in MS Word format

Alaska models and tracts in MS Excel format

Testing

The USGS National Mineral Resource Assessment prototype testing has focused primarily on Pentium and 486 machines with 2x and faster CD-ROM readers. It has been tested under Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 95. Because PC architectures vary widely, the Map Objects application may not perform adequately on some occasions.

Although program tests have been made, no guarantee (expressed or implied) is made by the authors or the U.S. Geological Survey regarding program correctness, accuracy, or proper execution on all computer systems.

Contacts

Project chief, retired:

Richard B. McCammon
76 Roberson Rd.
Sequim, WA 98382 USA
Email address: mccammon@mail.olypen.com
Telephone: 360-681-0521
Fax: 360-681-0527

 

CD-ROM compiler:

Paul Schruben
U.S. Geological Survey MS 954
12201 Sunrise Valley Dr.
Reston, VA 20192
Email address: pschrube@usgs.gov
Telephone: 703-648-6142
Fax: 703-648-6252

 

Alaskan Assessment Editor:

Thomas D. Light  
U.S. Geological Survey
4200 University Dr.
Anchorage, AK 99508
Email address: tlight@usgs.gov
Telephone: 907-786-7431

Software License Agreement:

The graphical browser on this CD-ROM was written in Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) MapObjects language.  The USGS entered into a contractual agreement with ESRI to write and compile the code.  In return, ESRI granted the USGS unlimited distribution rights to the compiled code but not the source code.

Disclaimer

This Compact Disc-Read Only Memory (CD-ROM) publication was prepared by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, make any warranty, expressed or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed in this report, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference therein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. Any views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof.

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 U.S. Geological Survey as to the accuracy of the data and related materials and/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 this data, software, or related materials.

Graphical map depictions on this disc are intended to be used within the map scale limits applicable to the source data. Although software enables the user to show images on the disc at various scales, the user is cautioned to refer to the source documentation for the appropriate map scale limitations.

Acknowledgments:

The USGS wishes to thank numerous individuals in industry, academia, and State geological organizations for their help. The State Geologists of many of the States were particularly helpful in reviewing material that related to the significant deposits in their State.

Credits for the Conterminous U.S. Contributors:


 Project chief: Richard B. McCammon

National editors: Steve Ludington, Dennis Cox

Software/data managers: Paul Schruben, Barry Moring, David Sutphin

Significant deposits editors: Keith Long, John DeYoung, Dan Mosier

Regional editors: S.H.B. Clark, Michael Diggles, Alan Wallace, Leslie Cox, Steve Box

Statistician: David Root

Data technician: William Scott

Initial map digitization: Esther L. Castellanos, Martin L. Sorenson, Pamela D. Derkey, Leslie J. Cox, Garry E. Klein

Significant-deposits compilers: J.D. Bliss, A.A. Bookstrom, C.A. Carlson, L.J. Cox, W.C. Day, J.H. DeYoung, Jr., R.C. Evarts, David Frishman, R.J., Kamilli, Steve Ludington, D.L. Mosier, L.A. Moyer, Chris Osterman, M.L. Silberman, A.B. Wilson, S.H.B. Clark

Present and former USGS staff contributors: G.V. Albino, R.P. Ashley, R.A., Ayuso, W.C. Bagby, S.B. Bartsch-Winkler, B.R. Berger, R.J. Blakely, A.A. Bookstrom, S.E. Box, J.A. Briskey, Jr., C.E. Brown, M.W. Bultman, W.F. Cannon, C.A. Carlson, S.E. Church, S.H.B. Clark, C.M. Conway, D.P. Cox, L.J. Cox, J.P. D'Agostino, W.C. Day, E.H. DeWitt, M.F. Diggles, L.J. Drew, J.E. Elliott, J.G. Evans, R.C. Evarts, F.S. Fisher, M.P. Foose, E.R. Force, David Frishman, Jacob Gair, S.H. Garcia, M.E. Gettings, M.B. Goldhaber, A.E. Grosz, James Guthrie, T.F. Harms, J.J. Hemley, D.F. Huber, R.C. Jachens, B.R. Johnson, K.M. Johnson, R.J. Kamilli, T.L. Klein, M.D. Kleinkopf, R.P. Koeppen, G.L. LaBerge, C.E. Larsen, D.L. Leach, F.G. Lesure, D.A. Lindsey, B.R. Lipin, Steve Ludington, W.D. Menzie, J.T. Nash, S.W. Nicholson, C.J. Nutt, T.W. Offield, J.D. Peper, S.G. Peters, J.A. Peterson, W.J. Pickthorn, W.P. Pratt, G.S. Pitts, G.L. Raines, G.R. Robinson, J.J. Rytuba, M.G. Sawlan, K.J. Schulz, G.B. Sidder, P.K. Sims, D.A. Singer, J.F. Slack, G.T. Spanski, D.B. Stoeser, T.G. Theodore, R.M. Tosdal, W.S. Updegrove, J.G. Vietz, A.R. Wallace, J.W. Whipple, G.R. Winkler, L.G. Woodruff, M.L. Zientek, R.A. Zierenberg

Credits for the Alaska Contributors:

Project Chief: Richard B. McCammon

Editor: Thomas D. Light

Regional geologists: David A. Brew, Thomas K. Bundtzen, James L., Drinkwater, Bruce M. Gamble, Donald Grybeck, William J. Keith, Richard D. Koch, Thomas D. Light, Marti L. Miller, Warren J. Nokleberg, Jeanine M. Schmidt, Frederick H. Wilson, Warren Yeend

Geochemists: Stanley E. Church, Robert G. Eppinger, Karen D. Kelley, Richard J. Goldfarb, Richard I. Grauch, John E. Gray, James E. Kilburn, Gregory K. Lee, Cliff D. Taylor

Geophysicists: David F. Barnes, John W. Cady, David L. Campbell, Robert C. Jachens, Jeffrey D. Phillips, Richard W. Saltus

Resource analysts: Byron R. Berger, Dennis P. Cox, Larry J. Drew, W. David Menzie, Gregory T. Spanski

GIS compilation: Devon Peterson, James Hall

Reviewers: Paul B. Barton, Henry C. Berg, Donald H. Richter