Basement Domain Map of the Conterminous United States and Alaska

By Karen Lund, S.E. Box, C.S. Holm-Denoma, C.A. San Juan, R.J. Blakely,
R.W. Saltus, E.D. Anderson, and E.H. DeWitt 

2015

U.S. Geological Survey Data Series 898

ABSTRACT:

The basement-domain map is a compilation of basement domains in the
conterminous United States and Alaska designed to be used at
1:5,000,000-scale, particularly as a base layer for national-scale
mineral resource assessments. Seventy-seven basement domains are
represented as eighty-three polygons on the map. The domains are
based on interpretations of basement composition, origin, and
architecture and developed from a variety of sources. Analysis
of previously published basement, lithotectonic, and terrane maps
as well as models of planetary development were used to formulate
the concept of basement and the methodology of defining domains
that spanned the ages of Archean to the present but formed through
different processes. The preliminary compilations for the study
areas utilized these maps, national-scale gravity and aeromagnetic
data, published and limited new age and isotopic data, limited new
field investigations, and conventional geologic maps. Citation of
the relevant source data for compilations and the source and types
of original interpretation, as derived from different types of data,
are provided in supporting descriptive text and tables.

The tectonic settings for crustal types represented in the basement
domains are subdivided into constituent geologic environments and
the types of primary metals endowments and deposits in them are
documented. The compositions, architecture, and original metals
endowments are potentially important to assessments of primary mineral
deposits and to the residence and recycling of metals in the crust of
the United States portion of the North American continent. The
databases can be configured to demonstrate the construction of
the United States through time, to identify specific types of crust,
or to identify domains potentially containing metal endowments of
specific genetic types or endowed with specific metals. The databases
can also be configured to illustrate other purposes chosen by users.


DISCLAIMERS:

Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and
does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Although this information product, for the most part, is in the public domain,
it also contains copyrighted materials as noted in the text.  Permission to
reproduce copyrighted items for other than personal use must be secured from
the copyright owner.

This data base, identified as DS 898, has been approved for release and
publication by the Director of the U.S. Geological Survey.  Although this
database has been subjected to rigorous review and is substantially complete,
the U.S. Geological Survey reserves the right to revise the data pursuant
to further analysis and review. Furthermore, it is released on condition
that neither the U.S. geological Survey nor the U.S. Government may be held
liable for any damages resulting from its authorized or unauthorized use.

Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system at
the U.S. Geological Survey, no warranty expressed or implied is made regarding
the display or utility of the data on any other system, or for general or
scientific purposes, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such
warranty. The U.S. Geological Survey shall not be held liable for improper
or incorrect use of the data described and/or contained herein.

CONTENTS:

00Readme.txt
DS898.pdf

Metadata.zip

	Bsmt_CONUS_AK_met.xml (.html/_faq.html/.sgml))

datafiles:

	Bsmt_CONUS_AK.gdb.zip
		Bsmt_CONUS_AK_FINAL
		tbl2_Environs_Deposits

	Bsmt_CONUS_AK_shapefiles.zip
		Bsmt_CONUS_AK.shp (.dbf/.prj/.shp.xml/.shx)
		


	
TO ACCESS THE DATA

The data files can be downloaded via the web from http://pubs.usgs.gov/ds/898 or
from http://dx.doi.org/10.30133/ds898.

The text product is a Portable Document Format (.pdf) pamphlet which requires
Adobe Acrobat for viewing. Acrobat software runs on a variety of systems, and is
available for download free of charge from Adobe at http://www.adobe.com.

ArcReader is available free at: http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/arcreader/.

Software Recommended:
Adobe Acrobat (6.x, 7.x, or 8.x), or Adobe Acrobat Pro (6.x, 7.x, or 8.x),
or the free Adobe Reader (6.x, 7.x, or 8.x), 8.x is preferred.

ArcGIS 10.0 or newer preferred.