Prospect- and Mine-Related Features from U.S. Geological Survey 7.5- and 15-Minute Topographic Quadrangle Maps of the Western United States

These data are part of a larger USGS project to develop an updated geospatial database of mines, mineral deposits and mineral regions in the United States. Mine and prospect-related symbols, such as those used to represent prospect pits, mines, adits, dumps, tailings, etc., hereafter referred to as “mine” symbols or features, are currently being digitized on a state-by-state basis from the 7.5-minute (1:24, 000-scale) and the 15-minute (1:48, 000 and 1:62,500-scale) archive of the USGS Historical Topographic Maps Collection, or acquired from available databases (California and Nevada, 1:24,000-scale only). Compilation of these features is the first phase in capturing accurate locations and general information about features related to mineral resource exploration and extraction across the U.S. To date, the compilation of 400,000-plus point and polygon mine symbols from approximately 51,000 maps of 17 western states (AZ, CA, CO, ID, KS, MT, ND, NE, NM, NV, OK, OR, SD, UT, WA, WY and western TX) has been completed. The process renders not only a more complete picture of exploration and mining in the western U.S., but an approximate time line of when these activities occurred. The data may be used for land use planning, assessing abandoned mine lands and mine-related environmental impacts, assessing the value of mineral resources from Federal, State and private lands, and mapping mineralized areas and systems for input into the land management process. The data are presented as three groups of layers based on the scale of the source maps. No reconciliation between the data groups was done.

本数据集隶属于美国地质调查局（USGS）一项更大规模的项目，该项目旨在构建美国境内矿山、矿床及矿物产区的更新版地理空间数据库。与矿山及探矿活动相关的符号（如用于标识探矿坑、矿井、平硐、废石堆、尾矿等的符号，以下统称“矿山”符号或要素）目前正以州为单位，从美国地质调查局（USGS）历史地形图馆藏的7.5分钟（1:24000比例尺）、15分钟（1:48000及1:62500比例尺）档案中进行数字化处理，或从现有数据库获取（加利福尼亚州与内华达州仅采用1:24000比例尺数据源）。对上述要素进行汇总是获取全美范围内与矿产资源勘探、开采相关要素的精准位置及基础信息的第一阶段工作。截至目前，已完成美国西部17个州（亚利桑那州、加利福尼亚州、科罗拉多州、爱达荷州、堪萨斯州、蒙大拿州、北达科他州、内布拉斯加州、新墨西哥州、内华达州、俄克拉荷马州、俄勒冈州、南达科他州、犹他州、华盛顿州、怀俄明州以及得克萨斯州西部）约51000幅地图中40万余个点、面状矿山符号的汇总工作。该流程不仅能完整呈现美国西部的勘探与采矿活动全貌，还可还原这些活动发生的大致时间线。本数据集可应用于土地利用规划、废弃矿山场地及矿山相关环境影响评估、联邦、州属及私有土地的矿产资源价值评估，以及为土地管理流程提供数据支撑的矿化区域与矿化系统制图工作。本数据集根据源地图比例尺分为三组图层集，未对各组数据进行协调统一处理。