Geologic map of the Palisade Quadrangle, Mesa County, Colorado

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Title: Geologic map of the Palisade Quadrangle, Mesa County, Colorado
Abstract:
The Palisade 1:24,000 quadrangle is in Mesa County in western Colorado. Because the map area is dominated by various surficial deposits, the map depicts 22 different Quaternary units. Two prominent river terraces are present in the quadrangle containing gravels deposited by the Colorado River. The map area contains many mass movement deposits. Extensive landslide deposits are present along the eastern part of the quadrangle. These massive landslides originate on the flanks of Grand Mesa, in the Green River and Wasatch Formations, and flow west onto the Palisade quadrangle. In addition, large areas of the eastern and southern parts of the map are covered by extensive pediment surfaces. These pediment surfaces are underlain by debris flow deposits also originating from Grand Mesa. Material in these deposits consists of mainly subangular basalt cobbles and boulders and indicate that these debris flow deposits have traveled as much as 10 km from their source area. The pediment surfaces have been divided into 5 age classes based on their height above surrounding drainages.
Two common bedrock units in the map area are the Mancos Shale and the Mesaverde Group both of Upper Cretaceous age. The Mancos shale is common in low lying areas near the western map border. The Mesaverde Group forms prominent sandstone cliffs in the north-central map area.
The map is accompanied by a separate pamphlet containing unit descriptions, a section on geologic hazards (including landslides, piping, gullying, expansive soils, and flooding), and a section on economic geology (including sand and gravel, and coal). A table indicates what map units are susceptible to a given hazard. Approximately twenty references are cited at the end of the report.
Supplemental_Information:
Map political location: Mesa County, Colorado
Compilation scale: 1:24,000
Geology mapped in 1996 and 1997
  1. How might this data set be cited?
    Carrara, Paul, 2000, Geologic map of the Palisade Quadrangle, Mesa County, Colorado: U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-2326, U.S. Geological Survey, Denver, Colorado.

    Online Links:

  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
    West_Bounding_Coordinate: -108.375
    East_Bounding_Coordinate: -108.25
    North_Bounding_Coordinate: 39.125
    South_Bounding_Coordinate: 39.00
  3. What does it look like?
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
    Calendar_Date: 27-Sep-1997
    Currentness_Reference:
    publication date
  5. What is the general form of this data set?
  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
    1. How are geographic features stored in the data set?
      This is a Vector data set.
    2. What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?
      The map projection used is Lambert Conformal Conic.
      Projection parameters:
      Standard_Parallel: 38.45
      Longitude_of_Central_Meridian: -105.5
      Latitude_of_Projection_Origin: 37.83
      False_Easting: 00
      False_Northing: 00
      Planar coordinates are encoded using coordinate pair
      Abscissae (x-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 0.001
      Ordinates (y-coordinates) are specified to the nearest 0.001
      Planar coordinates are specified in METERS
      The horizontal datum used is North American Datum of 1927.
      The ellipsoid used is Clarke 1866.
      The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378206.4.
      The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/294.98.
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
    PALPOLY.PAT
    Polygons depicting mapped rock units
    CODE
    Use of the TEXT value
    ValueDefinition
    500Unit labels text & tag
    501Hidden unit tags
    P1
    ValueDefinition
    0 
    100 
    103 
    110 
    112 
    114 
    115 
    118 
    147 
    176 
    177 
    178 
    179 
    181 
    205 
    206 
    207 
    208 
    209 
    300 
    P2
    ValueDefinition
    0 
    20 
    50 
    80 
    100 
    TEXT
    Abbreviation of mapped unit designation
    ValueDefinition
    KmMancos Shale
    KmvMesaverde Group
    QTbrBasalt rubble
    QacUndivided alluvium and colluvium
    QalcStream channel and floodplain deposits along the Colorado River (Qalc1) and Alluvium (Qalc2)
    QduDebris-flow deposits of Rapid Creek
    QdyDebris-flow deposits of Watson Creek
    QfyFan alluvium
    Qlslandslide deposits
    QpPediment deposits
    QtTalus
    Qt2Terrace alluvium (middle Pleistocene)
    Qt3Terrace alluvium (early Pleistocene)
    QtlTerrace alluvium (late Pleistocene)
    TbBasalt of Grand Mesa
    TgAlluvium (Pliocene?)
    TwWasatch Formation
    Water 
    afArtificial fill
    SYMBOL
    ValueDefinition
    0 
    6 
    10 
    14 
    22 
    24 
    28 
    39 
    43 
    54 
    60 
    72 
    110 
    116 
    182 
    298 
    427 
    459 
    485 
    519 
    PALPOLY.AAT
    Lines bounding polygons of map units
    CODE
    Use of the TEXT value
    ValueDefinition
    001contact; certain
    003contact; approximately located
    083Rollins ss contact line
    092topographic escarpment contact line
    093water boundary contact line
    099map boundary
    P1
    ValueDefinition
    1 
    4 
    P2
    ValueDefinition
    0 
    3 
    TEXT
    ValueDefinition
    Rollins ss contact line 
    contact; approximately located 
    contact; certain 
    map boundary 
    topographic escarpment contact line 
    water boundary contact line 
    PALPOLY.LU
    CODE
    Use of the TEXT value
    ValueDefinition
    500Unit labels text & tag
    501Hidden unit tags
    P1
    ValueDefinition
    0 
    100 
    103 
    110 
    112 
    114 
    115 
    118 
    147 
    176 
    177 
    178 
    179 
    181 
    205 
    206 
    207 
    208 
    209 
    300 
    P2
    ValueDefinition
    0 
    20 
    50 
    80 
    100 
    TEXT
    ValueDefinition
    Km 
    Kmv 
    QTbr 
    Qac 
    Qalc 
    Qdu 
    Qdy 
    Qfy 
    Qls 
    Qp 
    Qt 
    Qt2 
    Qt3 
    Qtl 
    Tb 
    Tg 
    Tw 
    Water 
    af 
    SYMBOL
    ValueDefinition
    0 
    6 
    10 
    14 
    22 
    24 
    28 
    39 
    43 
    54 
    60 
    72 
    110 
    116 
    182 
    298 
    427 
    459 
    485 
    519 
    PALLINE.AAT
    Linear mapped features
    CODE
    Use of the TEXT value
    ValueDefinition
    083Rollins ss contact line
    092topographic escarpment contact line
    093water boundary contact line
    095custom line A
    P1
    ValueDefinition
    1 
    4 
    P2
    ValueDefinition
    0 
    TEXT
    ValueDefinition
    Rollins ss contact line 
    custom line A 
    topographic escarpment contact line 
    water boundary contact line 
    PALSYM.PAT
    Point symbols
    CODE
    Use of the TEXT value
    ValueDefinition
    201bedding attitude symbol
    300Plots the symbol number read from P2
    P1
    ValueDefinition
    2 
    10 
    13 
    75 
    312 
    315 
    316 
    318 
    327 
    333 
    335 
    337 
    338 
    341 
    342 
    344 
    P2
    ValueDefinition
    3 
    4 
    5 
    6 
    7 
    8 
    9 
    11 
    12 
    22 
    75 
    100 
    TEXT
    ValueDefinition
    Plots the symbol number read from P2 
    bedding attitude symbol 
    BNUM
    ValueDefinition
    -810 
    -809 
    -808 
    -807 
    -806 
    -805 
    -804 
    -422 
    -421 
    -420 
    -417 
    -412 
    -411 
    -410 
    -260 
    -259 
    -258 
    258 
    259 
    260 
    410 
    411 
    412 
    417 
    420 
    421 
    422 
    804 
    805 
    806 
    807 
    808 
    809 
    810 
    817 
    818 
    819 
    820 
    821 
    822 
    1288 
    1289 
    PALSYM.AAT
    CODE
    Use of the TEXT value
    ValueDefinition
    92topographic escarpment contact line
    201bedding attitude symbol
    300Plots the symbol number read from P2
    P1
    ValueDefinition
    1 
    P2
    ValueDefinition
    0 
    TEXT
    ValueDefinition
    Plots the symbol number read from P2 
    bedding attitude symbol 
    topographic escarpment contact line 
    NDXNUM
    ValueDefinition
    144 
    147 
    148 
    149 
    150 
    151 
    152 
    153 
    154 
    155 
    156 
    157 
    158 
    163 
    165 
    166 
    167 
    168 
    235 
    236 
    237 
    238 
    239 
    240 
    241 
    242 
    243 
    244 
    258 
    259 
    260 
    410 
    411 
    412 
    417 
    420 
    421 
    422 
    660 
    804 
    805 
    806 
    807 
    808 
    809 
    810 
    817 
    818 
    819 
    820 
    821 
    822 
    1288 
    1289 

Who produced the data set?

  1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)
    • Paul Carrara
  2. Who also contributed to the data set?
  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
    Carrara, Paul E
    USGS-GEO-CRG-ESP
    Mail Stop 913, USGS
    Box 25046, Denver Federal Center
    Denver, CO
    US

    303-236-1287 (voice)
    pcarrara@usgs.gov

Why was the data set created?

This map has been prepared to provide the first detailed view of the Palisade 1:24,000-scale quadrangle. Previous geologic mapping that encompassed the map area was at scales of 1:100,000 and 1: 250,000. The Palisade area is an important agricultural region of Colorado, fruit orchards were first established in the area in the late 19th century. In addition, the Palisade quadrangle is undergoing rapid growth, as is the rest of the Grand Valley. Because of this rapid growth, the recognition of geologic hazards is important. The map depicts many surficial units associated with geologic hazards. The map is accompanied by a separate leaflet containing a section on geologic hazards (including landslides, piping, gullying, expansive soils, and flooding). A table indicates what map units are susceptible to a given hazard. The map will be of interest to town and county officials, land- use planners, as well as the general public.

How was the data set created?

  1. From what previous works were the data drawn?
  2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?
    Date: 27-Aug-1999 (process 1 of 2)
    The Palisade geologic database was compiled using the GSMCAD public domain program (USGS Open-File Report 96-007). It was exported to ARC/INFO using the GSMCAD export function to create ARC generate ASCII files and the gsmarc.aml program in ARC to convert the ASCII files to ARC coverages and build polygons. The gsmdraw.aml program was used in ARC to produce a graphics file of the colored map. In addition an explanation sheet was produced that includes a correlation of map units diagram, a list of map unit names and corresponding symbols, and an explanation of graphical map symbols. Additional editing was performed in ARC/INFO to reformat the GIS databases for publication, including projection definition, elimination of duplicate label points, and joining of items such that no lookup tables are necessary. Illustrator Postscript files were generated in ARC/INFO to produce the Acrobat PDF browse graphic.
    Date: 20-Mar-2000 (process 2 of 2)
    Creation of original metadata record Person who carried out this activity:
    Paul E. Carrara
    U.S. Geological Survey, Earth Surface Processes Team
    U.S. Geological Survey
    Lakewood, CO

    (303) 236-1287 (voice)
  3. What similar or related data should the user be aware of?

How reliable are the data; what problems remain in the data set?

  1. How well have the observations been checked?
    Data was entered and checked by the geologist who made the observations.
  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
    Lines were primarily positioned by photointerpretation of aerial photographs using a PG-2 photogrametric plotter that rectified the position and transferred it to a basemap. Lines were digitized from the basemap using a digitizer tablet with resolution of 0.001 inch. Additional lines and point observations were added in the field using positions determined by a PLGR-95 GPS unit with accuracy of about 10 meters. Most positions on the map are estimated to be accurate closer than 30 m horizontally. There is no elevation data in the database.
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
    Data is complete: no features were eliminated or generalized. Unit properties are described in the text explanation. A base map coverage is not included but is available separately.
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
    Map elements were visually checked by the author for overshoots, undershoots, duplicate features, and other errors. The map was reviewed by another geologist for consistency with basic geologic principles and general conformity to USGS mapping standards.

How can someone get a copy of the data set?

Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?
Access_Constraints: none
Use_Constraints:
None. Acknowledgment of the U.S. Geological Survey would be appreciated in products derived from these data.
  1. Who distributes the data set? (Distributor 1 of 1)
    U.S. Geological Survey
    USGS Information Services
    Denver, CO
    USA

    (888) ASK-USGS (voice)
  2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set? USGS Miscellaneous Field Studies Map MF-2326
  3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?
    Although this digital spatial data has been subjected to rigorous review and is substantially complete, it is released on the condition that neither the USGS nor the United States Government may be held liable for any damages resulting from its authorized or unauthorized use.
  4. How can I download or order the data?

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:
Last modified: 05-Feb-2016
Last Reviewed: 20-Mar-2000
Metadata author:
Peter N Schweitzer
USGS Midwest Area
Collection manager, USGS Geoscience Data Clearinghouse, http://geo-nsdi.er.usgs.gov/
Mail Stop 954
12201 Sunrise Valley Dr
Reston, VA
USA

703-648-6533 (voice)
703-648-6252 (FAX)
pschweitzer@usgs.gov
Metadata standard:
Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998)
Metadata extensions used:
This page is <https://geo-nsdi.er.usgs.gov/metadata/map-mf/2326/metadata.faq.html>
Generated by mp version 2.9.48 on Tue Jul 03 20:04:58 2018