Geologic map of the Saint Joseph area, Missouri and Kansas

Map units and preliminary contacts between units were identified using stereoscopic pairs of high altitude, false-color infrared, aerial photographs. Contacts were drawn on twelve USGS 7½ minute topographic maps, and were checked in the field. U.S. Department of Agriculture Soil Survey maps at a scale of 1:62,500 for Buchanan County (Tillman and Deardorff, 1915), Andrew County (Sweet and Jordan, 1925), Platte County (Sweet and others, 1911), and Doniphan County (Knobel and others, 1927) were used to provide a general overview of the soils of the area. A U.S. Geological Survey map at a scale of 1:24,000 showing the geohydrology of Doniphan County, Kansas (Bayne, 1973); soil surveys at a scale of 1:24,000 for Buchanan County (Lockridge, 1989), Andrew County (Davis, 1990), and Platte County (Preston, 1985); and a soil survey at a scale of 1:20,000 for Doniphan County (Sallee, 1980) were used to corroborate map contacts and field observations.
Field-checked contacts were transferred from the twelve 7½ minute topographic maps to scale-stable 1:24,000-scale base maps that subsequently were digitized. The twelve digital files were merged into one single map coverage.

The original inked geology was digitized in ARC/INFO. The lines and polygon attributes were checked against the original geology and corrected as neccessary. Shadeset and lineset attributes were added in ARC. The digital database was quality checked against original materials, and the database structure was checked. The ARC/INFO files were imported into Illustrator 8.0, and the map layout was completed in Illustrator. The Illustrator layout was used to produce the GIF and PDF browse graphic files and the plot file, as well as the on-demand paper map. The illustrator layout was proofed before the GIF and PDF files were made and before the map was placed in the map-on- demand system.