Thursday 13 June 2019

Many Uses For A Geologic Map

By Douglas Lee


Typical everyday maps are useful for understanding distances between cities and planning a trip. Beyond this, their use is limited. A geologic map, however, has many uses because the information presented is valuable to city planners, construction industries, governments, landowners, and more. The information provided shows rock formations above and below the surface, fissures, mineral sources and other information that is used in many industries.

Highway construction almost always requires a geological survey. In order to be sure the road will last for years, they have to know what type of material they are laying the concrete over. If the ground is too soft or too hard to work with they can relocate or plan the route in a different area. They can also choose different materials to be sure the road works well on any material. Construction companies either hire a geologist company or have one on staff to read and interpret the information for planning.

A feature of this type of chart may include groundwater information. For areas that are especially arid, it is important to be able to find water before constructing a well. In places where there is a lot of rain or water, building contractors need to know how close the water is to the surface in order to make sure the building will be stable.

Finding a place for disposal is a benefit. The location of landfills and other disposal sites need to be far away from water aquifers and groundwater locations. This is to make sure the toxic waste does not infect the water that people would use on a daily basis.

Locating tectonic plates is part of the building and planning process. Not only can a state help plan for safe building, but they can also avoid situations altogether by refusing permits for drilling and blasting in a zone that would cause earthquakes. They can also see changes over time and predict possible earthquakes in the future.

Coal, copper, and other mining companies use the data to help determine where and what to mine. They can also find ways to mine in a safe and environmentally clean way by creating systems to avoid chemicals flowing to a local river or water supply by using the data to locate the aquifers and water sources for communities nearby.

Timber companies also benefited by being able to use the surveys generated for the maps to get a count of the trees in an area. From here, they can produce the lumber, paper, and other products we use daily. With the soil and ground information, they are also able to work with environmental concerns to regrow and replace the trees that have been used for everyone's benefit.

There are many uses for this data with federal, state, and local governments. The planners for these levels can work with utility companies to plan routes and depths for buried cables, sewage systems, and underground cable placement. These systems all provide needed services to consumers to be able to enjoy their daily lives.

Most people are used to reading everyday travel maps. For those that are working to grow and improve the world around us by providing city services, safe construction, and mining, these surveys are very important.




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