-------- Original Message --------
Subject:        Fw: USGS and AASG Unveil A Geologic Time Scale and Color
Scheme for Use in Creating Geologic Maps
Date:   Fri, 19 Oct 2007 12:31:33 -0500
From:   John C Fouke <[log in to unmask]>
To:     [log in to unmask]


News Release
U.S. Department of the Interior
U.S. Geological Survey

Release Date: Oct. 18, 2007

Contact: Clarice Nassif Ransom, 703-648-4299, [log in to unmask]
USGS and AASG Unveil A Geologic Time Scale and Color Scheme for Use in
Creating Geologic Maps

Reston, VA - The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Association of
American State Geologists (AASG) announced that they have developed an
updated geologic time scale and color scheme for use in creating geologic
maps of the United States.
Geologic maps show the rock types at the Earth's surface and help unravel
the history of the Earth. They can help inform land-use decisions such as
how planners should design buildings, canals, roads, and drainage of
farmland. They can help locate earthquake faults and show where landslides
are likely to occur to help plan for safer communities. They can help
predict where resources such as oil, gas, and coal exist for resource
development.
"There is now a national standard for producing geologic maps and
communicating the ages of geologic formations in the United States," said
USGS scientist Randy Orndorff. "Geologic maps are important tools for
policy makers, planners and the general public, and having a streamlined
way to create geologic maps helps make them a credible and viable resource
for land-use and environmental planning as well as economic development."
Geologists from the USGS, state geological surveys, academia and other
organizations have sought a consistent time scale to be used in
communicating the ages of geologic units in the United States. Many
international debates have occurred over names and boundaries of units,
and various time scales have been used by the geoscience community. To
help remedy differences, the USGS and the AASG developed ?Divisions of
Geologic Time?Major Chronostratigraphic and Geochronologic Units,? which
can be accessed at: http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2007/3015/.
"AASG considered the development of a national standard time scale to be
of critical importance to geologists around the country engaged in the
production of geologic maps," said Alabama State Geologist Nick Tew, who
represented the AASG in development of the updated geologic time scale.
"The AASG was happy to work with our colleagues at USGS in development of
the updated time scale."
USGS provides science for a changing world. For more information, visit
the USGS Web site at www.usgs.gov. You can also listen to or download a
USGS podcast featuring Mr. Orndorff discussing how you can discover what's
beneath your feet by using geologic maps at http://www.usgs.gov/corecast/.

USGS provides science for a changing world. For more information, visit
www.usgs.gov.
**** www.usgs.gov ****