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Interpreting geologic maps for engineering purposes: Hollidaysburg quadrangle, Pennsylvania

January 1, 1953

This set of maps has been prepared to show the kinds of information, useful to engineers, that can be derived from ordinary geologic maps. A few additional bits of information, drawn from other sources, are mentioned below. Some of the uses of such maps are well known; they are indispensable tools in the modern search for oil or ore deposits; they are the first essential step in unraveling the story of the earth we live on. Less well known, perhaps, is the fact that topographic and geologic maps contain many of the basic data needed for planning any engineering construction job, big or little. Any structure built by man must fit into the topographic and geologic environment shown on such maps. Moreover, most if not all construction jobs must be based on knowledge of the soils and waters, which also are intimately related to this same environment. The topographic map shows the shape of the land the hills and valleys, the streams and swamps, the man-made features such as roads, railroads, and towns. The geologic map shows the kinds and shapes of the rock bodies that form the land surface and that lie beneath it. These are the facts around which the engineer must build.

Publication Year 1953
Title Interpreting geologic maps for engineering purposes: Hollidaysburg quadrangle, Pennsylvania
DOI 10.3133/70045409
Authors
Publication Type Report
Publication Subtype USGS Unnumbered Series
Index ID 70045409
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization Engineering Geology BranchGround Water Branch