Rationale  

Well-crafted gravity and magnetic anomaly maps will aid regional geothermal assessments by providing improved expression of buried geologic structural patterns that may be used to link known geothermal occurrences to a new discovery.  Existing gravity and magnetic data displays and grids compatible with the ArcView GIS system convey only a fraction of the useful information present in these data sets.  

Objective

This data compilation task seeks to make the Great Basin’s existing regional gravity and aeromagnetic geophysical datasets more accessible to geothermal industry explorers and researchers utilizing ArcView compatible GIS compilations. Currently available GIS compatible geophysical data sets offer only summary presentations of major geophysical features. Primary source geophysical datasets, by definition, offer full spatial detail, but its effective transformation into GIS compatible formats requires specialized processing software and knowledge of geophysical processing methodology.  For best utility, the improved geophysical displays must have common projections, areas of coverage, and data formats that allow their direct integrated into our developing geothermal database compilations based on ArcView GIS compatible formats. The spatial resolution offered by these new map products should allow useful map associations and map images to be made at scale of 1:250,000.  Under this task we will complete all necessary specialized processing and provide the significantly improved geophysical data products for results in web accessible GIS formats. 

Task Responsibility: Dr. Gary Oppliger

1)      Identify and obtain best available public domain potential field data sets.

2)      Reprocess, merge, edit and grid data sets in map projects; determine best processing parameters.

3)      Produce preliminary image, grid and shape file formats and test in ArcView and ArcExplorer GIS programs with other GB data base products. 

4)      Create a task-level web site to make products available as downloadable files for initial public and group use.  

5)      Based on group feedback, refine image and map specifications; complete production of all displays and make files accessible on task-level web site.

6)      Assist in integrating this geophysical data set collection into the Great Basin Center database site.