The United States Geological Survey, formerly knows as just the Geological Survey, has evolved with the development of our great country since its initial inception on March 3, 1879.
Charged with the “classification of public lands and examination of the geological structure, mineral resources, and products of the national domain,” the project has taken the shape of the social, political, and economic climate of our nation (A Brief History of the U.S. Geological Survey, Rabbit 1975). As our country’s focus shifted across decades from agricultural needs to industrial; from incorporation of new territories to wartime efforts; from periods of abundance to periods of recession and depression; so too did the focus of the survey.
From the moment we settled here on the shores of what is now known as the United States of America, we have tirelessly explored and surveyed this land taking note of plants and wildlife, soil and minerals, waterways and other natural resources. But, until the Geological Survey was established as part of the Interior Department of the US Federal Government, those records were independently sought and could not be consolidated, organized, or verified for accuracy.
In the early days, the USGS concerned itself mostly with agriculture and irrigation surveys, but later included important coal and metal mining surveys. Much of the information gathered from these geological surveys aided in major developments and success for our country like westward development, predictions for devastating natural phenomena like earthquakes and volcanos, protection of natural forests and wildlife reserves, establishment of sustainable energy sources, and identifying land and air quantity and quality during wartime efforts. The survey is also responsible for training astronauts in geological investigations which were used during the moon landing as well as assisting economically underdeveloped countries scientifically and technically.
The USGS mapping program aims to provide nationwide map coverage at scales most useful to meet the needs of map users and to classify the public lands so that they might be reserved for their best use.
To learn more about the USGS, visit usgs.gov.