Surficial Geology of Michigan GIS Data
Author: Bradley Miller
This raster dataset presents a detailed map of surface geologic (parent) materials across Michigan. It was compiled from maps originally delineated at 1:24,000 to 1:12,000 scale, merged into the gSSURGO spatial database by USDA-NRCS, and interpreted at 10-meter resolution by Iowa State University’s Geospatial Laboratory for Soil Informatics (GLSI). The map classifies parent materials to a depth of 2 meters from the surface.
Interpretation Method
Surficial material attributes were extracted from NRCS Official Soil Series Descriptions (OSD). Where soil series data were incomplete or uncertain, GLSI applied additional interpretation using profile characteristics and spatial correlation with neighboring soil series. The resulting classifications represent generalized geologic materials such as glacial till, outwash, loess, alluvium, and residuum.
Applications and Visualization Tips
This dataset supports landform interpretation, soil genesis studies, and hydrologic modeling. It is especially useful when visualized alongside digital elevation models (DEMs) or hillshades to highlight terrain–geology relationships across Michigan’s diverse landscapes.
Resolution and Coverage
10-meter raster resolution covering the entire state of Michigan.
GIS Map Folder Download
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GIS Map Details
This raster is a highly detailed map of geologic materials at the surface (delineations made from maps at 1:24,000 to 1:12,000 scale). The smaller extent maps were merged together by USDA-NRCS to produce the gSSURGO spatial database, covering the entire state at a 10m resolution. The gSSURGO map was then interpreted by Iowa State University’s Geospatial Laboratory for Soil Informatics (GLSI) for parent material, which is equivalent to the geologic material to a depth of 2 meters from the surface. Surficial material attributes were extracted from the NRCS official soil series descriptions (OSD), but at times some additional interpretation was needed based on typical soil profile properties and spatial relationships with better-defined soil series. Because of the common relationship between surficial geology and topography, digital elevation models would be complementary to this data set. Draping this surfical geology data set over hillshades derived from fine resolution elevation data works especially well.
References
Miller, B.A. and C.L. Burras. 2015. Comparison of surficial geology maps based on soil survey and in depth geological survey. Soil Horizons 56(1). doi:10.2136/sh14-05-0005.
Soil Survey Staff. 2014. Official Soil Series Descriptions (OSD). United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. https://soilseries.sc.egov.usda.gov/osdname.asp
Soil Survey Staff. 2014. Gridded Soil Survey Geographic (gSSURGO). United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. http://datagateway.nrcs.usda.gov