Digital Geologic-GIS Map of the Back Valley Quadrangle, Tennessee

A digital geologic-GIS map of the Tennessee part of the Back Valley Quadrangle, adapted from a 1988 Tennessee Division of Geology source map. The dataset was completed by the National Park Service Geologic Resources Inventory program and includes GIS data layers, tables, and ancillary documentation. It is available in multiple GIS formats, including a file geodatabase and an OGC geopackage.

Use Cases

• Analyze geologic unit distributions based on the included geologic contacts and unit descriptions.
• Model subsurface structures based on the included geologic cross-section lines and fault data.
• Conduct spatial analysis of geologic features for resource management based on the GIS layers.
• Integrate geologic data with other environmental layers for landscape studies based on the geospatial format.

Strengths

• Includes multiple GIS formats (file geodatabase, OGC geopackage) and supporting map/layer files for ArcGIS and QGIS.
• Based on a source map with a defined scale of 1:24,000, providing a known level of detail.
• Comes with ancillary documents containing geologic unit descriptions and metadata.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Based on the source map scale, features have a stated horizontal locational accuracy of 12.2 meters (40 feet).
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Park Service (NPS) Geologic Resources Inventory (GRI) program, adapted from a Tennessee Division of Geology map by Brent (1988).

Collection Method

Digitized and compiled as part of the NPS Geologic Resources Inventory program.

Time Range

Source map from 1988.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-04 01:18:02.356392; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Tennessee part of the Back Valley Quadrangle, within Cumberland Gap National Historical Park.