Costa Rica Geological and Mineral Resource Assessment Maps

U.S. Geological Survey digital maps provide a 1:500,000-scale geological and mineral-resource assessment of Costa Rica. The collection includes geology, geochemistry, gravity, and mineral site data, originally compiled in a 1987 folio. Data was digitized from the original maps for GIS analysis.

Use Cases

• Identify mineral deposit permissive areas by overlaying geology, geochemistry, and mineral site location layers.
• Analyze spatial relationships between volcanic framework features and epithermal gold deposit prospects in the Tilarán region.
• Correlate gravity and aeromagnetic geophysical data with geological map units to model subsurface structures.
• Map rock sample locations and mining areas to assess regional mineral potential.

Strengths

• Original assessment includes 75 pages of maps and interpretive text in English and Spanish.
• Contains multiple thematic layers: geology, geophysics, geochemistry, and mineral sites.

Limitations

• Data is from a 1986-1987 survey and may not reflect current conditions.
• The CD-ROM version lacks the original physiographic base map, digital elevation model, and some geophysical maps.
• Linework was digitized from preliminary and printed maps, which may introduce digitization artifacts.

Provenance

Source

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Dirección General de Geología, Minas e Hidrocarburos, and Universidad de Costa Rica.

Collection Method

Digitized from the 1987 printed folio maps using the USGS-authored GSMAP and GSMARC programs.

Time Range

Assessment conducted 1986-1987.

Freshness

null

Geography

Republic of Costa Rica.