A soil survey is the systematic description, classification, and mapping of soils in an area. They are published by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), formerly known as the Soil Conservation Service.
NRCS soil surveys are available from several sources:
- Some are on the NRCS website.
- Published soil surveys can be found at some libraries or borrowed through interlibrary loan.
- Surveys might be available from the state NRCS offices.
- Online GIS data of the Gridded Soil Survey Geographic Database is here.
- The USGS Libraries have a majority of the soil surveys in our collection, available to the public through interlibrary loan.
The USGS does have a low-density soil map for the conterminous U.S. (geochemical and mineralogical data) and a National Geochemical Database for soil that includes a small number of sites in Alaska and outside the U.S.
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- FAQ
Does the USGS have reports on the background levels of elements in soils and other surficial materials?
The following USGS products will be helpful in determining the background levels of various elements in soils and other surficial materials: Geochemical and Mineralogical Data for Soils of the Conterminous United States (2013) Data for samples collected at three intervals (0-5 cm surficial soils, A-Horizon soils, and C-Horizon soils) across the entire conterminous U.S. These data provide the best...
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Regulatory limits for safe levels of elements in water and foodstuffs are established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, there are generally no regulatory limits that scientists can refer to when dealing with plants, soils, rocks, and sediments. Therefore, to determine whether a plant, soil, rock, or sediment contains a 'high...
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Over geologic time, volcanic eruptions and related processes have directly and indirectly benefited mankind:Volcanic materials ultimately break down and weather to form some of the most fertile soils on Earth, cultivation of which has produced abundant food and fostered civilizations.The internal heat associated with young volcanic systems has been harnessed to produce geothermal energy.Most of...
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