This directory contains two MS-Access™2000 databases, translated from the entire set of fault (in Faults.mdb) and bedrock unit (Rockunits.mdb) attribute tables in Info™ format.  The numerical keys match the integer data types of the original Info data set, and can be linked with the user-ids ("covername"_) of the GIS data set using MapInfo™, ArcView™ or other GIS software.

The schema for the geological attribute data is described in \doc\GGW_Documentation.rtf, Appendix I.  These MS-Access™ databases contain full descriptions of the table structure in the form of the catalogue tables for tables (ftct and ruct, or faults and rockunits respectively) and links between tables (ftlinct and rulinct, respectively). They also contain table-field definitions for each data table, recognized by the first first up to six letters of the data table name followed by df by their Description in a Detailed view of the tables. The descriptions in the Detailed view of the tables,along with Appendix I of the documentation should provide a good guide to the table contents.  

Relationships have been established, reflecting the structure of the data. They can be explored in the relationship window.  Some compromises in the relationships structure were made to make the databases as portable as possible.

Derivative tables 1_ReferencesByRockDomain and 1_ReferencesByFault were rolled up in each database so that they can be joined in ArcGIS™, ArcView™, or MapInfo™ to the relevant feature by matching the fields RUNO and FTNO respectively.


The lookup table agetsmlt for geological age terms was derived, mainly, as indicated by the initials WBH in the field SOURCE, from:

Harland, W. B., Armstrong, R. L., Cox, A. V., Craig, L. E., Smith, A. G., and Smith, D. G., 1990, A geologic time scale, 1989, Cambridge University Press, 263 pages.

This reference provides a globally inclusive age term list and thorough documentation of the calibrations, but new IUGS calibrations will be adopted when they are complete enough to cover most terms obtained from the GGW data sources. 

Several more parochial terms (used mainly in mineral deposit databases) were obtained from:

Okulitch, A. V., 1995, Geological time scale, 1995, Geological Survey of Canada, Quality Color Press, Edmonton, Open File 3040, 1 p.

and

Wheeler, J. O., Hoffman, P. F., Card, K. D., Davidson, A., Sanford, B. V., Okulitch, A. V., and Roest, W. R., 1994, Geological Map of Canada, Geological Survey of Canada, MAP 1860A, Scale  5000000