Geologic inventories completed for Petrified Forest and Saguaro national parks

Bruce Heise with the Geologic Resources Division of the National Park Service passed along the news that they have completed Geologic Resources Inventories for two Arizona parks - Petrified Forest and Saguaro. The sets of GRI documents are linked from a table of reports done for scores of other parks. The reports include digital geologic maps and reports tailored to each park.

The goals of the program are described:

The GRI report is written for resource managers to assist in resource management and science-based decision making, but may also be useful for interpretation. The report discusses potential geologic issues facing resource managers at the park, distinctive geologic features and processes present within the park, and the geologic history leading to the park’s present landscape. A map unit properties table summarizes the main features, characteristics, and potential management issues for all of the rock units on the geologic map.