Surficial mapping

Surficial materials are relatively young unconsolidated sediments. By describing the texture, composition, chemistry, stratigraphy, three-dimensional geometry, and morphologic expression of these sediments, geologists attempt to reconstruct how BC's landscape has evolved through repeated glacial and interglacial states in the last 2.6 million years

Detailed study of surficial materials can help distinguish agents of erosion, transport, and deposition (water, wind, ice, gravity), quantify the physical conditions under which landforms developed, and thereby document past paleogeographic elements and depositional systems. Such paleogeographic reconstructions have predictive value, enabling geologists to extrapolate interpretations based on surface data into the subsurface and laterally into unknown areas. They are particularly useful in the search for mineral and aggregate deposits, suitable construction sites, and natural hazard mitigation.

Presented here is a surficial geology map index for British Columbia. These maps have been produced by the British Columbia Geological Survey, the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC), and Geoscience BC. To be included in this index maps have to be available for download. Each map is represented by the actual map extent or footprint rather than a bounding box or NTS sheet that it falls within. This provides an accurate representation of the areal extent of surficial geology mapping for British Columbia.

The index is presented by map scale. In the digital versions of this index advanced searches can also be conducted on fields such as source author, source type (data available in digital or PDF form), or source series (Preliminary maps to A Series or Geoscience maps) to name a few. Publication page URLs are supplied for each map where the source files, PDFs or digital data can be downloaded. Also included is supplemental information which, when applicable, states where data are originally from and/or have elsewhere been used. Instances of this would be when an author published a map which was then revised and published as a GSC A Series map or when a map was used in a subsequent compilation. When this has occurred not only are the publication numbers provided for these other maps but links to their publication pages as well. This enables users to see all sources of the same data. In some cases original mapping is only available as a PDF but a subsequent map or compilation has made it available as an attributed vector file (e.g., shapefile).

The index is available in PDF, ESRI Geodatabase, ESRI Map Package, Shapefile, and KMZ formats

The map index is updated annually. The current version (v.2020-01 updated January 2020) is downloadable here.

Recommended citation: Arnold, H. and Ferbey, T., 2019. British Columbia surficial geology map index. British Columbia Geological Survey, Open File 2019-03 version 2020-01.