Usgs Sites

[-AnThOnY-]

In doing some research for the Starkville area, I came across an old thesis at the library and it has plentiful site locations but I don't know how to read them or figure out exactly where they are referring to. Can anyone help me figure out how to decipher the reference?

Example:

USGS 6847 - Prairie Bluff Chalk; west 1/2 of SW1/3 of Sec. 16, T 19 N, R 14 E.

I don't follow this at all really. Not sure if there is anyway to figure it out or not, but figured I would ask and see.

Thanks!

[erose]

Counties(?) used to be carved up into regular sections. You would need to get maps with the sections and grid points included. You could try starting with 7-1/2 minute topographic maps. But despite these being available now online it is still ten times easier to look at the actual paper maps. Through the USGS you can find out who sells them in your town. Then you can actually look and see which sheets you need. If you are lucky there may be obvious road cuts or stream beds shown.

You certainly will not find this type of notation on a Google map.

Good luck.

[-AnThOnY-]

Figured it out! Thanks for the little shove to get me started. The old geology maps ~1950 were gridded as you say and they are numbered west to east and north to south. Thats where the coordinates come from. And the site number at the beginning is labeled on the maps!

Edited October 16, 2011 by -AnThOnY-