How to read a geological map?

A geological map looks like a patchwork of colours and lines. Each patch is rock at or near the surface, and the lines and symbols say how it continues underground. So how do you read one, step by step? By the end, you can orient any geological map, read its units and contacts, and decode its strike and dip symbols. 0:00 The question 0:23 Key terms 0:51 Step 1: orient 1:08 Step 2: units and contacts 1:59 Step 3: symbols 2:45 Worked example: the Kestrel Creek sheet 3:40 Recap 3:58 Your turn Photos: Correlation of map units, Fittstown quadrangle (USGS SIM 3371, 2017). David J. Lidke and Charles D. Blome, U.S. Geological Survey. Public domain (USGS). https://pubs.usgs.gov/sim/3371/sim3371__ma... Map symbol explanation, Fittstown quadrangle (USGS SIM 3371, 2017). David J. Lidke and Charles D. Blome, U.S. Geological Survey. Public domain (USGS). https://pubs.usgs.gov/sim/3371/sim3371__ma... Geologic map extract, Fittstown 7.5′ quadrangle, Oklahoma (USGS SIM 3371, 2017). David J. Lidke and Charles D. Blome, U.S. Geological Survey. Public domain (USGS). https://pubs.usgs.gov/sim/3371/sim3371__ma... #geothermal #geology #earthscience