U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR 

U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY

The Digital Coal Map of South America in ARC/INFO Format

by 

Laura R. H. Biewick(l) and Jean N. Weaver(2)

Open-File Report 95-235

This report is preliminary and has not been reviewed for conformity with 

U.S. Geological Survey editorial standards or with the North American 

Stratigraphic Code. Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for 

descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. 

Government. Although these data have been used by the U.S. Geological 

Survey and have been successfully imported into data base programs, no 

warranty, expressed or implied, is made by the USGS as to how successfully 

or accurately the data can be imported into any specific application 

software running on any specific hardware platform. The fact of 

distribution shall not constitute any such warranty, and no responsibility 

is assumed by the USGS in connection therewith.

(1)Denver, Colorado

(2)Reston, Virginia

1995
The Digital Coal Map of South America in ARC/INFO Format

by 

Laura R. H. Biewick and Jean N. Weaver

This data base, identified as OFR-95-235, The Digital Coal Map of 

South America in ARC/INFO Format, has been approved for release and 

publication by the Director of the USGS. Although this data base has been 

subjected to rigorous review and is substantially complete, the USGS 

reserves the right to revise the data pursuant to further analysis and 

review. Furthermore, it is released on condition that neither the USGS nor 

the United States Government may be held liable for any damages resulting 

from its authorized or unauthorized use.

In order to use this data base, ARC/INFO software and hardware and 

FTP software to copy the data base to the ARC/INFO platform are required. 

The data base can be downloaded via 'anonymous ftp' from a USGS system 

named greenwood.cr.usgs.gov (136.177.48.5). The files are located in a 

directory named /pub/open-file-reports/ofr-95-0235. To install the data 

base, type: &r LOAD.AML. To create the MAP COMPOSITION and ARC/INFO 

graphics file type: &r SAMER.AML (in ARC 6) or &r SAMER7.AML (IN ARC 7). 

When creating a plot file, use the opaque option.

The data base manager is: Laura R. H. Biewick

(303) 236-7773

lbiewick@dncrdsO.cr.usgs.gov 

U.S. Geological Survey 

Box 25046, Mail Stop 972 

Denver, CO 80225

As a result of a Latin American Coal Assessment, the USGS has 

published the first Coal Map of South America (Weaver and Wood, 1994) and 

developed a cooperative inter-American exchange of geologic information 

which will lead to a better understanding of the potential for coal 

resource utilization in the western hemisphere. The need to understand the 

future energy mix of the world for global energy and environment decisions, 

prompted the creation of a Geographic Information System (GIS) data base of 

coal in South America. The digital map of Coal in South America and 

associated spatial data base creates an environment to display and query 

the current status of the data base, and to do coal assessments world wide. 

Knowledge of coal resources world wide will assist policy decisions on 

development of our resources and protection of fragile environments like 

rain forests.

The coal map was digitized from original film positives and ozalids of 

drafts used to prepare the published Coal Map of South America (Weaver and 

Wood, 1994). Consequently, the digital version is accurate at a scale of 

1:7,500,000 using the Bipolar Oblique Conic Conformal projection and 

parameters of the base map. The stable base sheets were scanned on a 

Tektronix 4991 digital scanner. The scanner automatically converts the 

scanned image to an ASCII vector format. These vectors were transferred to 

a Data General workstation, where they were then loaded into ARC/INFO. 

Vectors and polygons were given attributes derived from the original 1994 

coal map. The digital map was created by querying the associated spatial 

data base to assign and post the symbols defining age and rank of coal.

This data base was developed on a Data General Aviion DG/UX computer 

system using USGS DG/UX 5.4.1 and ARC/INFO 6.1.1 software. The lineset and 

shadeset files are coded for a HP650c plotter. AML programs were copied 

and adjusted where necessary to work in ARC/INFO 7.0.2. Changes in the 

textset, lineset and shadeset formats in ARC/INFO version 7 prompted these 

adjustments that are contained in AML files designated by filenames that
end with 7.AML and are described as working in ARC 7. Apparently there's 

a bug in ARC/INFO 7.0.2 that causes the swamp shade symbol to plot 

incorrectly. When this was run in the final snapshot version of beta 

7.0.3, it worked correctly. Other than the swamp shade symbol error, the 

programs work in ARC/INFO 7.0.2.

The digital data set is planned for publication as an interactive 

spatial data set with application software on a CD-ROM.

The authors wish to thank Roland Viger of the USGS for the digital 

review, and Carl Rich of the USGS for his ARC/INFO expertise and guidance.

Directory contents:

READ.ME Text file that contains this Open-File 95-235 document.

APPENDIX A list of all the ARCPLOT commands used to create a MAP

COMPOSITION (ESRI, 1991) and a plot file of the digital Coal 

Map of South America in ARC/INFO format.

LOAD.AML Converts ARC/INFO EXPORT format files into ARC/INFO 

coverages and INFO data bases.

SAMER.AML Top level (driver) AML program that runs all the AML

programs to create a MAP COMPOSITION (ESRI, 1991) and a plot 

file in ARC/INFO 6.1.1 of 'The Digital Coal map of South 

America in ARC/INFO format' from the data bases.

SAMER7.AML SAMER.AML adjusted to work in ARC/INFO 7.0.2.

BEGIN.AML Ami that provides preliminary arcplot information to

create Coal Map of South America. 

SA.AML Arcplot commands that draw the lines and symbols in

ARC/INFO 6.1.1. 

SA7.AML SA.AML adjusted to work in ARC/INFO 7.0.2.

MAP.AML Arcplot commands that label countries, watersheds and

other features in ARC/INFO 6.1.1. 

MAP7.AML MAP.AML adjusted to work in ARC/INFO 7.0.2.

LAB.AML 

SOUTHAM.EOO

BACKGRND.EOO

LLDENS.EOO

COA_PNK.EOO

COA_BRN.EOO 

COA_GRN.EOO 

COA_MVE.EOO 

COA ORG.EOO

Arcplot commands that draw leaders, queries, scale bar, 

map explanations and title.

Polygons that define the continental boundary of South 

America.

Polygons that define area for shading oceans light blue. 

Lines and text for the latlong graticule.

Polygons that define areas of potential coal occurrence with 

no age designation.

Polygons that define areas of potential coal occurrence 

designated Tertiary and Cretaceous age.

Polygons that define areas of potential coal occurrence 

designated Jurassic age.

Polygons that define areas of potential coal occurrence 

designated Tertiary age.

Polygons that define areas of potential coal occurrence 

designated Cretaceous age.
COA_PRP.EOO Polygons that define areas of potential coal occurrence 

designated Carboniferous age.

SED.EOO Polygons that define sedimentary basins in South America.

COA.EOO Lines that define areas of potential coal occurrence.

CF.EOO Polygons that define coal fields in South America.

SALAR.EOO Polygons that define salars in South America.

SWAMPS.EOO Polygons that define swamps in South America.

DRAIN.EOO Lines that define the drainage system in South America.

COUNTRY.EOO Lines that define country borders in South America.

COALOCC.EOO Points that define the coal data point locations.

SCALE.EOO Lines and text for the scale bar.

ID.REL.EOO Info file that stores the Relate between the coal data point 

locations (COALOCC.EOO) and the COALJTABLES.EOO data base.

COAL_TABLES.EOO Data base of coal occurrences in South America.

AGERNK.MRK ARC/INFO markerset, the palette of coal occurrence symbols.

PARENTH.MRK ARC/INFO markersymbol created for blowup area west of Peru.

COLOR10.LIN ARC/INFO lineset, a palette of line types for the plotter.

SWAMP.SHD ARC/INFO 6.1.1 shadeset pattern for swamps.

GWAMP7.SHD ARC/INFO 7 shadeset pattern for swamps.

FNT031 ARC/INFO coal age and rank symbols font file.

FNT032 ARC/INFO explanation symbols font file.

SAMER.HP Plot file of 'The Digital Coal map of South America in 

ARC/INFO format' for the HP650c plotter.

Arcplot key files that create the explanations:

AGE.KEY Age of coal occurrences in the explanation.

SED.KEY Sedimentary basin in explanation.

CF.KEY Coal basin text in explanation.

CF2.KEY Coal basin line in explanation.

COALOCC.KEY Area of potential coal occurrence in explanation.

CLOCCLN.KEY Outline of area of potential coal occurrence in the

	explanation.

COOP.KEY Cooperators.

RANK.KEY Rank in explanation.

Extra files (not used in MAP COMPOSITION):

CTRYP.EOO Polygon coverage of country borders and South America

continental boundary with country identification attributes. 

(Differs from COUNTRY.EOO in that the lines were combined 

with SOUTHAM.EOO to create polygons for attributing 

purposes. Used for CIS querying by country.)

PROJ.BO2LL Project conversion f.1 1 e for bipolar oblique to geographic.
CODING SCHEME FOR THE DATA BASE TABLE:

The coal data included in TABLES in the pamphlet that accompanies Coal 

Investigations Map C-145, were imported into INFO as a spatial data base 

that supplies data for the digital map. It is related to the coverage 

defining coal data point locations (COALOCC.EOO) using the ARC/INFO Relate 

command, which allows the data base to define the symbology for age and rank 

of coal. Because many of the values for numeric items are ranges of data 

rather than single values for any given coal data point location (i.e.: 

ash (%) of 45.00-60.00), many of the numeric fields had to be defined as 

character fields. Additional fields were added to redefine these fields as 

numeric fields so that statistical analyses can be utilized in the GIS. 

Following is an example of the spatial data base in INFO, with explanations 

of each item in the INFO file and of the codes used to flag the numeric 

fields.

Example of INFO data base (COAL_TABLES.EOO)

I -A- A

MAP#

CF-O-MN

OPER

MINET

REC-ACT

AGE

RANK

#BEDS

ASH%

SULFUR%

VOL-MAT%

MOIST%

HEATV

ID

#BEDSI

ASHMN+

ASHMX

SULFMAX

SULFMN

VOLMAX

VOLMN+

MOISMN+

MOISMX

HVMN+

HVMX

=Rio Grande Do Sul

=Mina Seival

=CNMC

=S

=n. a.

=Perm.

=sub.

= 5

=51.0

=1.14

=22.11

=n.a.

=3,322

1.0 

= 5.0 

=51.00 

=-8.88 

=-8.88 

= 1.140 

=-8.88 

=22.110 

 9.99 

=-9.99 

=3,322.0 

=-8888.8

I -A- A

MAP*

CF-O-MN

OPER

MINET

REC-ACT

AGE

RANK

#BEDS

ASH%

SULFUR%

VOL-MAT%

MOIST%

HEATV

ID

#BEDSI

=Rio Grande Do Sul

=2

=Mina Hula Negra

=n.a.

=g

=n. a .

=Perm.

=sub.

__7

= 7

=n.a.

=n.a.

=n.a.

=n.a.

2.0 

= 0.7
ASHMN+

ASHMX

SULFMAX

SULFMN

VOLMAX

VOLMN+

MOISMN+

MOISMX

HVMN+

HVMX

I-A-A

MAP*

CF-O-MN

OPER

MINET

REC-ACT

AGE

RANK

#BEDS

ASH%

SULFUR%

VOL-MAT%

MOIST%

HEATV

ID

# BED SI

ASHMN+

ASHMX

SULFMAX

SULFMN

VOLMAX

VOLMN+

MOISMN+

MOISMX

HVMN+

HVMX

=-7.77

=-7.77

=-9.99

=-9.999

=-9.99

=-9.999

=-9.99

=-9.99

=-9999.9

=-9999.9

3

=Rio Grande Do Sul

=3

=Mina Candiota

=CRM

-S

=n. a.

=Perm.

=sub.

=10

=52.20

=1.7

=21.00

=11.30

=3,230

3.0

=10.0

=52.20

=-8.88

=-8.88

= 1.700

=-8.88

=21.000

=11.30

=-8.88

=3,230.0

=-8888.8

ITEM FEATURE (as defined in Coal Investigations Map C-145 pamphlet)

I-A-A Internal administrative area

MAP# Map number

CF-O-MN Coal Field, occurrence/mine name

OPER Operator

MINET Mine type

REC-ACT Recovery activity

AGE Age

RANK Rank

#BEDS Number of beds

ASH% Ash(%)

SULFUR% Sulfur(%)

VOL-MAT% Volatile matter(%)

MOIST% Moisture(%)

HEATV Heat value (kcal/kg)

ID Common item for Relate between COALOCC.EOO and COAL TABLES.EDO
ITEM FEATURE AND DISCUSSION (codes to flag numeric fields below which

are defined as character fields above)

#BEDSI Number of beds .7 indicates '?' in #BEDS; 99.9 indicates 

'n.a.'in #BEDS; .4 indicates '+' in #BEDS.

ASHMN+ Ash(%) Contains numeric values equal to ASH% except maximum 

values for records that have a range in ASH%; -7.77 indicates '?' 

in ASH%; -9.99 indicates 'n.a.' in ASH%; -1.11 indicates 'low' in 

ASH%; .07 (or any 7 in the hundredths column) indicates value is 

minimum ASH% and there's a maximum value in ASHMX.

ASHMX Maximum Ash(%) Contains the maximum numeric values for each 

record that has a range in ASH%; -1.11 indicates 'low' in ASH%; - 

9.99 indicates 'n.a.' in ASH%; -8.88 indicates no maximum value 

exists.

SULFMAX Maximum Surfur(%) Contains the maximum numeric values for each 

record that has a range in SULFUR%; -9.99 indicates 'n.a.' in 

SULFUR%; -8.88 indicates no maximum value exists; -1.11 indicates 

'low' in SULFUR%.

SULFMN Sulfur(%) Contains numeric values equal to SULFUR% except 

maximum values for records that have a range in SULFUR%; -9.999 

indicates 'n.a.' in SULFUR%; 7 in the thousandths column 

indicates there's a maximum value in SULMAX; -1.111 indicates 

'low' in SULFUR%.

VOLMAX Maximum Volatile matter(%) Contains the maximum numeric values 

for each record that has a range in VOL-MAT%; -9.99 indicates 

'n.a.' in VOL-MAT%; -7.77 indicates 'high' in VOL-MAT%; -8.88 

indicates no maximum value exists.

VOLMN+ Volatile matter(%) Contains numeric values equal to VOL-MAT% 

except maximum values for records that have a range in VOL-MAT%;

-9.999 indicates 'n.a.' in VOL-MAT%; -7.777 indicates 'high' in 

VOL-MAT%; 7 in the hundredths column indicates there's a maximum 

value in VOLMAX.

MOISMN+ Moisture(%) Contains numeric values equal to MOIST% except 

maximum values for records that have a range in MOIST%; -9.99 

indicates 'n.a.' in MOIST%; 7 in the hundredths colum indicates 

there's a maximum value in MOISMX.

MOISMX Maximum Moisture(%) Contains the maximum numeric values for 

each record that has a range in MOIST%; -9.99 indicates 'n.a.' in 

MOIST%; -8.88 indicates no maximum value exists in MOIST%.

HVMN+ Heat value (kcal/kg) Contains numeric values equal to HEATV 

except maximum values for records that have a range in HEATV;

-9999.9 indicates 'n.a.' in HEATV; 1 in the tenths column 

indicates '?' in HEATV; 7 in the tenths column indicates there's 

a maximum value in HVMX.

HVMX Maximum Heat value (kcal/kg) -- Contains the maximum numeric 

values for each record that has a range in HEATV; -9999.9 

indicates 'n.a.' in HEATV; -8888.8 indicates no maximum value 

exists in HEATV.

References cited:

Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc., 1991, Map Display & Query: 

ARC/INFO User's Guide.

Weaver, Jean N., and Wood, Gordon H., Jr., 1994, Coal Map of South America: 

U.S. Geological Survey Coal Investigations Map C-145, scale 

1:7,500,000; 1 oversize plate and accompanying pamphlet which 

includes coal data in tables.