Geologic Downloads

With heightened public awareness about earthquake hazards leading up to the 100th anniversary of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is releasing new maps of the San Francisco Bay Area designed to give residents and others a new look at the geologic history and hazards of the region.  The "Geologic Map of the San Francisco Bay region" shows the distribution of geologic materials and structures, demonstrates how geologists study the age and origin of the rocks and deposits that we live on, and reveals the complicated geologic history that has led to the landscape that shapes the Bay Area.  The maps will be available for $7 each from USGS Information Services, 1-888-ASK-USGS.

Geologic map of the San Francisco Bay Region.
(click to enlarge - new window)
Download Options for the Geologic Map of the San Francisco Bay Region:
(some files may require the Adobe Acrobat Reader , or Google Earth™ software )

Download Poster as PDF (high-resolution poster - 76.5 MB, standard resolution poster - 21.6 MB)

• Full-size image (100 dpi JPG - 8.5 MB)
• Google Earth™ files by county:
  Warning: These files are for visualizing the geology at regional scale only, and should not be used in any way for hazard evaluation or other site specific decision making.  In Google Earth™ it is possible to view the geology at much greater scale than that intended by the authors.  This gives an impression of greater accuracy than is actually present in the map.  If you can see individual buildings in Google Earth™ (closer than an "eye altitude" of about 10 miles) you have gone beyond the accuracy that is present in the map.

View the Geologic Map map key

• Alameda County (KMZ - 7.8 MB)
• Contra Costa County (KMZ - 6.4 MB)
• Marin County (KMZ - 6.5 MB)
• Monterey County (partial) (KMZ - 3.7 MB)
• Napa County (KMZ - 8.2 MB)
• San Benito County (partial) (KMZ - 5.9 MB)
• San Francisco County (KMZ - 1.6 MB)
• San Mateo County (KMZ - 5.1 MB)
• Santa Clara County (KMZ - 15.4 MB)
• Santa Cruz County (KMZ - 3.6 MB)
• Solano County (KMZ - 7.9 MB)
• Sonoma County (KMZ - 14.6 MB)