The first detailed maps in Arizona's earth fissure mapping program were released today for the Chandler Heights/Queen Creek area and Apache Junction by the Arizona Geological Survey in an interactive map format at http://azmap.org/fissures. Free PDF downloads are available at the AZGS Earth Fissure Center. [above: Earth Fissure Mapping Program Manager Dr. Todd Shipman describes fissure in Chandler Heights. Left, below: fissure in Apache Junction]
AZGS had to develop standards and protocols for high precision mapping and characterization of earth fissures because such systematic detailed mapping has not been done before anywhere.
One of the challenges is documenting the uncertainties inherent in mapping and displaying geologic hazards that are in some areas actively growing in the matter of days or even hours, that may have little or no surface expression, or that have been covered over by earlier agriculture or development.
