This GIS dataset is part of a digital compilation of the bedrock geology of Alberta. It is one of the datasets used to produce Alberta Geological Survey (AGS) Map 600.
This dataset contains polygons of Canadian Shield mylonite zones (identified as either high-grade mylonite or low-grade mylonite). It also contains a polygon representing the Monarch Fault Zone in the southern Alberta Plains.
The mylonite zones are modified after AGS Map 537 and the data source for the Monarch Fault Zone is Geological Survey of Canada Map 20-1967.
The data were created in geodatabase format and output for public distribution in shapefile format.
AGS Open File Report 2013-02 presents additional information on data sources related to this dataset.
To produce this dataset we combined digital versions of 2 existing mapped areas into an Alberta-wide GIS dataset. We processed the data as follows:
1. Collected and assessed input data. This involved collecting datasets from various sources, assessing quality, and standardizing the attribute table in the ArcGIS environment. When necessary, we corrected datasets that were digitized by third parties.
2. Created a standard provincial schema to house selected original and new map attributes.
3. Merged input data into one seamless layer, edge-matched the boundaries.
4. Generalized the dataset (reducing number of polygons) by eliminating small polygons not applicable to the 1 000 000-scale map and dissolved the boundaries between adjacent polygons representing the same unit.
5. Ran a topology check on the entire dataset to ensure no gaps, overlaps, slivers, or blank polygons were present.