Valentine, and 4 co-authors, reported in 2013 that with advances in web applications, organic petrography and other related disciplines are in need of updated online resources and educational tools to aid professionals and students in the identiï¬cation and interpretation of macerals. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Organic Petrology Laboratory along with USGS Eastern Energy Resources Science Center Information Technology staff have developed ï¬ve web atlases containing images of organic matter in geologic materials:
1. an American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Atlas,
2. an Organic Petrology Taxonomy for International Classiï¬cation (OPTIC) of Coal Macerals Atlas,
3. an Interactive Gulf Coast Photomicrograph Web Atlas (I-Map),
4. an Organic Material in Shales Atlas (Shale), and
5. an interactive Blue/White/Ultraviolet (UV) Light Atlas (Light). Each web atlas contains images of macerals with associated sample and petrographic data collected by the USGS. These webpages will provide means to preserve and circulate petrographic data collected by the USGS for coal and shale samples from all over the world.
The enhanced USGS Organic Petrology Photomicrograph Atlas webpages are designed to supply resources and tools that aid in the identiï¬cation of organic matter in geologic materials. The atlas website preserves and distributes petrographic data for coal and shale samples from around the world. The development of these webpage atlases is an evolving project that will continue to expand as new online tools and resources become available. The USGS welcomes feedback to ensure that the atlas webpages meet the needs of our customers.