QuaternaryYellow, no color

TertiaryOrange, yellowish-orange, tan, brown

CretaceousYellow green orolive green

JurassicGreen

TriassicBlue green

PermianBlue

PennsylvanianBlue with red

MississippianBluish purple

DevonianGrayish purple

SilurianReddish purple

OrdovicianSubdued red

CambrianReddish brown

Precambrian(Includes Proterozoicand Archean)Olive brown, olive, gray, olive blue, reddish olive

Igneous andvolcanic rocksRed, pink, bright orange

0000

0A20

0A30

0A40

A030

A040

A050

A0A0

A010

A020

20A0

2010

2000

A000

3A00

5200

AA00

22A0 32A0 43A0 34A0 35A0 33A0 44A0

2210 3210 4310 3410 3510 3310 4410 6530 3420 3520 4630 7740

5420 5520

A100

03A0 04A0 05A0 06A0 07A0 12A0 13A0 14A0 15A0 16A0 17A0 A3A0 A4A0 A5A0 A6A0 A7A0 23A0 24A0 25A0 26A0 27A0 A630 A730 2630 2730 3530 3630 3730

0310

0AA0 01A0 02A0 0330 0430 0530 0630 0730 A430 A530 2330 2430 2530 3430 A440 A540 A640 A740 1450 1550 1650 1750 2450 2550 2650 2750 3560 3660 3760 2570 2670 2770

0A10

1AA0 AAA0 A1A0 11A0

1A10 AA10 A110

1A20 1120 1220

2130 2230 3340 3130 3230 4340 4440 4540 4640 5340 5440 5540 5640 6340 6440 6540 7440 7540 7640

2240 3350 3460 3330 4350 4450 4550 4650 4750 5350 5450 5550 5650 6350 6450 6550 6650 6750 7450 7550 7650 7750 X450 X550 X650 X750

2250 3350 3460 4360 4460 4560 4660 4760 5360 5460 5560 5660 5760 6460 6560 6660 6760 7460 7560 7660 7760 X460 X560 X660 X760

3370 3470 3570 4370 4470 4570 4670 4770 4X70 5470 5570 5670 5770 6470 6570 6670 6770 6X70 7470 7570 7670 7770 7X70 X470 X570 X670 X770 XX70

33X0 34X0 35X0 36X0 43X0 44X0 45X0 46X0 47X0 4XX0 54X0 55X0 56X0 57X0 64X0 65X0 66X0 67X0 6XX0 5XX0 75X0 76X0 77X0 7XX0

0X0005000200 AX00 1X00 1XA0 1X10 1X20 1X30 1X40 1X50 1X60 1X70 1XX0 0X60 0X70 0XX0 2XA0 2X10 2X20 2X30 2X40 2X50 2X60 2X70 2XX0

070004000100 A700 1700 AXA0 AX10 AX20 AX30 AX40 AX50 AX60 AX70 AXX0

060003000A00 A600 1600 0XA0 0X10 0X20 0X30 0X40 0X50 A770 A7X0

0760 0770 07X0 3XA0 3X10 3X20 3X30 3X40 3X50 3X60 3X70 3XX0

X6X0 X7X0 XXX0

2A20 2120 2220 3A20 3120 3220 4220 5220 5330 6330 7330

1110 1210

1130 1230 AA20 A120 A220

4A30 4130 4230 4330 4430 4530 5430 6430 7430 7530

2A10 2110 3A10 3110 4210 5320 6320

2AA0 21A0 3AA0 31A0 42A0

0110

0120 0220 0320 0450 0550 0650 0750 1340 1440 1540 1640 3550 3650 3750 A460 A560 A660 A760 1470 1570 1670 1770 37X0

0210 0340 0440 0540 0640 0740 1330 1430 1530 2340 2440 2540 2640 3440 3540 3640 3740 A450 A550 A650 A750 1460 1560 1660 1760 2460 2560 2660 2760 3670 3770 26X0 27X0

0410 0510 0610 0710 A2A0 1310 1410 1510 1610 1710 A310 A410 A510 A610 A710 2310 2410 2510 2610 2710 1630 1730

0420 0520 0620 0720 A210 1320 1420 1520 1620 1720 A320 A420 A520 A620 A720 2320 2420 2520 2620 2720 1740

2740

A200 A300 A400 A500 3400 3500 3600 3700 3X00 36A0 37A0 45A0 46A0 47A0 4XA0 57A0 5XA0 5720 5X20 6XA0 7XA0 4X30 5X40 6X30 7X30 4730 5740 5X60 6X50 7X50

36106X0067004X00470046001500140013001200 3710 4510 4610 4710 4X10 5710 5X10 5730 5X30 6X10 7X10 4X40

36207X005X0057002X0027002600250024002300 3720 4520 4620 4720 4X20 6X20 7X20 4X60

5X50 6X40 7X40 4740 5750 5X70 6X60 7X60

6420 6520 3320 4320 5530 5630 6640 67404420

1A00

2A00 2100 2200 3300 5400 5500 5600 7600 7700 X700 XX00 XX10 5410 5510 5610 6410 6510 6610 6710 6630 6730 7610 7710 7630 7730 XX30 XX50 XX60

1100 4300 4400 4500 6500 6600 XXA0 54A0 55A0 56A0 5620 64A0 65A0 66A0 67A0 6620 6720 76A0 77A0 7620 7720 XX20 XX40

4100 4200 74007300 7500 5210 5310 6310 7310 7410 7510 X610 X710 X630 X730 X640 X740

3100 3200 5300 6300 6400 X500 X600 52A0 53A0 63A0 73A0 74A0 75A0 7420 7520 X6A0 X7A0 X620 X720

1000 60A0 70A0 X0A0 6010 7010 X010 6A00 6100 6200 XA00 X100 X200 X300 4A10 4110 5A10 5110 6A10 6110 6210 7320 7A10 7110 7210 XA10 X110 X210 X310 X410 X510 X420 X520 X440 X540

3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 X000 4A00 5A00 5100 7A00 7100 7200 X400 4AA0 41A0 5AA0 51A0 6AA0 61A0 62A0 6220 7AA0 71A0 72A0 XAA0 X1A0 X2A0 X3A0 X4A0 X5A0 XA20 X120 X220 X320 X430 X530

3010 4010 5010 4030 5030 6030 7030 X030 7050 X050 4A30 4130 4230 5A30 5130 5230 6A30 6130 6230 7A40 7140 7240 7340 XA40 X140 X240 X340 XA60 X160 X260 X360

30A0 40A0 50A0 3020 4020 5020 6020 7020 X020 7040 X040 4A20 4120 5A20 5120 6A20 6120 7A20 7120 7220 6A40 6140 6240 7A30 7130 7230 XA30 X130 X230 X330 XA50 X150 X250 X350

1020 2020 3050 4050 5050 6050 60X0 70X0 X0X0 4A50 4150 4A60 5160 5260 6A70 6170 7AX0 71X0 72X0 X4X0 X5X0

1010 3040 4040 5040 6040 5070 6070 7070 X070 4A40 4140 5A50 5150 5250 6A60 6160 6260 7A60 7160 7260 7A70 7170 7270 XAX0 X1X0 X2X0 X3X0

10A0 3030 4060 5060 6060 7060 X060 3A30 5A40 5140 5240 6A50 6150 6250 7A50 7150 7250 6270 XA70 X170 X270 X370

1050 2050 A0X0 10X0 20X0 30X0 40X0 50X0 AA50 A150 1A50 1150 AAX0 A1X0 1AX0 11X0 2A50 2150 2AX0 21X0 22X0 3AX0 31X0 32X0 4AX0 41X0 42X0 64X0 61X0 62X0 63X0 7370 74X0

1040 2040 A070 1070 2070 3070 4070 AA40 A140 1A40 1140 AA70 A170 1A70 1170 2A40 2140 2A70 2170 2270 3A50 3150 3250 3A70 3170 3270 4A70 4170 4270 4250 5AX0 51X0 52X0 53X0 6370 7360 73X0

1030 2030 A060 1060 2060 3060 AA30 1A30 AA60 A160 1A60 1160 2A60 2160 2260 3A40 3140 3240 3A60 3160 3260 4A60 4160 4260 4240 5A70 5170 5270 5370 6360 7350

0140 0240 0A60 0160 0260 0360 0460 0560 0660 01X0 02X0 03X0 04X0 05X0 06X0 A250 A350 A3X0 A4X0 A5X0 A6X0 A2X0 12X0 13X0 14X0 15X0 16X0 17X0 23X0 24X0 25X0

0130 0230 0A50 0150 0250 0350 0A70 0170 0270 0370 0470 0570 0670 A240 A340 A370 A470 A570 A670 A270 1270 1370 1250 1350 2360 2370 2470

A130 A230 A330 A360 A260 1260 1360 1240 2350

00A0 0010 0020 0030 0040 0050 0060 0070 00X0 0AX0

U.S. Department of the InteriorU.S. Geological Survey

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Techniques and Methods 11–B1Plate 1Suggested Colors for Geologic Maps

[This color chart shows suggested colors for different geologic ages, as well as colors for volcanic and igneous rocks. Numbers below each color box are CMYK color codes, as follows: A = 8%, 1 = 13%, 2 = 20%, 3 = 30%, 4 = 40%, 5 = 50%, 6 = 60%, 7 = 70%, X = 100%. Colors on this chart were chosen on the basis of how they look as printed on an offset printing press. As printed on an offset printing press, the colors conform to USGS geologic age color standards. However, if the digital file of this chart is printed on a computer-driven ink-jet plotter, some of the colors will not conform to the USGS geologic age colors. Users should be aware of this limitation and choose colors accordingly. Note that some of the dark combination colors (composed of high percentages of the two CM inks or the three CMY inks) are generally too dark to use for most purposes, because they can obscure topographic base features and geologic map data. On some computer-driven plotters, some of the darkest colors on this chart will print dark gray to black.]