National Coal Resources Data System (NCRDS) Database

The National Coal Resources Data System (NCRDS) began as a cooperative venture between the USGS and State geological agencies in 1975 and focused on the stratigraphy and chemistry of coal. The current component databases of NCRDS include:

• USTRAT: Stratigraphic data related to coal (e.g. drill holes, measured sections)

• USCHEM: Ultimate, proximate, and USGS-generated major-, minor-, and trace-element data for coal samples collected by USGS and States. COALQUAL is a derivation of this database.

• USCOAL: A historical database of coal resource estimates compiled from publications prior to 1978

Background

Web pages have been developed to query data within both the USCOAL database and a subset of the USCHEM database. The USTRAT database, due to it’s size and complexity, was first made available in 2011 for direct query through web pages. The data is being released after undergoing some basic data quality checks. Data not meeting the checks will be corrected and released in the future. Please check the USTRAT published data release history below to see when new points from various cooperators have been added to the publically accessible USTRAT database. The Energy Resources Program website provides two links that will allow users the ability to query the USTRAT database through both a spatial or tabular interface:
USTRAT Published Data History [.xls]
USTRAT Database Readme [.pdf]
USTRAT Database Metadata [.xml]

		NCRDS USTRAT Spatial Viewer: This viewer allows users to see the location and underlying data associated with NCRDS USTRAT data points. The NCRDS Spatial Viewer will be expanded to display data from the USCHEM and USCOAL databases in FY2011. NCRDS Spatial Viewer Help [.pdf]
		NCRDS USTRAT Database Query: This webpage allows users to query, browse, and download descriptive stratigraphic data associated with numerous locations throughout the United States. NCRDS USTRAT Query Help [.pdf]

Joe East
Project Chief

Robert Matthias
Supervisory IT Specialist

Top of Page

USGS Links

Coal fields of the conterminous United States—National Coal Resource Assessment updated version (contains downloadable GIS and metadata files):
USGS Open-File Report 2012–1205

Energy Resources Program - Coal Quality

Energy Resources Program - Coal Assessments

External Links

Download a free copy of Adobe® Acrobat® Reader® here

U.S. Energy Information Agency - Coal

U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL)