Interagency Reports by the Branch of Astrogeology, U. S. Geological Survey
During the decade of the 1960s, the U.S. Geological Survey was the premier institution providing scientific and technical support to NASA for the Apollo missions’ exploration of the Moon. The Survey conducted a wide variety of research, including mapping, observations, laboratory, and field studies designed to prepare and conduct America’s lunar surface explorations efficiently and productively. To report the results of this work expeditiously to their space agency sponsors, the Survey began a publication series entitled “Interagency Reports (IR).” These green-paperback reports were widely distributed around the USGS and NASA and enabled the rapid dissemination of new results and work products to a wide variety of people.
It would be a mistake to think that these reports (affectionately known as “green horrors” by Survey members) were simply preprints of papers or contractual fulfillments. In some cases, the IRs were preliminary versions of material later destined for formal publication, but many were never published formally, their purpose having been superceded by events. For example, two reports described advanced surface exploration of two sites on the Moon of high scientific interest, the Orientale basin (IR 7) and the Marius Hills volcanic complex (IR 14). When the later Advanced Apollo Program for long-range exploration of the Moon was cancelled, these reports became superfluous. Yet, they are still valuable as they synthesize a body of detailed geologic knowledge about lunar regions of high scientific interest.
As a service to the community, the Lunar and Planetary Institute has now digitized a subset of these Interagency Reports. Browse through this selection and you will find many hidden gems, from traverse planning to geologic guidebooks to descriptions of Apollo site geology. These valuable assets are now available to a wide variety of users.
| Report # | Title | Author | Year |
| 1 | Development of computer programs for analysis of lunar geophysical survey data | Regan, R. D., Herskovits, J. L | 1967 |
| 2 | Cinder Lake Crater field location test | Bailey, N. G. | 1967 |
| 3 | Evaluation of periscopic aircraft sextant as a surveying tool during advanced systems field test 3 | Sutton, R. L. | 1968 |
| 4 | Thumper final report, ALSEP Active Seismic Experiment | Watking, J. S., Whitcom, J. H. | 1968 |
| 5 | Preliminary lunar exploration plan of the Marius Hills Region of the Moon | Kalstrom, T.N.V., McCauley, J. F., Swann, G. A. | 1968 |
| 6 | Character and geologic habitat of potential deposits of water, carbon and rare gases on the Moon | Elston, D. P. | 1968 |
| 7 | Advanced systems traverse research project report | Ulrich, G. E. | 1968 |
| 8 | Remnant magnetism in meteorites | DuBois, R. L., Elston, D. P. | 1968 |
| 9 | Lunar geological field investigations | Swann, G. A. | 1965 |
| 10 | Test of court-stenographic techniquest for recording geologic descriptions | Shleicher, D. | 1968 |
| 11 | A limitation of first generation Lunar Orbiter negatives as applied to photoclinometry | Gambell, N., Lucchitta, B. K. | 1968 |
| 12 | The use of spectral analysis in describing lunar surface roughness | Rozema, W. | 1968 |
| 13 | Lunar crater morphology and relative age determination of lunar geologic units | Pohn, H. A., Offield, T. W. | 1969 |
| 14 | Five-day mission plan to investigate the geology of the Marius Hills Region of the Moon | Elston, D. P., Willingham, C. R. | 1969 |
| 15 | Photogrammetric calibration of Apollo film cameras | Borgeson, W. T., Batson, R. M. | 1969 |
| 16 | Experimental studies on the formation of lunar surface features by gas emission - A preliminary report | Schumm, S. A. | 1969 |
| 17 | Geologic maps of early Apollo landing sites of set c | Trask, N. J. | 1969 |
| 18 | A proposed scheme for lunar geologic description | M'Gonigle, J. W., Schleicher, D., Lucchitta, I. | 1969 |
| 19 | Strategy for the geologic exploration of the planets | Carr, M. H. | undated |
| 20 | Geologic transcript from Apollo 11 mission | Schleicher, D. | 1969 |
| 21 | Paraphrased geologic excerpts from Apollo 12 mission | Schleicher, D. | 1970 |
| 22 | Estimates of the mechanical properties of lunar surface using tracks and secondary impact craters produced by blocks and boulders | Moore, H. J. | 1970 |
| 23 | Petrology of lunar microbreccia 12103,6 | James, O. B. | 1970 |
| 24 | Ground vibrations due to crater blasting near the Montezuma Indian School, Yavapai County, Arizona | Hassemer, J. N., | 1970 |
| 25 | Preliminary log of 70 mm pictures taken on the lunar surface during the Apollo 14 mission: Magazines II, JJ, KK, LL, MM with sample information | Batson, R. M., Larson, K. B., Sutton, R. L. | 1971 |
| 26 | Geologic mapping on very steep slopes using terrestrial photogrammetric methods | Grolier, M. J., Wu, S. S. C., Shafer, F. J. | 1971 |
| 27 | Documentation of the Apollo 14 samples | Swann, G.A., Batson, R. M., Eggleton, R. E. Larson, K. B., Shafer, J. P., Sutton, R. L. | 1971 |
| 28 | Documentation of the Apollo 14 samples (Supersedes Interagency Report 27) | Sutton, R. L., Batson, R. M., Larson, K. B., Schafer, J. P.l, Eggleton, R. E., Swann, G. A. | 1971 |
| 29 | Preliminary geologic investigations of the Apollo 14 landing site | Swann, G.A., et al. | 1971 |
| 30 | A test of self-stationarity | Regan, R. D. | 1971 |
| 31 | Closeup photography of rocks and soils: An evaluation of the Apollo Lunar Closeup Stereo Camera and the Hasselblad Electric Data Camera | Ulrich, G. E. | 1971 |
| 32 | Preliminary report on the geology and field petrology at the Apollo 15 landing site | Apollo Lunar Geology Investigation Team | 1971 |
| 33 | Size - frequency distributions of fragments obtained from areal counts of sections | McLoughlin, D. | 1971 |
| 34 | Preliminary documentation of the Apollo 15 samples | Sutton, R. L., et al. | 1971 |
| 35 | Preliminary catalog of pictures taken on the lunar surface during the Apollo 15 mission | Batson, R. M., et al. | 1971 |
| 36 | Preliminary description of Apollo 15 sample environments | Swann, G. A., et al. | 1971 |
| 37 | |||
| 38 | Low velocity impacts with cohesionless sand | Wahl, F. E. | 1971 |
| 39 | Analytical approach to finite slope stability analysis | Vischer, W. A., Martin, G. L. | 1971 |
| 40 | Evaluation of the MSFC facsimile camera system as a tool for extraterrestrial geologic exploration | Wolfe, E. W. , Alderman, J. D. | 1971 |
| 41 | Geology of Hadley Rille: Preliminary report | Howard, K. A., Head, J. W., Swann, G. A. | 1972 |
| 42 | Distribution of ultramafic xenoliths at 12 North American sites | Wilshire, H. G., Schwarzman, E. C., Trask, N. J. | undated |
| 43 | Guide to the geology of Sudbury Basin, Ontario, Canada (Apollo 17 Training Exercise, 5/23/1972–5/25/1972 | Dence, M. R., Boudette, E. L., Lucchitta, I. | 1972 |
| 44 | Isodensitometery - A tool for interpreting pictorial data | Bonner, W. J., Philpott, B. C. | 1972 |
| 45 | Prototype and preliminary geologic mapping of Mars from Mariner 6 and 7 data | McCauley, J. F. et al. | 1972 |
| 46 | Apollo 16 (Descartes) landing site road log | Boudette, E. L., Schafer, J. Pl., Elston, D. P. | 1972 |
| 47 | Documentation of Apollo 15 samples | Sutton, R. L., et al. | 1972 |
| 48 | Preliminary report on the geology and field petrology at the Apollo 16 landing site | Apollo Lunar Geology Investigation Team | 1972 |
| 49 | Progress report: Apollo 16 sample documentation | Apollo Lunar Geology Investigation Team | 1972 |
| 50 | Preliminary catalog of pictures taken on the lunar surface during the Apollo 16 mission | Batson, R. M., Larson, K. B., Tyner, R. L. | 1972 |
| 51 | Documentation and environment of the Apollo 16 samples: A preliminary report | Apollo Lunar Geology Investigation Team | 1972 |
| 52 | Atlas of geologic features in the dry valleys of South Victoria Land, Antarctica: Possible analogs of martian surface features |
Morris, E. C., Mutch, T. A., Holt, H. E. | 1972 |
| 53 | Preliminary Mariner report on the geology of Mars | McCaule, J. F., Carr, M. H., Cutts, J. A., Harmann, W. K., Masursky, H., Milton, D. J., Sharp, R. P., Wilhelms, D. E. | 1973 |
| 54 | Preliminary geologic investigation of the Apollo 16 landing site | Apollo Field Geology Investigation Team, | 1972 |
| 55 | Geologic mapping of the second planet | Wilhelms, D. E. | 1972 |
| 56 | Mars cartography: The 1:5,000,000 Map Series | Batson, R. M. | 1972 |
| 57 | Desert land forms of Peru: A preliminary photographic atlas | Grolier, M. J., Ericksen, G. E., McCauley, J. F., Morris, E. C. | 1974 |
| 58 | Television cartography | Batson, R. M. | 1973 |
| 59 | Geologic maps and terrain analysis data for Viking Mars 1975 landing sites considered in December 1972 | Masursky, H., Strobell, M. H. | 1975 |
| 60 | Geologic maps and terrain analysis data for Viking Mars 1975 landing sites considered in February and April 1973 | Masursky, H., Strobell, M. H. | 1975 |
| 61 | Mapping the planet Mars by Mariner 9 | Batson, R. M., Dwornki, S. E. | 1974 |
| 62 | Viking rover studies | Masursky, H., Boyce, J. M., Dial, A. L. | 1974 |
| 63 | Topographic mapping of Mars | Wu, S. S. C. | 1975 |
| 64 | Lava flows in Mare Imbrium: An evaluation of anomalously low Earth-based radar reflectivity | Schaber, G. G., Thompson, T. W., Zisk, S. H. | 1974 |
| 65 | Variations in surface roughness within Death Valley, California: Geologic evaluation of 25-cm wavelength radar images | Schaber, G. G., Berlin, F. L., Brown, W. E. | 1975 |
| 66 | A summary of relative ages of lunar nearside and farside plains | Boyce, J. M., Dial, A. L., Soderblom, L. A. | 1975 |
| 67 | |||
| 68 | Atlas of Mars. USGS Mars Mapping Group | 1976 | |
| 69 | Preliminary report on the geology and field petrology at the Apollo 17 landing site | Apollo Lunar Geology Investigation Team | 1972 |
| 70 | Preliminary catalog of pictures taken on the lunar surface during the Apollo 17 mission | Larson, K. B., Batson, R. M., Reed, V. S., Wolfe, E. W. | 1973 |
| 71 | Documentation and environment of the Apollo 17 samples: A preliminary report | Apollo Lunar Geology Investigation Team | 1973 |
| 72 | Preliminary geologic analysis of the Apollo 17 site | Apollo Lunar Geology Investigation Team | 1973 |
| 73 | Apollo 17 landing site geology | Apollo Field Geology Investigation Team, Batson, R. M., Larson, K.B., Reed, V. S., Griemsmann, E. M., Tyner, R. L., Wolfe, E. W. |
1975 |
| 74 | Mars Nomenclature, December 1974 Version | Masursky, H., Strobell, M. H. | 1975 |
| 75 | Correlation of photogeology and remote sensing data along the Apollo 14 bistatic- radar ground track: Part I - a working compendium | Moore, H. J., Tyler, G. L., Boyce, J. M., Shorthill, R. W., Thompson, T. W., Walker, A. S., Wilhelms, D. E., Wu, S. S. C., Zisk, S. H. |
1975 |
| 76 | |||
| 77 | |||
| 78 | The optimal sun angle for obtaining photographs of Martian surface features from orbit | Boyce, J., Dial, A. L., Masursky, H. | 1976 |
| 79 | Geologic map of the central far side of the Moon | Stuart-Alexander, D. E. | 1976 |
| 80 | Correlation of photogeology and remote sensing data along the Apollo 14, 15, and 16 bistatic-radar ground tracks: Part II--a working compendium | Moore, H. J., Tyler, G. L., Boyce, J. M., Shorthill, R. W., Thompson, T. W., Wilhelms, D. E., Wu, S. S. C., Zisk, S. H. |
1976 |
| 81 | Yardangs of Peru and other desert regions | McCauley, J. F., Grolier, M. J., Breed, C. S. | 1977 |
| 82 | A summary of relative ages of the lunar nearside maria based on Lunar Orbiter IV photography | Boyce, J. | 1976 |
| 83 | Morphology of Chasma Walls, Mars | Lucchitta, B. K. | 1977 |
