The Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys (DGGS) surface sample collection consists mostly of hand samples collected during projects involving DGGS geologists, but also includes pulps and residues. The accuracy of the sample metadata differs based on the time frame of the project that originated the samples. The DGGS projects fall in two categories: (1) legacy projects where sample locality information was not recorded systematically in either a physical or digital format and (2) recent and current projects where sample locality information has been recorded in digital databases. This collection consists of 123,808 rock samples as of 2020, though not all are accessible to the public or have location information. DGGS's outcrop sample collection contains physical grab and selected samples from geologic mapping and topical projects conducted around the state for a variety of purposes, including investigations of energy and mineral resources, the general geologic framework of Alaska, and geologic hazards.
