We will be studying the geology of Kentucky a lot this year. The Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS) has a terrific website (http://www.uky.edu/KGS/) with links to many of the topics we will be covering this year such as geologic mapping, rocks, minerals, fossils, and topographic maps. This website provides pictures and graphs including detailed information on everything we will be studying about Kentucky geology.
“The mission of the Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS) is to provide for citizens, researchers, industry, and government, scientifically based information on Kentucky’s geology and mineral and water resources. KGS conducts research, collects data, and serves as the State’s official archive for data on petroleum, coal, minerals, ground water, and topographic and geologic maps. A diverse research program is supported principally by grants from federal and state agencies and industry. Research investigations include the study of water resources, geologic mapping, oil and natural gas resources, coal and minerals, and geologic hazards.
Geoscientists at KGS provide technical advice to more than 100 committees, boards, and advisory groups at the international, federal, state, regional, and local level, and at the University of Kentucky. KGS is a national leader in digital geologic mapping and an authorized ESRI ArcView GIS instruction center. Analytical support services of the laboratory are provided primarily to researchers at KGS, but also to researchers in academia, government, industry, and the private sector who study the environment and natural resources of Kentucky.”
The following is from the KGS website: http://www.uky.edu/KGS/geoky/
Just click on the links below to find out all there is to know about Kentucky geology!
Geology of Kentucky
- Geologic Map Information Service: Interactive and customizable geologic maps with links to related data.
- Geologic Map: A description of the rock strata at the surface of Kentucky.
- Beneath the Surface: A description of strata and geologic structures (faults, basins, arches) beneath the surface of Kentucky.
- Geologic Structures in Kentucky
- Physiographic Map: A description of the landforms (geomorphology) across Kentucky.
- County Geology
- Topographic and Geologic Quadrangle Maps: A description of maps in Kentucky and map indexes. Kentucky was the first state in the Nation to be topographically mapped at a detailed scale (1:24,000) and the first (and only) state to be completely geologically mapped at a detailed scale (1:24,000).
- Kentucky Place Names
- Geologic Time: Geologic time on Earth has been divided into intervals called eons, eras, and periods.
- Virtual Field Trips in Kentucky
- Fossils of Kentucky
- Rock and Minerals of Kentucky
- Picture Kentucky!, a photoalbum
- Earth History Key Links: Annotated links to selected Web sites for important times in earth history.
Links
- The Geology of Kentucky–A text to accompany the Geologic Map of Kentucky, by Robert C. McDowell: at the U.S. Geological Survey web site. This is the full-text version of the original out-of-print publication that summarized the geologic quadrangle mapping program. This program was a joint U.S. Geological Survey-Kentucky Geological Survey project that took approximately 20 years and hundreds of geologists to complete. As a result, Kentucky was the first state to be completely geological mapped at a detailed scale.
- KSPG: The Kentucky Society of Professional Geologists grew from a reorganization of the Geological Society of Kentucky. The purpose of the KSPG is to advance the profession, practice, and science of geology within the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
- KY-AIPG: The Kentucky Section is part of the American Institute of Professional Geologists. The AIPG, founded 1963, is the largest association dedicated to promoting geology as a profession. The Institute adheres to the principles of professional responsibility and public service. It is the only international organization that certifies the competence and ethical conduct of geological scientists in all branches of the science with members employed in industry, government, and academia.
- Geology of other states: Links to other state and foreign geological surveys, many of which have information about their geology. This site is hosted by the Association of American State Geologists.
- The U.S. Geological Survey also has information about the nation’s geology. Tapestry of Time and Terrain, U.S. Geological Survey. 2000. A great site for visualizing the connection between bedrock geology and physiography (landscapes) and also for illustrating the distribution of rocks of different ages around the United States. The map on the front page is a combination of a 3-D shaded relief map and a geologic map. The Two Maps option shows each map separately and then merges them together using a Quicktime® plug-in. The Description of Features Option lets you zoom in on selected physiographic regions shown on the map and provides specific information about those regions. The Rock of Ages option shows the legend (explanation) for the geologic map (classified by intervals of geologic time). You can choose a time period to see where rocks of that age are exposed at the surface in the United States. There is a short description of the rocks and fossils from that time period, and a series of options for zooming in on specific regions. The web preview is also available on CD from the USGS for a low cost.
All files associated with this page are copyrighted © 1997 – 2007 by the Kentucky Geological Survey, University of Kentucky. An Equal Opportunity University.
Last modified August 30, 2006 .
