KGS Home
Geology of Kentucky

If you see an image you like, right click and "Save picture as" to your computer

• 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.
• Physiographic Map: A description of the landforms (geomorphology) across Kentucky.
• Places to See and Learn About Geology and Earth Science: : Links to university geology departments, museums with earth-science exhibits, and parks with scenic geology in Kentucky
• Roadside Geology in Kentucky: Links to maps and charts which explain the geology along Kentucky's major roadways
• Virtual Field Trips and Online Field Trip Guidebooks: :Virtual field trips of some state parks and links to published field guides of geologic field trips in Kentucky
• County Geology: See simplified geologic maps of Kentucky counties with explanations of how the geology influences land-use planning
• Geologic Time: Geologic time on Earth has been divided into intervals called eons, eras, and periods.
• 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).
• 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.
• 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.
• Geolex. U.S. Geological Survey.  Want to find information about a specific rock unit name? This site is an online version of the lexicon of stratigraphy, which is a compilation of rock unit names used in the United States. The Website allows searches by rock unit names, ages, or region.  Provides information on the usage, age, type locality, subunits and history of the rock unit name.  Also, provides an online version of the North American Stratigraphic code if you are interested in understanding how rock units are defined and named.