Earth Sciences Commons^™

Mineral And Fuel Resources Map Of Kentucky, Warren H. Anderson, Garland R. Dever Jr.

Map and Chart--KGS

The production of minerals and fuels in Kentucky is a multibillion dollar industry. Historically, coal, oil, natural gas, limestone, sand and gravel, clay, fluorite, barite, lead, iron, phosphate, zinc, and brines have been produced in the state. These resources have greatly influenced the development of Kentucky by providing raw materials for the early settlers who settled the state and for current industrial and economic development. Electrical power for homes, businesses, and factories; materials for constructing houses, buildings, automobiles, and roads; and products we consume in everyday life come from the earth's mineral and fuel resources.

The ability to locate and …

Generalized Block Diagram Of The Inner Bluegrass Karst, James C. Currens

Map and Chart--KGS

Karst occurs where limestone or other soluble bedrock is near the earth's surface, and fractures in the rock become enlarged when the rock dissolves. Sinkholes and sinking streams are two surface features that indicate karst development. In karst areas most rainfall sinks underground, resulting in fewer streams flowing on the surface than in non-karst settings. Instead of flowing on the surface, the water flows underground through caves, sometimes reemerging at karst windows, then sinks again to eventually discharge at a base-level spring along a major stream or at the top of an impermeable strata. The development of karst features is …

Physiographic Diagram Of Kentucky, Kentucky Geological Survey

Map and Chart--KGS

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Longwall Mining On Hydrology, Leslie County, Kentucky Part 2: During-Mining Conditions, Shelley Minns Hutcheson, James A. Kipp, James S. Dinger, Lyle V.A. Sendlein, Daniel I. Carey, Gregory L. Secrist

Report of Investigations--KGS

The effects of longwall coal mining on hydrology in the Eastern Kentucky Coal Field are being investigated. The study area is in the Edd Fork watershed in southern Leslie County, over Shamrock Coal Company's Beech Fork Mine. Longwall panels approximately 700 ft wide are separated by three-entry gateways that are approximately 200 ft wide. The mine is operated in the Fire Clay (Hazard No. 4) coal; overburden thickness ranges from 300 to 800 ft. Mining began in panel 1 in September 1991 and concluded with panel 8 in September 1994. Long-term monitoring consisting of a network of piezometers and time-domain …

Mowing, Dethatching, Coring, And Rolling Kentucky Lawns, A. J. Powell Jr.

Agriculture and Natural Resources Publications

Good lawn care takes more than just mowing and chemical treatments. To develop quality turf, you need correct mowing techniques and may occasionally need to dethatch, core, or roll your lawn.

Improving Turf Through Renovation, A. J. Powell Jr.

Agriculture and Natural Resources Publications

Turf generally can be improved through proper mowing, fertilizing, watering, and pest control applications. With some turf problems, however, the only solution is re-establishment, using one of two methods:

• The conventional method, which involves destroying the sod, tilling the soil, and replanting.
• Renovation, which involves replanting without completely tilling the soil and often without destroying all existing vegetation.

Advantages of conventional tillage over renovation:

• Control of weeds and undesirable grass may be more complete.
• Surface depressions or humps can be removed, resulting in a smoother soil surface.
• Large quantities of organic matter or sand can be mixed into the surface …

Irrigated Field Crop Acres In Kentucky, Lloyd W. Murdock

Soil Science News and Views

Irrigation in Kentucky has always been limited. This is due to a limited water supply in many parts of Kentucky and the high amount of rainfall in the state which reduces the chances for a consistent profitable response to field crops.

Coal Resources Of The Lower Elkhorn Coal Bed In Eastern Kentucky, Ernest E. Thacker, Gerald A. Weisenfluh, William M. Andrews Jr., John K. Hiett

Map and Chart--KGS

This chart is one of a series that shows the regional characteristics of the Lower Elkhorn coal. The maps were prepared as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's Natural Coal Assessment Program, which compiles regional maps and databases that provide a comprehensive assessment of the most important coal beds in the nation. The Lower Elkhorn coal is one of the leading producers in the state of Kentucky and has, in some areas, a reputation as an excellent metallurgical-grade coal. It is known locally as the Pond Creek, Imboden, Path Fork, Blue Gem, Straight Creek, Bruin or Vires coal bed. This …

Quality Characteristics Of The Springfield Coal In Western Kentucky, Cortland F. Eble

Map and Chart--KGS

Thickness and quality data from the Kentucky Coal Resources Information System (KCRIS) for the Springfield coal bed are summarized in this chart. Parameter averages and range of values are presented in the two tables, and average values are displayed graphically by county.

Geologic Map Of Kentucky, Garland R. Dever Jr., M. C. Noger

Map and Chart--KGS

This map shows the geologic age of rocks and sediments at the surface in Kentucky. Sedimentary rocks, deposited from about 465 to 290 million years ago during the Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Mississippian, and Pennsylvanian Periods, crop out across the state. The rocks mainly consist of shale, limestone, sandstone, and siltstone. As shown in the cross sections, these surface rocks are underlain by older unexposed rocks of Precambrian, Cambrian, and Ordovician age.

Small bodies of igneous rocks were intruded into the state's bedrock about 270 million years ago during the Permian Period. They crop out in Elliott County of northeastern Kentucky, …

Generalized Geologic Bedrock Conditions As Related To Solid-Waste Landfills In Kentucky, Martin C. Noger

Map and Chart--KGS

This map is not intended to be used for selecting individual landfill sites. Its purpose is to inform land-use planners, government officials, and the public in a general way about geologic bedrock conditions throughout the state that affect the selection of solid-waste disposal sites.

Effects Of Longwall Mining On Hydrogeology, Leslie County, Kentucky Part 3: Post-Mining Conditions, Shelley Minns Hutcheson, James A. Kipp, James S. Dinger, Daniel I. Carey, Lyle V.A. Sendlein, Gregory L. Secrist

Report of Investigations--KGS

The effects of longwall coal mining on hydrology in the Eastern Kentucky Coal Field have been investigated since 1991. The study area is in the Edd Fork watershed in southern Leslie County, over Shamrock Coal Company's Beech Fork Mine. Longwall panels approximately 700 ft wide are separated by three-entry gateways that are approximately 200 ft wide. The mine is operated in the Fire Clay (Hazard No. 4) coal; overburden thickness ranges from 300 to 800 ft. Mining began in panel 1 in September 1991 and concluded with panel 8 in September 1994. Long-term monitoring consisting of a network of piezometers …

The Effect Of Turfgrass Maintenance On Surface-Water Quality In A Suburban Watershed, Inner Blue Grass, Kentucky, R. Michael Williams, James S. Dinger, Andrew J. Powell, Dwayne R. Edwards

Report of Investigations--KGS

Nutrients and pesticides applied during routine maintenance or establishment of turfgrass could result in nonpoint-source pollution. Nutrient and pesticide concentrations in water exiting a turfgrass management area in the Sinking Creek watershed, a suburban watershed in the Inner Blue Grass Region of central Kentucky, were monitored. This watershed was selected because it contains multiple land uses: agricultural, residential, and recreational (golf course).

A survey was conducted to determine the extent to which lawn-care products are used in the residential sector of the watershed. For the golf-course portion, the golf-course superintendent recorded chemical application daily.

Runoff from the golf course was …

Subsoiling Of No-Tilled Corn, Lloyd W. Murdock

Soil Science News and Views

No-tillage corn production has become very popular in Kentucky because of the advantages it offers producers. Currently, over half of the corn in Kentucky is planted by this method and even a higher percentage is no-till planted on erodible lands. Because of this, many fields have received little tillage in the last 10 to 20 years. Many producers wonder if soil compaction increases with time on these long-term no-tilled fields due to annual trafficking by heavy equipment. Subsoiling implements have become available that allow subsurface tillage while preserving the surface mulch layer. This practice allows for continued no-till planting while …

Tectonic Implications Of Erosional And Depositional Features In Upper Meramecian And Lower Chesterian (Mississippian) Rocks Of South-Central And East-Central Kentucky, Garland R. Dever Jr.

Bulletin--KGS

Erosional and depositional features in upper Meramecian and lower Chesterian (Mississippian) carbonate rocks of south-central and east-central Kentucky suggest the influence of coeval structural activity. The study area, which extends from Pulaski County northeastward into Powell County, is underlain by (1) the Greenwood Anomaly, a large north-trending gravity anomaly, which probably represents part of a Precambrian rift system, and (2) the western part of the Rome Trough, an east-trending graben-like structure, which represents a Late Precambrian to Cambrian continental rift zone. The study focused on the St. Louis Limestone and lower Monteagle Limestone of south-central Kentucky and correlative carbonate rocks …

Cambrian And Deeper Tests Of Kentucky, 1999 Includes Proposed Tests (Permitted Locations), Brandon C. Nuttall

Map and Chart--KGS

No abstract provided.

Mass Flux Of Agricultural Nonpoint-Source Pollutants In A Conduit-Flow-Dominated Karst Aquifer, Logan County, Kentucky, James C. Currens

Report of Investigations--KGS

Changes in water quality in a karst ground-water basin used intensively for agriculture are being measured before, during, and after the implementation of best management practices (BMP’s) and other management practices, to determine the success of such programs in protecting ground water. The study was divided into three phases. The results of the first two phases are included in this report and cover research conducted between August 1990 and October 1994. During phase I of the study the overall ground-water quality of the basin and its hydrogeology were investigated. Phase II began monitoring the water quality at Pleasant Grove Spring …

Ground-Water Quality In Kentucky: Fluoride, Philip G. Conrad, Daniel I. Carey, James S. Webb, James S. Dinger, R. Stephen Fisher, Matthew J. Mccourt

Information Circular--KGS

Fluoride (F-) is an ion of the element fluorine, and is a natural component in most water resources. According to Hem (1989), fluoride concentrations in fresh water are generally less than 1 mg/L (milligrams per liter), and the concentration of fluoride in the world's oceans is about 1.3 mg/L. The source of most fluoride in natural fresh-water resources is various rocks and minerals in bedrock and sediments.

Precision Agriculture: A Field Study Of Soil Test Variability And Its Effect On Accuracy Of Fertilizer Recommendations, Kenneth L. Wells, James E. Dollarhide

Soil Science News and Views

Use of precision agriculture techniques in Kentucky during the past several years has generated interest in how to soil sample a field for use in programming computer-driven, on-the-go, variable rate fertilizer spreaders (VRS). The advantage achieved by VRS is related directly to variability of soil test (ST) values within a specific field and the accuracy of how they represent the field. Since variability of ST values commonly exists on a small scale, a very intensive sampling procedure (grids of one acre or less in size) would be required to accurately describe the nature and extent of such variability within a …

Precision Agriculture: The Effect Of Variable Rate Fertilizer Application On Soil Test Values, Kenneth L. Wells, James E. Dollarhide

Soil Science News and Views

Use of variable rate fertilizer spreaders (VRS) is available to farmers in many areas of Kentucky. For use of VRS, a soil fertility map must be prepared for the field to be spread which requires subdividing the field into subunits. Each subunit is then soil sampled separately. A common procedure in commercial use is to grid a field into 2.5 acre blocks and to take a composite sample of 6-8 cores along the perimeter of a circular radius of 60-80 ft from the center of each block. Each block receives a separate fertilizer recommendation based on results from the soil …

Kentucky's Coal Industry: Historical Trends And Future Opportunities, Gerald A. Weisenfluh, James C. Cobb, John C. Ferm, Carol L. Ruthven

Information Circular--KGS

Coal has been produced in Kentucky since the late 18th century. In the early years, all mining was by underground methods, but surface mining became the dominant method during and after World War II. In recent years, surface-mine production in both fields has decreased while underground mining has increased.

In the last half of this century, the traditional steam coal market for locomotives has virtually disappeared, leaving electric power generation and coking coal for the steel industry as the principal markets. More than half of all coal produced in the State has been produced in the last 25 years. Whether …

Spatial And Temporal Variability In Seepage Between A Contaminated Aquifer And Tributaries To The Ohio River, Alan E. Fryar, David L. Brown, David B. Wenner, Todd C. Rasmussen, Eric J. Wallin

KWRRI Research Reports

Because interactions between ground water and tributaries may influence contaminant loading to rivers, we delineated seepage along Little Bayou and Bayou Creeks in McCracken County, Kentucky, during a two-year period. From the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, on the divide between the creeks, trichloroethene and technetium-99 plumes extend several km toward the Ohio River. Gaining conditions occur where the creeks are incised into coarse sediments in the river's flood plain. Such conditions were marked by upward hydraulic gradients within the bed; maximum specific discharge (q) > 0.24 m d^-1; relatively narrow ranges of stream, piezometer, and bed temperatures; relatively cool …

Mineral And Fuel Resources Map Of Kentucky, Warren H. Anderson, Garland R. Dever Jr.

Map and Chart--KGS

The production of minerals and fuels in Kentucky is a multibillion dollar industry. Historically, coal, oil, natural gas, limestone, sand and gravel, clay, fluorite, barite, lead, iron, phosphate, zinc, and brines have been produced in the State. These resources have greatly influenced the development of Kentucky by providing raw materials for the early settlers who settled the State and for current industrial and economic development. Electrical power for homes, businesses, and factories; materials for constructing houses, buildings, automobiles, and roads; and products we consume in everyday life come from the earth's mineral and fuel resources.

Oil And Gas Map Of The Tompkinsville 30 X 60 Minute Quadrangle, Kentucky, Brandon C. Nuttall

Map and Chart--KGS

No abstract provided.

Profitability Of Variable Rate Fertilization On A Kentucky Soil (A Theoretical Analysis), Lloyd W. Murdock, Paula L. Howe

Soil Science News and Views

Grid soil sampling and variable rate fertilizer applications are a part of the precision agriculture movement that has captured the interest of many farmers. Variable rate fertilization requires extra expense and effort plus the use of often unfamiliar technology. Global Positioning Systems (GPS) equipment and computer software are used to outline and grid the field into small manageable units or “cells” (usually 2.5 acres). Each grid cell is soil sampled and tested for pH and available nutrients. Fertilizer recommendations are made on each grid cell and the fertilizer is spread by each grid cell using a truck equipped with GPS …

Fertility Status And Changes Of 50 Crp Fields, Lloyd W. Murdock, Dottie Call

Soil Science News and Views

The CRP program in Kentucky has 435,000 acres ofland which will be released soon. Since these fields were highly eroded when they were placed into the program, it was felt it would be helpful to determine the general fertility status of the CRP fields in Kentucky and see what changes had taken place during their years of enrollment in the CRP program. Since most of the fields had a previous erosive history, we expected the fields to be low in pH and in the low to medium range for phosphorus and potassium.

We would like to thank the producers who …

Seeding Cover Crops In Kentucky, Kenneth L. Wells, Morris J. Bitzer

Soil Science News and Views

The most common reason for seeding a cover crop is to establish cover onto a tilled area following harvest of the previous crop, or onto a disturbed area for a "critical seeding", as soon as possible after tillage or disturbance. The reason for establishing the cover crop is to stabilize the exposed surface of bare soil to prevent erosion.

Bouguer Gravity Map Of Kentucky, G. Randy Keller, Donald C. Adams

Map and Chart--KGS

No abstract provided.

An Assessment Of Water Sources Related To Major Systems Of Agricultural Land Use In Kentucky, Robert L. Blevins, Gerald R. Haszler, Grant W. Thomas, Kenneth L. Wells, William W. Witt

Soil Science News and Views

Recent years have seen a greater public concern about the quality of the nation's water resources. While initial concerns targeted point source pollution, the emphasis in recent years has shifted to non-point source pollution, including the effect of general practices used by fanners in agricultural production systems. Since there was no reliable data base on such effects for Kentucky, the state's General Assembly passed legislation during its 1990 session directing the University ofKentucky's College of Agriculture (UK.CA) to assess the effect of agricultural practices on quality of the state's waters. As part of the efforts undertaken by the UKCA in …

Distribution Of Oil And Gas Wells In Kentucky, Brandon C. Nuttall, Daniel I. Carey

Map and Chart--KGS

This map shows the distribution of more than 109,000 wells for which location information is available in the Kentucky Geological Survey's oil and gas well record database.