Geology Commons^™

Surficial Geologic Map Of The Bowling Green South 7.5-Minute Quadrangle, Kentucky, Matthew Massey, Meredith Swallom, Bailee Nicole Hodelka, Hannah Hayes, Charles Wells Iii, Steven L. Martin, Emily Morris

Contract Reports--KGS

The Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS), a state-supported independent research center within the University of Kentucky, is committed to providing accurate and unbiased geologic information on natural resources, environmental issues, and natural hazards in Kentucky. While Kentucky boasts complete coverage by 1:24,000-scale geologic bedrock maps, surficial materials have been largely overlooked, except in regions with thick deposits obscuring the bedrock. Given the increasing trends in economic development and urbanization, detailed surficial geologic mapping has become crucial for supporting geotechnical planning, environmental management, and hazard assessment. In response, KGS has prioritized new, detailed surficial geologic mapping since 2004, specifically targeting areas anticipated …

Surficial Geologic Map Of The Bristow 7.5-Minute Quadrangle, Kentucky, Bailee Nicole Hodelka, Matthew Massey, Meredith Swallom, Steven L. Martin, Charles Wells Iii, Emily Morris

Contract Reports--KGS

The Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS), a state-supported independent research center within the University of Kentucky, is committed to providing accurate and unbiased geologic information on natural resources, environmental issues, and natural hazards in Kentucky. While Kentucky boasts complete coverage by 1:24,000-scale geologic bedrock maps, surficial materials have been largely overlooked, except in regions with thick deposits obscuring the bedrock. Given the increasing trends in economic development and urbanization, detailed surficial geologic mapping has become crucial for supporting geotechnical planning, environmental management, and hazard assessment. In response, KGS has prioritized new, detailed surficial geologic mapping since 2004, specifically targeting areas anticipated …

Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan For Landslides For The Big Sandy Area Development District, Kentucky, Matt M. Crawford, Hudson J. Koch, Jason M. Dortch

Contract Reports--KGS

Landslides are a complex geologic hazard that occurs worldwide, impacting lives, infrastructure, and property. The Big Sandy Area Development District, Kentucky incurs high landslide activity impacting several municipalities. This hazard mitigation planning project includes landslide susceptibility and risk assessments for the Big Sandy Area Development District. We based the landslide susceptibility model on statistics of hillslope morphological features such as slope, curvature, roughness, aspect, and elevation. Using a dual machine learning approach, we modeled the probability of landslide occurrence, defined as an area that is occupied, or might be occupied in the future, by a landslide. We also developed the …

Maximizing Mining Operations: Unlocking The Crucial Role Of Intelligent Fleet Management Systems In Surface Mining’S Value Chain, Arman Hazrathosseini, Ali Moradi Afrapoli

Earth and Environmental Sciences Faculty Publications

On the one side, the operational expenses of mining enterprises are showing an upward trend; and on the other side, conventional mining fleet management systems (FMSs) are falling short in addressing the high-dimensionality, stochasticity, and autonomy needed in increasingly complex operations. These major drivers for change have convinced researchers to search for alternatives including artificial-intelligence-enabled algorithms recommended by Mining 4.0. The present study endeavors to scrutinize this transition from a business management point of view. In other words, a literature review is carried out to gain insight into the evolutionary trajectory of mining FMSs and the need for intelligent algorithms. …

Recent Paleolimnological History Of Jackson Lake, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming (Usa), Hillary Johnson

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

This study utilizes a recently acquired, high-resolution CHIRP seismic reflection dataset and a deepwater sediment core to analyze the recent stratigraphy of Jackson Lake (Wyoming, USA). The western shoreline of Jackson Lake is situated adjacent to the Teton fault, a down-to-the-east normal fault that produces the spectacular high topography of Grand Teton National Park. The sediments of Jackson Lake are underexplored and consequently, their value as indicators of hydroclimatic and tectonic changes is unknown. Here, the sedimentary fill of Jackson Lake is explored as a natural archive of environmental change, specifically in reference to the influence of human outlet engineering …

Microstructural, Mineralogical, And Chemical Characterization Of The Handys Bend And Flax Creek Meteorites, Kentucky: Relevance For The Iron Meteorite Record, Ethan S.L. Davis

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Iron meteorites remain the only material view into planetary cores. Despite their scientific relevance, iron meteorites are relatively rare. In June 2021 and March 2022, the Kentucky Geological Survey received requests to identify two metallic specimens discovered in central Kentucky. The specimens were given the provisional names Handys Bend (3175.2 g) and Flax Creek (286.2 g). The goal of this project is to confirm meteoritic origin, characterize their structures and chemistry, assign genetic classifications, and examine potential relations to previous discoveries. Petrography was conducted using scanning electron microscopy. Mineral phases were examined using X-Ray diffraction crystallography. Chemical compositions were determined …

Thermal Alteration Of The Mineralogy Of Calcium Sulfoaluminate Cements: Implications For The Performance Of Rapid Repair Materials, Jillian Cavellier

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) was developed in part to lessen the environmental impact of cementitious materials compared to traditional Portland cements. CSA was first put into production in the 1970s and has been undergoing various performance testing to investigate its durability. Yet to be evaluated is CSA’s response to a rapid, high temperature event. In this study, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry and scanning electron microscope imaging were used to analyze alterations in the mineralogy due to such an event. As found in previous studies, after ~125°C, ettringite has been completely dehydrated. Ettringite decomposes into bassanite and calcium …

Assessing Microplastic Contamination Within Karst Groundwater Basins In Kentucky, Maaz Fareedi

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

The input and abrasion of plastic waste in the environment has long been known to form microplastics (MPs). These ubiquitous contaminants are easily mobilized into hydrologic systems. MPs are now being found in karst aquifers around the world, including several across Kentucky, USA. Due to their size (< 5 mm in diameter), chemical properties, abundance, and wide distribution, MPs pose numerous ecological hazards, including uptake by organisms and as substrates for contaminant sorption. Karst groundwater is especially vulnerable to surface contaminants; however, knowledge of the extent of karst MP contamination is limited, with most studies focused on individual sites or small areas. In this study, we created a MP contamination dataset for 30 karst springs and 10 locations where cave sediments were characterized across Kentucky. MP concentrations in groundwater samples ranged from 0 to 41.1 items/L and yielded an average of 4.9 ± 8.7 items/L. Sediment MP concentrations ranged from 0 to 306 items/kg. We performed statistical analyses and linear regressions to examine whether groundwater MP concentrations could be explained by factors including land use, population density, basin area, numbers of sinkholes, and sinking streams. Our models revealed that population density, agrarian land use, sinking stream density, and basin area were related to MP concentrations. All factors except basin area trended positively with MP concentration, while basin area trended negatively. These relations are generally corroborated by existing literature, however they indicate that further studies with considerably larger sample sizes are needed to determine mechanistic relationships.

Visualizing And Automating Past, Real-Time, And Forecast Dynamic Hazard Maps For Shallow Colluvial Landslides In Eastern Kentucky, Nathaniel O'Leary

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Landslide hazards are a persistent threat to communities and infrastructure in Eastern Kentucky, where steep slopes, shallow colluvial soils, and variable hydrological conditions make slope failures frequent. This thesis presents an integrated approach to landslide hazard mapping (LHM) through the development of dynamic, spatiotemporal LHMs for shallow colluvial landslides. Two studies within this work investigate and refine the use of the Lu and Godt (2008) factor of safety (FS) equation to improve landslide predictions. The first study establishes a novel LHM workflow using Hydrus-1D to simulate soil moisture infiltration and fluctuations from precipitation and evapotranspiration (ET) data. This study also …

Alteration Of Ultramafic Lamprophyres And Its Effect On Rare Earth Element Distribution In The Illinois-Ketucky Fluorspar District, Zachary O. Walton

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

The ultramafic lamprophyres of the Illinois-Kentucky Fluorspar District (IKFD) have been identified as a potential domestic source of rare earth elements (REEs). The present distribution of the REEs and the role of the carbonate alteration in the distribution of the REEs is poorly understood. Petrographic and geochemical analyses were employed to determine the nature of the mantle source region and timing of the carbonate mineralization. Ratios of ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd vs. ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr demonstrate that in addition to the intrusion of primitive magma into the crust, a melt was generated from a mantle source region metasomatized by …

Re-Examination Of A Middle Mississippian Carbonate Mud-Mound Complex From The Fort Payne Formation In South-Central, Kentucky, Maxwell Mickelson

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

This study examines the origin of a 213-m (700-ft) long, Middle Mississippian, carbonate “mud-mound complex” in the Fort Payne Formation of south-central Kentucky. The complex’s well-exposed, easily accessible, and well-preserved nature provides an opportunity to understand how mounds like this developed during a time of sediment starvation, basinward of the largely abandoned Borden-Grainger Delta complex.

The mound complex is formed of small, accretionary mounds that accreted onto the flanks of an eroded structural high and onto the backs of each other, apparently for protection from storms. Each sub-mound is composed of micrite-rich wackestone, comprising one of two biofacies: 1) alternating …

Slope Unit Maker (Sumak): An Efficient And Parameter-Free Algorithm For Delineating Slope Units To Improve Landslide Modeling, Jacob B. Woodard, Benjamin B. Mirus, Nathan J. Wood, Kate E. Allstadt, Benjamin A. Leshchinsky, Matthew M. Crawford

Faculty, Staff, and Affiliated Publications--KGS

Slope units are terrain partitions bounded by drainage and divide lines. In landslide modeling, including susceptibility modeling and event-specific modeling of landslide occurrence, slope units provide several advantages over gridded units, such as better capturing terrain geometry, improved incorporation of geospatial landslide-occurrence data in different formats (e.g., point and polygon), and better accommodating the varying data accuracy and precision in landslide inventories. However, the use of slope units in regional (> 100 km²) landslide studies remains limited due, in part, to the large computational costs and/or poor reproducibility with current delineation methods. We introduce a computationally efficient algorithm …

Recurrence Interval Estimates For The July 2022 Eastern Kentucky Floods, North Fork Of The Kentucky River, William C. Haneberg

Open File Reports--KGS

July 2022 flood recurrence interval calculations for three gages along the North Fork of the Kentucky River—Whitesburg, Hazard, and Jackson, Kentucky—based upon both empirical distributions and theoretical log-Pearson Type III distributions yield a range of results from 851 years for the Whitesburg gage near the headwaters of the North Fork to about 2 years for the Hazard gage to 94 years for the Jackson gage. While the log-Pearson Type III approach worked well for the Whitesburg and Hazard gages, it produced an unrealistically low estimate for the Jackson gage because the empirical and theoretical curves diverge significantly for large floods …

Kgs Joint Data, Steven L. Martin

Research Data--KGS

Joint orientation measurements collected by KGS personnel at rock exposures from 2009 to 2024. New joint data was collected using a Brunton compass. This data set is a compilation of joints measured by Steve Martin. There are three worksheets related to data structure. The joint location and joint measurement worksheets show a 1-to-many relationship. The 1to1 worksheet shows a 1-to-1 relationship between joint locations and measurements.

Version 2 uploaded December 2024, adding new data to existing set.

Kentucky Karst Dye Trace Database, Sarah M. Arpin, Benjamin W. Tobin, Maaz Fareedi, Adam Link, James C. Currens

Research Data--KGS

This dataset provides the geographical locations of karst groundwater basins, groundwater flowpaths, and dye injection/recovery points in Kentucky. Dye tracing is a common method used for understanding groundwater movement. Dye is poured (or injected) into a sinking stream, well, sinkhole, or body of water, where it is carried down-gradient by flowing water. The locations at which dye is recovered (typically at artesian springs) indicates a connection from injection to recovery site. This connection is refered to as a groundwater flowpath. Conducting multiple dye traces across an area allows for the interpretation of regional groundwater flow by assessing where flowpaths either …

Field Guide To Big Bone Lick, Kentucky: Birthplace Of American Vertebrate Paleontology, Glenn W. Storrs, H Gregory Mcdonald, Eric Scott, Robert A. Genheimer, Stanley E. Hedeen, Cameron E. Schwalbach

Special Publication--KGS

Big Bone Lick is the birthplace of vertebrate paleontology in the Western Hemisphere and has a long and celebrated history in the exploration of the American colonial frontier and of the early United States. Notable European scientists of the 18th century such as Buffon, Cuvier, and Hunter discussed the fossils found there. Prominent Americans of the time, such as Boone, Washington, Franklin, and Jefferson are also part of the site’s history. It is the type locality for several extinct late Pleistocene megafaunal mammals, most notably the iconic American Mastodon, who were attracted to the area by salt licks dictated by …

Hydrology Data For Fern Cave, Alabama (2020-2022), Benjamin Tobin, Benjamin V. Miller, Matthew Niemiller, Andrea Erhardt

Research Data--KGS

Dataset includes water level from four sites within Fern Cave in Jackson County Alabama. Additionally, it includes chemistry of water, sediments and cave-adapted isopods.

Predictive Modeling Of Cave Entrance Locations: Relationships Between Surface And Subsurface Morphology, William Blitch, Adia R. Sovie, Benjamin Tobin

Faculty, Staff, and Affiliated Publications--KGS

Cave entrances directly connect the surface and subsurface geomorphology in karst landscapes. Understanding the spatial distribution of these features can help identify areas on the landscape that are critical to flow in the karst groundwater system. Sinkholes and springs are major locations of inflow and outflow from the groundwater system, respectively, however not all sinkholes and springs are equally connected to the main conduit system.

Predicting where on the landscape zones of high connectivity exist is a challenge because cave entrances are difficult to detect and imperfectly documented. Wildlife research has a similar issue of understanding the complexities of where …

New Surficial Geologic Mapping In Kentucky (2021-2022), Matthew Massey, Antonia Bottoms, Max Hammond Iii, Ann Hislop, Meredith Swallom, Michele M. Mchugh

Research Data--KGS

New surficial geologic mapping was performed in nine new 7.5-minute quadrangles in Hardin, Meade, Breckinridge, Grayson, Hart, and Larue Counties, Kentucky.

Quadrangles include Big Clifty, Big Spring (Hardin county only), Custer (Hardin County only), Flaherty, Madrid (Hardin county only), Millerstown, Summit, Tonieville (Hardin county only), and Upton.

Mapping data for each of the nine quadrangles is captured in a ZIP file that contains an ESRI geodatabase and associated FGDC-compliant metadata files (.xml).

The geodatabase is a relational geodatabase of spatial and non-spatial data that conforms to "GeMS (Geologic Map Schema)--a standard format for digital publication of geologic maps", available at …

Measuring Ground Surface Elevation Changes In A Slow-Moving Colluvial Landslide Using Combinations Of Regional Airborne Lidar, Uav Lidar And Uav Photogrammetric Surveys, Sarah E. Johnson, William C. Haneberg, L. Sebastian Bryson, Matthew M. Crawford

UK CARES Faculty Publications

Slow-moving, chronically destructive landslides are projected to grow in number globally in response to precipitation increases from climate change, and land disturbances from wildfire, mining and construction. In the Cincinnati and northern Kentucky metropolitan area, USA, landslides develop in colluvium that covers the steep slopes along the Ohio River and its tributaries. Here we quantify elevation changes in a slow-moving colluvial landslide over 14 years using county- wide lidar, uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) structure-from-motion (SfM) surveys and a UAV lidar survey. Because the technology and quality differ between surveys, the challenge was to calculate a threshold of detectable change for …

Reconnaissance Of Landslides And Debris Flows Associated With The July 2022 Flooding In Eastern Kentucky, Matt M. Crawford, Zhenming Wang, Seth Carpenter, Jonathan Schmidt, Hudson J. Koch, Jason M. Dortch

Report of Investigations--KGS

Between July 25 and July 30, 2022, a series of convective storms generated approximately 14–16 inches of rainfall across parts of eastern Kentucky, predominately in Clay, Leslie, Perry, Breathitt, Knott, and Letcher Counties. The peak rainfall occurred on the evening of July 27 and the morning of July 28, with the hardest-hit areas experiencing more than 10 inches in a 24-hour period. The historic rainfall led to catastrophic flooding along many rivers and streams, but also triggered widespread landslides and debris flows that damaged roads, homes, property, and other infrastructure. Once initial relief and recovery efforts were established, the Kentucky …

Magnetic Anomaly Data Products Of The Central And Eastern United States, Dhananjay Ravat

Earth and Environmental Sciences Research Data

This data set contains Central and Eastern U.S. Magnetic Anomaly, DRTP, Tilt Derivative, and Analytic Signal Amplitude Products ultimately derived from Ravat, D., Finn, C., Hill, P., Kucks, R., Phillips, J., Blakely, R., Bouligand, C., Sabaka, T., Elshayat, A., Aref, A., and Elawadi, E., 2009, A preliminary, full spectrum, magnetic anomaly grid of the United States with improved long wavelengths for studying continental dynamics--A website for distribution of data: U.S. Geological Survey Open- File Report 2009–1258, 2 p.

Spatiotemporal Retrievals Of Soil Moisture And Geomorphologic Data For Landslide Sites In Eastern Kentucky, Lindsey Sebastian Bryson, Daniel M. Francis

Civil Engineering Research Data

These data are the soil texture, land information system-based soil moisture estimates from assimilation of NASA SMAP satellite-based observations and NOAH 3.6 Land Surface Model estimates, artificial neural network machine learning code, and in-situ soil moisture measurements.

Dvgq Joint Data, Steven L. Martin

Research Data--KGS

A compilation of digitally vectorized joint data from the U.S. Geological Survey geologic quadrangle maps. Joint data was collected by USGS and KGS geologists using a compass during geologic mapping of the 7.5-minute quadrangle. Field notes of mappers are not available, therefore the orientation of joints was determined by a script written by KGS personnel during the digitization process.

Surficial Geologic Map Of The Rockfield 7.5-Minute Quadrangle, Warren, Logan, And Simpson Counties, Kentucky, Wes Buchanan, Meredith Swallom, Antonia Bottoms, Matthew Massey, Bailee Nicole Hodelka, Emily Morris

Contract Reports--KGS

The Rockfield 7.5-minute quadrangle is located west of Bowling Green, Kentucky situated mostly in Warren County, but also includes small areas of Simpson and Logan Counties in its southwestern corner. Regionally, the quadrangle includes parts of the Pennyroyal and Mammoth Cave plateau within the Mississippian Plateaus physiographic region (McDowell, 1986). The Dripping Springs escarpment, which separates the lower-elevation Pennyroyal from the higher-elevation Mammoth Cave plateau is highly dissected in the quadrangle. Topography in the Pennyroyal is characterized by pervasive sinkhole development across a low-relief plain, which is mostly underlain by the Mississippian Ste. Genevieve Limestone. Higher-relief topography is restricted to …

Surficial Geologic Map Of The Hadley 7.5-Minute Quadrangle, Warren County, Kentucky, Matthew Massey, Meredith Swallom, Antonia Bottoms, Wes Buchanan, Bailee Nicole Hodelka, Emily Morris

Contract Reports--KGS

The Hadley 7.5-minute quadrangle is located in Warren County northwest of Bowling Green, Kentucky. Regionally, the quadrangle is entirely within the Mammoth Cave plateau, which is located in the Mississippian Plateaus physiographic region (McDowell, 1986). The Mammoth Cave plateau is a regional west-dipping cuesta, that has been extensively incised by the Green and Barren Rivers and their tributaries. The area is underlain by Upper Mississippian to Lower Pennsylvanian (Rainey, 1963): the lowest fluvial valleys are underlain by Ste. Genevieve Limestone; Girkin Formation is exposed on the steep slopes between the lower valleys and higher plateau; the plateau is underlain by …

Surficial Geologic Map Of The Bowling Green North 7.5-Minute Quadrangle, Warren County, Kentucky, Meredith Swallom, Matthew Massey, Wes Buchanan, Bailee Nicole Hodelka, Hannah Hayes, Charles Wells Iii, Emily Morris

Contract Reports--KGS

The Bowling Green North 7.5-minute quadrangle is located in Warren County immediately north of Bowling Green, Kentucky. Regionally, the quadrangle includes parts of the Pennyroyal and Mammoth Cave plateau, both within the Mississippian Plateaus physiographic region (McDowell, 1986). The Dripping Springs escarpment, which separates the lower-elevation Pennyroyal from the higher-elevation Mammoth Cave plateau is highly dissected in the quadrangle. Topography in the Pennyroyal is characterized by pervasive sinkhole development across the low-relief Pennyroyal, which is mostly underlain by the Mississippian St. Louis Limestone, Ste. Genevieve Limestone, and Girkin Formation (Shawe, 1963). Higher-relief topography is restricted to the slopes of the …

Assessing Compressed Air Energy Storage (Caes) Potential In Kentucky To Augment Energy Production From Renewable Resources, J Richard Bowersox, John B. Hickman

Report of Investigations--KGS

Fossil fuel power plants in Kentucky have some of the highest emissions of greenhouse gasses in the United States. One potential strategy for mitigating greenhouse gasses from electric power generation is the co-installation of Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) and a renewable source such as photovoltaic solar electricity generation (PV solar generation). CAES with complementary co-installed PV solar generation enhances stand-alone PV solar generation because CAES power is available at night.

CAES, however, requires both a site where large volumes of compressed air can be stored in the subsurface, and a heat source to prepare the stored air prior to …

Using 3-Dimensional Mapping To Determine The Possibility Of Structural Control On Development Of The Upper Ordovician Lexington Limestone, Central Kentucky, U.S.A., Sean Davis

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

The upper Lexington Limestone of Late Ordovician age has been interpreted to represent a structurally controlled, complex, facies mosaic. This facies mosaic has historically been interpreted to be a carbonate buildup of shoal complexes with interbedded shale units with intertonguing facies. Due to relatively recent advances in geographic-information-systems (GIS) mapping technologies, it is possible to generate three-dimensional (3-D) compatible maps to offer insight to the complexities of the upper Lexington Limestone and to determine if structural control affected the distribution of members. The resulting two-dimensional (2-D) and 3-D maps show that basement faults likely exerted a significant influence on facies …

A Source-To-Sink Analysis Of The Pantanal Basin (Brazil): Implications For Weathering, Erosion, And Landscape Evolution In The World's Largest Wetland, Edward L. Lo

Theses and Dissertations--Earth and Environmental Sciences

Large back-bulge retro-arc basins have limited information about the sediment composition, yet they comprise important parts of the stratigraphic rock record. The exorheic Pantanal Basin is the world's largest continental wetland that regulates many valuable ecosystem services (water storage, nutrient cycling, agriculture, ranching, tourism, and transportation). This dissertation is composed of three studies that utilize a suite of tools to examine the most fundamental basin-wide source-to-sink sediment processes and controls that affect the characteristics and distribution of modern sediments.

The first paper consists of a metadata analysis of 76 shallow tropical floodplain lakes in the literature with bathymetric data and …