Popular Kentucky Earth Science Publications
The Kentucky Geological Survey publishes information about the Commonwealth's geology, water, mineral, and energy resources. The following list contains some of those publications, which have been written for non-technical audiences. Some of these publications may already be in your school library. If you would like more information about any of these publications,contact the Publication Sales Office at the Kentucky Geological Survey.
Maps of Kentucky
- Mineral and Fuels Resources Map of Kentucky. Map of Kentucky (1:1,000,000) showing the location of mineral and fuel resources in the state, production charts, and a discussion of the state's resources with references for further reading. Map and Chart 26_12.
- Karst occurrence in Kentucky. Map of Kentucky (1:500,000) showing areas of intense karst, moderate karst, and limited karst. Map and Chart 33_12.
- Kentucky. Map of Kentucky (38"x24"), with inset maps showing generalized geology, physiographic regions, mineral resources, and energy resources. Map and Chart 101_12.
- Geology of Mammoth Cave National Park. Maps (54"x36"), complemented by photos, diagrams, and text, show the geology, topography, and karst of the Mammoth Cave area. Map and Chart 186_12.
- Groundwater maps. Maps (1:100,000) showing karst groundwater basins, water wells, and springs.
- Generalized geologic maps for land-use planning. Maps for each of Kentucky's counties showing the implications and limitations for development on the rock units in the county. Photos, diagrams, and text provide guidelines for effective development.
- Geologic Hazards in Kentucky.Map and Chart 185_12. State Map (scale=1:750,000) showing the geologic hazards in different areas of Kentucky, with photos, illustrations, charts, and explanatory text complementing the map. Map and Chart 185_12.
- Kentucky Terrain. State Map (scale=1:750,000) showing topography, geology, and the regions of Kentucky, with photos and charts illustrating the different characteristics of each region. Map and Chart 187_12.
- River Basins of Kentucky. State Map (38"x22") showing major river basins in Kentucky, with photo illustrations and water facts. Map and Chart 102_12.
- River Basin Maps. Maps of the major river basins in Kentucky, showing topography, wetlands, protected areas, water quality assessments, 11-digit Hydrologic Units, boat ramps, etc., with photos, diagrams, and illustrations
- Page-size maps of the following: Generalized geology, energy resources, and physiographic provinces. These maps are useful handouts for understanding the relationship between geology, physiography, and energy resources in the State. Each 15¢. Post card showing generalized geology 15¢
- 1:24,000-scale maps. Each map covers and area of 7.5 minutes of latitude and longitude, approximately 7 x 9 miles. Maps are available for the entire State. Great for understanding the geology, topography, wetlands, flood prone areas, etc. at your location.
General Geology
- SP 25_10. Topography of Kentucky, by Preston McGrain and J.C. Currens, 1978, 76 p.
- SP 8_11. The geologic story of Kentucky, by Preston McGrain, 1983, 74 p. A non-technical introduction to the geology of Kentucky with examples from Kentucky's State Parks.
- SP 15_11. A guide to Kentucky place names [rev. ed.], by T.P. Field, 1991, 268 p.
- SP 16_11. Roadside geology along Interstate Highway 75 in Kentucky, by D.C. Haney and M.C. Noger, 1992, 37 p. This booklet is a flip chart that describes the geology you can see along the road.
- SP 17_11. Roadside geology along Interstate Highways 71 and 65 in Kentucky, by D.C. Haney and M.C. Noger, 1992, 44 p. This booklet describes the geology you can see along the road.
- SP 2_12. Roadside Geology along the Alexandria to Ashland Highway - Kentucky 9, Kentucky 10, and U.S. 23 between Greenup Locks and Dam and Interstate 64, by Schumacher, G.A. et al, 2001, 62 p. This booklet describes the geology you can see along the road.
- SP 8_12. Exploring the geology of the Cincinnati/northern Kentucky region, by P.E. Potter, 2007, 128 p.
Scenic Geology
These booklets provide useful information about the geology of Kentucky's scenic areas.
- SP 4_9. Geology of the Natural Bridge State Park area, by A.C. McFarlan, 1954, 31 p.
- SP 6_9. The geologic story of Diamond Caverns, by Preston McGrain, 1961, 24 p.
- SP 11_9. Geology of the Cumberland Falls State Park area, by Preston McGrain, 1955; reprinted with minor revisions, 1966, 33 p.
- SP 12_9. Geology of the Carter and Cascade Caves area, by Preston McGrain, 1954; reprinted with minor revisions, 1966, 32 p.
- SP 13_9. The geologic story of Bernheim Forest, by Preston McGrain, 1967, 26 p.
- GIH 24_10. Scenic geology of Pine Mountain in Kentucky, by Preston McGrain, 1975, 34 p.
- Geology of the Raven Run Nature Sanctuary by Stephen Greb, Brian Baker, and David Earle, 1985 , 18p.
Fossils
- Progression of life, by Stephen F. Greb, 1988, poster. A colorful poster featuring 150 animals and plants from the Earth's past. A key on the back of the poster gives the name and age of each.
- SP 13_11. Guide to "Progression of Life, with notes on the history of life in Kentucky, by S.F. Greb, 1989, 44 p. This booklet was written as a companion to the poster. It contains photographs of common fossils in Kentucky, and illustrations of the animals from which the fossils came. Also contains illustrations that recreate what Kentucky looked like at various times in the past.
- SP 19_11. Fossil beds of the Falls of the Ohio, by S.F. Greb, R.T. Hendricks, and D.R. Chesnut, Jr., 1993, 39 p. Great for field trips to the Falls! Contains photographs of common fossils and numerous illustrations of the animals from which they came.
Earthquakes
- SP 14_11. The great Central Mississippi Valley earthquakes of 1811–1812, by Ronald Street and Otto Nuttli, 1990, 14 p.
Rocks and Minerals
- SP 20_11. Rocks and minerals of Kentucky, by W.H. Anderson, 1994, 65 p. A very useful guide to identifying rocks and minerals from around the State, with descriptions, 46 color plates, and 20 black and white pictures.
Caves
- SP 12_11. Caves and karst of Kentucky, ed. by P.H. Dougherty, 1985, 196 p. Maps and photographs of some of Kentucky's caves.
- MCS 186_12 Geology of Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky, 2012 by M. Crawford, R. Olson, R. Toomey, L. Scoggins.
A complete list of publications is available on request from KGS. Please Contact Publication Ordering Information.