New Surficial Geologic Mapping Along the I-65 Corridor In Hardin County, Kentucky

The Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS) is an independent, state supported research center and public resource within the University of Kentucky that serves to provide the citizens of our Commonwealth with accurate, unbiased information about geologic resources, environmental issues, and natural hazards affecting Kentucky. Although Kentucky is fortunate to have complete coverage of 1:24,000-scale geologic maps focused on bedrock, surficial materials were either undifferentiated on these maps or completely ignored. As current trends of economic development and urbanization continue to rise, however, detailed surficial geologic mapping is necessary to support geotechnical planning and engineering, environmental management and mitigation, and hazard assessment. As such, the KGS aims to collect, produce, and disseminate detailed surficial geologic maps and digital data for areas of the state likely to experience the most rapid economic development. County-wide compilation maps of surficial geology are a secondary goal, so that county GIS offices may also distribute these data and maximize publicity. Constituents of the Kentucky State Geologic Mapping Advisory Committee (KSGMAC) echo these goals, as summarized in the attached letter from the chair of the committee. This proposal requests $299,995 to support completion of eight new 1:24,000-scale (or greater) surficial geologic quadrangle maps that will immediately address societal needs and support new scientific discovery along Interstate 65 in a rapidly developing area of west-central Kentucky that has been prioritized with the cooperation of the advisory committee. The study area is also situated in a geologically unique region that will provide an opportunity to examine relationships of surficial deposits to groundwater resources, geologic hazards (sinkholes, landslides, and radon), and landscape evolution processes of the Midwestern United States. This project has been designed to fulfill the long-range mapping plan of the KGS and the KSGMAC, will build upon current (FY20) and previously funded (FY14, FY15, FY16, and FY19) STATEMAP projects along the I-65 Kentucky corridor, and will conclude all mapping necessary to construct new, detailed, publicly available surficial geologic datasets for Hardin County.