2025 News Archive
Browse news and updates from 2025 at the Kentucky Geological Survey.
October
2025 Kentucky Geological Survey Geoscience Open House
On Tuesday October 28, 2025, 6-7:30 p.m., the Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS) will host its 25th annual Open House, inviting students, families, teachers, and earth-science enthusiasts to explore the many wonders of Kentucky’s geology. This long-running tradition offers a hands-on, engaging experience with the natural forces and materials that shape Kentucky.
Read ArticleSeptember
Kentucky Geological Survey receives nearly $340,000 from USGS to preserve vital oil and gas well records
The Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS) has been awarded $335,695 from the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation Program (NGGDPP) to improve access to and preservation of Kentucky’s oil and gas well records and samples. The new funding, matched by KGS for a total project investment of $671,390, supports a three-year effort that began on August 1, 2025.
Read ArticleMay
Kentucky Geological Survey Landslides and Engineering Geology Team monitors landslides in the Commonwealth with an eye towards developing a weather-driven landslide forecasting model
Landslides have a significant impact on Kentucky, causing an estimated $10 to $20 million in damage annually and affecting roads, infrastructure, buildings, property, and private residences. In order to expand our research and get that information to interested stakeholders, the Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS) Landslide and Engineering Geology Team (1) supports state and local officials' responses to landslides, (2) learns from landslide events to inform landslide investigations and improve mitigation efforts, (3) evaluates hazard and reduces landslide risk, and (4) monitors and assesses slope response to a changing climate, working towards developing a weather-driven landslide forecasting model for the Commonwealth.
Read ArticleSarah Arpin Elected to National Speleological Society Board of Governors
We are proud to announce that Sarah Arpin, Geologist at the Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS), has been elected to the Board of Governors of the National Speleological Society (NSS). Founded in 1941, the NSS is the world's largest organization dedicated to the exploration, study, and conservation of caves and karst environments, with more than 10,000 members and over 250 local chapters, known as grottos, across the United States.
Read Article64th KGS Annual Seminar: Geology in the Modern World
We are excited to invite you to the 64th KGS Annual Seminar on Tuesday June 10. The combined morning session will be at the Jacobs Science Building on UK's campus and will highlight hydrogeology research and feature a moderated panel on the KY NSF EPSCoR CLIMBS initiative. The afternoon is split into two hands-on workshops: stay on campus and learn about using and implementing landslide data OR head to the Earth Analysis Research Library and learn new techniques for characterizing limestone aquifers.
Read ArticleApril
SP&M Lab Updates: Exciting Developments in Landslide Research and Flood Modelling
The Surface Processes & Modelling Laboratory (SP&M) at the Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS) is making significant strides in research and collaboration, including welcoming an esteemed international scholar, publishing research, and securing new funding. The SP&M Lab is funded by the NSF EPSCoR 'Climate Resilience through Multidisciplinary Big Data Learning, Prediction & Building Response Systems (CLIMBS)' award, which aims to advance Kentucky's climate resiliency through hazard assessment based on Kentucky-specific scientific research.
Read ArticleFebruary
KGS Unveils State-of-the-Art Lab for Flood Modeling Research
The Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS) opened a new computational lab on the third floor of the Mining and Mineral Resources Building in January 2025. The Surface Processes and Modelling Laboratory (SP&M Lab) was funded by the NSF EPSCoR ‘Climate Resilience through Multidisciplinary Big Data Learning, Prediction & Building Response Systems (CLIMBS)’ award, which aims to advance Kentucky’s climate resiliency through hazard assessment based on Kentucky-specific scientific research.
Read ArticleJanuary
KGS Monitoring Seismic Activity Across Kentucky and Surrounding States
Earthquakes affecting Kentucky are in the news again, following an uptick in activity in November and December in the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ) and another event in southeast Ohio. The NMSZ is a zone of seismic activity on a fault system which extends into four states, including the western part of Kentucky. Normally, there are two to four magnitude 3.0 earthquakes per year in the NMSZ. However, between November 3 and December 9, there were three magnitude 3.0 and greater events. Just afterward, on December 16, a magnitude 3.4 earthquake occurred in southeastern Ohio, a region that rarely experiences events of this size. Each of these recent earthquakes was felt near the epicenters, including in Kentucky.
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