People Expert geologists, researchers, and support staff specializing in landslide monitoring, hydrogeology, mineral resources, and environmental geology.
Labs State-of-the-art research facilities providing geochemical analysis, materials testing, and hazard assessments for geological research and environmental monitoring across Kentucky.
Monitoring Real-time monitoring of groundwater, seismic activity, landslides, and environmental conditions to protect communities and infrastructure across Kentucky.
News & Events Latest KGS research findings, field studies, publications, and community outreach helping Kentucky understand and prepare for geological hazards.
The Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS) is a state-supported research center and public resource within the University of Kentucky. Our mission is to support the sustainable prosperity of the Commonwealth, the vitality of its flagship land grant university, and the welfare of its people. We do this by conducting research in the geological sciences, providing unbiased data and information to the public, and engaging with stakeholders. Research conducted by the KGS serves the Commonwealth and its people by building resilience.
Discover comprehensive geological educational resources tailored for K-16 educators and students.
Our research and laboratories enhance knowledge and understanding of Kentucky's geological resources, hazards, and water systems to support science-based decision making for the Commonwealth.
Check out our current job opportunities and apply today.
The Paul Edwin Potter Internship Program participants collaborate with mentors from KGS on 10-week research projects focused on KGS current research areas. Interns develop technical skills, participate in professional development opportunities, and expand their academic networks.
Applications for the 2026 program are now being accepted! Click button below for info.
2025 Potter Internship program participants.
This podcast is a fun, conversational approach to discussing all things geology and earth processes. We primarily focus on Kentucky as we talk about emerging ideas in research, along with classic topics in earth science for all levels of interest.
Have questions about Kentucky's geology? Wondering about rocks, minerals, landslides, or groundwater in your area? Our expert geologists are here to help with answers backed by decades of research and field experience.
Send your geology questions to kgsmail@uky.edu. Please include the topic in your subject line.
For specimen identification (fossils, rocks, minerals), include a high-quality (at least 150 dpi), in-focus photo with an item next to the specimen for
scale (ruler, coin, etc.). If possible, please also provide at least the county-level location where you found the specimen.
Please note: KGS staff and researchers cannot perform land surveying, consulting services, or referrals.
You can find a list of licensed geologists in Kentucky through the Kentucky Board of Registration for Professional Geologists:
bpg.ky.gov.
The Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS) traces its roots back to 1838 and has been part of the University of Kentucky since 1948. Our mission is to support the sustainable prosperity of the Commonwealth, the vitality of its flagship university, and the welfare of its people.
We do this by conducting research and providing unbiased information about the geology and natural resources of Kentucky. We focus on issues relevant to the economic prosperity, environmental quality, and practical well-being of the Commonwealth and its people: the things that can make Kentucky a compelling place to live, work, and do business.
KGS provides technical support to several state agencies and organizations, as well as a host of local, county, and federal agencies. We also interact with stakeholders from a wide range of community, industry, environmental, and educational groups, and the KGS website provides free public access to our databases, digital map layers, and reports.
Learn moreThe Kentucky Geological Survey provides free public access to comprehensive databases, digital maps, and research reports through user-friendly interactive interfaces—no specialized software required.
Our Earth Analysis Research Library houses over 2,500 rock cores, 16,000 oil/gas well samples, 8,000 limestone samples, and 5,000 coal samples. The KGS Groundwater Data Repository contains information on over 92,000 water wells, 5,100 springs, and 58,000 water-quality analyses.
Additional databases document Kentucky's landslides, sinkholes, oil and gas wells, earthquakes, mines, and quarries—all supporting resource exploration, environmental protection, and engineering studies.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
