The Kentucky Geological Survey now offers real-time groundwater monitoring through our enhanced KGON well network. View live water level elevations and temperature data from monitoring wells across Kentucky, with interactive charts showing current conditions and historical trends.
People People
Expert geologists, researchers, and support staff specializing in landslide monitoring, hydrogeology, mineral resources, and environmental geology.
Labs Labs
State-of-the-art research facilities providing geochemical analysis, materials testing, and hazard assessments for geological research and environmental monitoring across Kentucky.
Monitoring Monitoring
Real-time monitoring of groundwater, seismic activity, landslides, and environmental conditions to protect communities and infrastructure across Kentucky.
News & Events News & Events
Latest KGS research findings, field studies, publications, and community outreach helping Kentucky understand and prepare for geological hazards.
Kentucky Geological Survey
Understanding Earth's Resources for our Commonwealth
Who We Are
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.
Community & Education
Discover comprehensive geological educational resources tailored for K-16 educators and students.
Research & Labs
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.
Current Openings
Check out our current job opportunities and apply today.
Live Groundwater Monitoring Display
Example of a monitoring plot on a real-time data page. This image displays the real-time weekly groundwater level data for the KGON-1 well at the Kentucky Horse Park. Follow the link above to view all the available monitoring wells.
Connect with Us
The Big Blue Rock Pod
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.
Ask a Geologist
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.
Ask Our Experts
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.
How KGS Serves Our Kentucky Community
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 moreGateway to Kentucky's Earth Science Data
The 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.
Explore Data
KGS News and Announcements
From cave to CHAOS to community: Rachel Washburn shares geohealth research with Hidden River Cave stakeholders
Rachel Washburn, postdoctoral fellow with the Geohealth Team at the Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS) and Director of the CHAOS Lab (Center for geoHealth and Applied Omics Studies), recently visited Hidden River Cave and the American Cave Conservation Association (ACCA) to present new research findings generated directly from the cave system.
KGS in the Media
WKYT
Burgin flood survivor returns home
Woman displaced 10 months by back-to-back floods refuses to leave neighborhood as geological survey tests dewatering wells
KGS in the Media
KGS in the Media
LEX 18
Kentucky Geological Survey visits Kentucky River landslide area in Frankfort
More than 500 homes in Franklin County were invaded by the Kentucky River during historic flooding last April. But in some places, homes were also affected by land movement. At that time, it was a difficult task to tell someone they weren't allowed in their own home. But that’s what Autumn Goderwis, the planning director for Franklin County, had to do because of landslides.
KGS in the Media
UKNOW
UK landslide research expands to Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati
The Kentucky Geological Survey (KGS) received a $182,961 grant from the U.S. Geological Survey to advance geological understanding and hazard preparedness for Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati. The project will produce landslide inventory maps and landslide susceptibility maps for the region that will benefit city planners, local governments and landowners.
KGS in the Media
LinkedIn - KY NSF EPSCoR
CLIMBS Researchers Go Global in Finding Hazard Solutions through NSF’s CLaSH Initiative
Geologic hazards are complicated, connected, and continuous. While extreme precipitation events can cause catastrophic flooding, the intense precipitation can also induce widespread landslide activity. The landslide deposits can block small streams or send pulses of materials into rivers, exacerbating the destructiveness of the flood by changing the nature of the flow and providing larger debris that can impact infrastructure. Similarly, wildfire burns vegetation, making hillslopes more susceptible to landsliding during intense precipitation. The positive feedback between one hazard exacerbating the severity of another hazard is referred to as a hazard cascade. Understanding hazard cascades and their impacts on infrastructure and people is difficult, and exactly the type of challenge addressed through the National Science Foundation’s new CLaSH – Center for Land Surface Hazards (CLaSH). Kentucky researchers are playing a key role.