Past Projects

KGS hired six interns to join a research team to investigate several aspects of Mundy’s Landing in Woodford County. The team studied and collected information on the area's karst, geomorphological, geophysical, and other features, including terrain characteristics, hydrological patterns, and historical significance.

KGS hired six interns to join a karst related research team that investigated a drainage area of the Red River Gorge Geological Area. The team collected information on the area's karst, geomorphology, and related other features, including terrain characteristics, hydrological patterns, and historical changes. To ensure a valuable learning experience, each intern was paired with a mentor who guided them through the 10-week program, which included a final presentation and poster session. The results of each project contributed to a better understanding of geological processes in the Red River Gorge.

Interns undertook diverse geological and environmental research projects across Kentucky working with a variety of KGS researchers. One intern investigated the dolomitization and mineralization processes at the mysterious Jeptha Knob structure to help determine its origins, while another combined fieldwork and creative science communication to develop a story map documenting flooding hazards and housing issues in Louisville's West End. A third intern applied machine learning techniques to identify sinkholes from high-resolution LiDAR elevation data, addressing this significant geological hazard in Kentucky's carbonate terrain. Additionally, an intern used specialized software to map the hydrostratigraphy of western Kentucky's northern Mississippi Embayment region, and another worked in the Daniel Boone National Forest to document previously unstudied karst groundwater systems through spring surveys, cave exploration, and dye tracing to track underground water flow paths.

Interns conducted a wide range of geological research projects addressing hazards, resources, and environmental issues across Kentucky. Projects included using machine learning to identify sinkholes from LiDAR data, analyzing seismic wave behavior in the New Madrid zone using new instrumentation, studying fluid inclusions to understand ore mineralization in the Western Kentucky Fluorspar District, and conducting comprehensive landslide mapping in eastern Kentucky using UAV technology. Additional work focused on exploring the intersection of geology and social justice by mapping relationships between natural hazards, resource exploitation, and demographics, while another intern used drone-based gamma spectrometry to map soil uranium levels and assess radon potential for public health research.