Warren H. Anderson
The results of this project, which summarizes the Pleistocene sand and gravel resources in northern Kentucky, were published in 1994 as Report of Investigations 8, "Sand and Gravel Resources of the Ohio River Valley." These deposits are finite resources, and are situated near several major metropolitan areas. Knowledge of the geology of these deposits will enable effective land-use planning and economic development.
Project results indicate three major glacial deposit terraces of pre-Illinoian, Illinoian, and Wisconsinan age. The larger sand and gravel resources were deposited downstream from several major glacial meltwater streams near North Bend Bottom and Petersburg in Boone County. Carbonate rocks are the dominant lithology in the older pre-Illinoian deposits; glaciers excavated the dominant bedrock lithology in the Midcontinental United States, which consists of carbonate rocks. The younger Wisconsinan terraces are the most desirable resource for mining, because of the reworking and concentration of quartz gravels. The high-gravel, low-silt/clay, and abundant limestone/dolostone content make these deposits attractive for mining. The high carbonate content, extensive reworking, and weathering of the older pre-Illinoian deposits make them the least desirable for construction aggregate.