Geomorphology or Landscapes , Educational Resources for K-16

KGS Home > Earth Science Education
Maps (Topographic and Geologic)

Mapping at the Kentucky Geological Survey, Kentucky Geological Survey. This site provides access to maps, both hard copies and digital files, concerning various aspects of Kentucky geology, infrastructure, physiography, and hydrology. It also provides links to other organizations that provide on-line maps. The option GIS coverages, links to a geospatial library of digital coverages for Kentucky including county maps, DEM's, DRG's, and others. Terra maps includes aerial photos of Kentucky that can be downloaded. The option Kentucky maps, links to county maps of the state in GIF-file format Dsdata provides information about benchmarks in Kentucky.

To find the name of a topographic or geologic map in Kentucky, use the KGS Index to Digital DRG's, which is also a topographic map index. From the statewide view, use the zoom tool on your computer to zoom in on an area of interest. The small rectangles within the large colored rectangles are the 1:24,000-scale (7.5-minute) maps. Geologic maps of the same scale have the same name as the topographic map. You can also use the KGS Map search, by scrolling down the page to the map view and selecting an area to see the name and index number of the topographic map you are interested in.

Geologic Maps and Geologic Issues in Kentucky: A Citizen's Guide. Kentucky Geological Survey, University of Kentucky. PDF version of publication on geologic maps. Provides useful information about different types of maps, map scales, elements of geologic maps (rock units, faults, cross sections, etc.) and numerous examples of map applications to groundwater location, hazard mitigation, mineral and fuel resource exploration and construction. In color with numerous illustrations.

Geologic Maps. American Geological Institute. Website to accompany their popular publication, "Meeting Challenges with Geologic Maps." Explains scales and symbols of maps, how geologic maps are made, their value, and what they are used for. PDF versions of parts of the publication showing how geologic maps are used with examples from around the United States are offered online.

What's a Topographic Map. U.S. Geological Survey. Provides easy-to-understand explanation of topographic maps, types of topographic map information, including a fact sheet about map scales, and a key to symbols used on topographic maps in the United States. Free teacher packets for map exercises are also available online. Map Adventures contains seven lessons about map legends, scales, and grids appropriate for grades K-3. What Do Maps Show? contains four lessons about topographic maps, appropriate for grades 5-8. Exploring Maps contains four lessons to improve map-reading skills and shows how maps can be used to answer fundamental geographic questions; appropriate for grades 7-12.

Slaymaker's Topographic Maps and Stereoviews Web Pages. Dr. Susan Slaymaker, California State University. Features of Topographic Maps provides links to scanned images of topographic maps, each example illustrating a specific type of cultural or natural feature (boundary types, road types, different spacings of contour lines, vegetation types, etc. ). Landforms on Topographic Maps provides scanned images of geologic structures (anticlines, faults, etc.), glacial landforms, igneous and volcanic landforms, streams and running water landforms (different types of streams, swamps, deltas, etc.), underground water landforms, wind-generated landforms, landforms caused by waves and currents. Topographic Map Examples provides links to whole topographic maps that illustrate cultural features and map symbols, igneous activity, mass movements, streams, underground water, glaciers, wind, waves and currents, geologic structures, and ocean basins. Stereoviews of Geoscience provides online stereoviews of astronomy, geology, meteorology, and oceanography, and an explanation of how to look at stereoviews; which allow you to see an image in three dimensions. Geology Stereoviews provides hundreds of stereoimages of earth materials, weathered and eroded rocks, land subsidence, rivers and surface waters, underground water, glacial and polar regions, sand dunes, earthquakes, volcanoes, elevated regions, and regions of natural beauty.

Topozone. This site features digital topographic maps for viewing or printing. A search engine lets you type in a place name and state name from anywhere in the United States. Then you choose from the selections found and view the part of the topographic map shown. Cursor arrows let you navigate between images. A target cursor allows you to zoom in or zom out by changing scales or to determine the specific location of a place of interest in various coordinate systems (degrees and minutes, decimal degrees, UTM). You can print the part of the map shown.

Earth System Science, Universities Space Systems Association. This site is maintained by a cooperative University Program and NASA. It's goal is to provide information and foster collaboration concerning studies of Earth's global systems. Under the Data Resources subheading, scroll down to maps for a good list of links to agencies that provide various types of earth-science map data, as well as satellite images, weather, climate, software tools, system diagrams, pictures, and videos.

Color Landform Atlas of the United States. John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. This site lets you select any state in the United states. For each state there are various map options including a shaded color relief map, a shaded color relief map with county boundaries, a black and white shaded relief map, detailed maps of areas within the state, a satellite image, historic maps, and a post-script map. These maps are wonderful tools for illustrating geography or physiography within each state. Landforms and the manner in which landforms change across each state are wonderfully shown in shaded relief. Links are also provided to other web sites to provide more information and facts about the state chosen.

Tapestry of Time and Terrain, U.S. Geological Survey. 2000. A great site for visualizing the connection between bedrock geology and physiography (landscapes) and also for illustrating the distribution of rocks of different ages around the United States. The map on the front page is a combination of a 3-D shaded relief map and a geologic map. The Two Maps option shows each map separately and then merges them together using a Quicktime® plug-in. The Description of Features Option lets you zoom in on selected physiographic regions shown on the map and provides specific information about those regions. The Rock of Ages option shows the legend (explanation) for the geologic map (classified by intervals of geologic time). You can choose a time period to see where rocks of that age are exposed at the surface in the United States. There is a short description of the rocks and fossils from that time period, and a series of options for zooming in on specific regions. The web preview is also available on CD from the USGS for a low cost.