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KGS Home > Geology of Kentucky
Physiographic Map of Kentucky
Physiography, also called geomorphology, is the study of land surface features. Kentucky is divided into several physiographic regions. If you compare the physiographic map and geologic map, you will see that the patterns of colors on the maps are similar; the physiographic regions are very similar to the geologic regions. That is because the shape of the land surface is controlled by the effects of weathering and erosion of the bedrock. The descriptions physiographic regions found in the following links have been modified from Preston McGrain's, The Geologic Story of Kentucky.
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Physiograpic Region |
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Bluegrass |
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Eastern Kentucky Coal Field |
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Knobs |
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Jackson Purchase or Mississippi Embayment |
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Pennyroyal or Mississippian Plateau |
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Western Kentucky Coal Field |