Citizen's Guide to Geology in Everyday Life

How does geology determine landscape?

The study of landscapes and the processes by which they were formed is called geomorphology. The natural landscape is a result of geologic processes. To understand these geologic Karst landscapeprocesses, it is necessary to learn about the types of rocks that occur at the surface. For example, the rugged scenery along the Daniel Boone National Forest (the large number of rapids, arches, cliffs, and gorges) is a result of the very hard sandstone bedrock found in that area. The long ridges of Pine Mountain and Cumberland Mountain were formed by faulting and folding. The dimpled landscapes with numerous sinkholes around Lexington, Bowling Green, and Somerset are called karst terrains (see glossary). Karst landscapes are the result of the formation of sinkholes and caves in limestone bedrock. The shaded relief map to the right (Nicholasville area, Little Hickman 7.5-minute quadrangle) shows the dimpled landscape typical of karst topography. Kentucky has several large areas of karst terrain because of the large areas of limestone bedrock. The longest cave system in the world, Mammoth Cave located near Bowling Green, is situated in a large karst plain.

What are the most interesting geologic features in this area and why are they so interesting?

There are a great many interesting geologic features in the area covered by this map, too many to list here. However, several unusual or unique features are worth further note:

Converging fault systems.-The Brumfield, Lexington, Kentucky River, and the Irvine-Paint Creek fault systems (plus several minor faults) converge in the area of this map. The geologic processes that caused the faults, history of the fault movements, and their geometry at depth are very complex and not completely understood.

The Kentucky River-The Kentucky River in central Kentucky is at the bottom of a deep gorge. However, the meandering shape of the river is typical of rivers formed in very flat landscapes. See what caused this phenomenon.

How does geology influence recreation and scenic areas?

Kentucky River.-In the area of this map, the Kentucky River is one of the main recreational features with several parks, nature preserves, and numerous trails (e.g., Buckley Wildlife Sanctuary, Raven Run Park, and several Nature Conservancy holdings, Fort Boonesborough State Park).

Cumberland Escarpment.-Along the southern part of the area covered by the map are isolated knobs. Find out what caused these hills.

How did geology determine the settlement patterns in central Kentucky?

Early settlers wanted flat, arable land with a nutrient-rich soil, close to a continuous water supply. A reasonably close source of salt water (salt lick or salt spring) was also desirable; salt was used to preserve food, especially meat. The first two permanent settlements in Kentucky, Fort Harrod (now Harrodsburg) and Fort Boonesborough, were within the area covered by this map. Why were they located here?

Geologic resources that influenced early development of the region included

How did geology influence the use of building materials?

Generally, the highest cost associated with building material is the cost of transportation. Using locally derived industrial minerals can help reduce the costs of public and private construction of homes, other buildings, highways, and bridges. Local building stones were used in many homes, churches and courthouses throughout Kentucky's history, although in recent decades, local building stone is seldom used. Concrete has taken its place in many cases. Two building stones of note in the area covered by this map were the Kentucky River Marble (limestone from the Oregon Formation) and the Lower Birdseye (limestone from the Tyrone Limestone). Both of these stones crop out along the Kentucky River Palisades. The stone walls of Bluegrass farms are a well-known example for other uses of locally-derived stone.

Construction concrete used in buildings and highways is made from Portland cement (generally made at limestone quarries), crushed stone, sand, and gravel. Crushed local stone is also used in the making of blacktop, although the asphalt may come from some distance. In the past, quarries and mines producing these industrial minerals were common and a local supply could be used to keep construction costs low. However, with increased urban development and increased environmental sensitivities, fewer quarries and mines can be opened, and the result will be increased costs due to longer distances for transportation.

How has geology influenced economic activity?

How does geology influence water supply, pollution protection, and waste disposal?

Bedrock plays an important role in the behavior of water. For example, in karst areas (i.e., areas of limestone bedrock, abundant sinkholes and caves), a significant amount of rain water sinks directly into caves rather than flowing to a surface creek or river. Contaminates at the surface (such as herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers, animal wastes, parking lot runoff, leachate from landfills, or spillage of chemicals in a wreck) drain quickly into cave conduits without any filtration or chemical changes. These contaminants can travel several miles underground in a day. Anyone downstream using the karst ground water can unknowingly be drinking unclean water. Other bedrock types can retard or prevent the flow of ground water or even alter it chemically. Ground water behavior is a complex issue best handled by specialists called hydrogeologists. For more information on hydrogeology, see the KGS Web site www.uky.edu/kgs and their section on Water.

What role should geology play in municipal and county planning and development?

Geology can play a role in determining...