International Year of Planet Earth

Indiana University Scholar Works

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Earthquake Strikes Southern Illinois

On April 18th at 5:36AM EDT a 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Illinois. The epicenter was located approximately 5 miles northwest of Mt. Carmel, Illinois, 38 miles north-northwest of Evansville, Indiana, and 128 miles east of St. Louis, Missouri. The earthquake was felt throughout Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky, and as far away as Missouri, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin. More information about this earthquake is available from the Indiana University PEPP Earthquake Science Institute.

Information from the IGS

• Indiana Earthquake Brochure (PDF)
• Indiana Earthquake Information
• Earthquake Publications
• Earthquake Epicenters in Indiana

Additional Information

• USGS Earthquake home page
• USGS Earthquake report
• Report from the Center for Earthquake Research and Information
• Aftershock report from the Illinois State Geological Survey

News Releases

• Whole lotta shakin' going' on! Understanding the Indiana Earthquake of 2008
• Active Aftershocks
• IU investigates earthquake

Looking for
Historical Aerial Photos?

The Indiana Geological Survey's new IHAPI Web site can help. The Indiana Historical Aerial Photo Index map allows users to easily locate and order high-resolution Indiana aerial photos from the 1930s through the 1980s. While the photos cannot be downloaded, thumbnail images from the IGS collection of nearly 40,000 images can be viewed on the site.

The new IHAPI site provides an index to more than 113,000 historic Indiana aerial photos.

New Geology and
Interactive Map Web Site
for Allen County, Indiana

Allen County–A Geologic Atlas is now available online. The atlas includes an interactive map viewer along with illustrations, photos, and descriptions of the geology and landforms of this region. Primary geologic data is also accessible in the form of water-well reports and gamma-ray logs. Visit the site now to create your own custom map!

New Bedrock Geologic Map

The IGS introduces its newest map: Geology of the Bloomington 7.5-minute Quadrange. This large-format map differentiates geologic units with color and utilizes a hillshade effect to emphasize topography of the land surface.

2007 Energy Report

Researchers from Indiana University's School of Public and Environmental Affairs and the Indiana Geological Survey recently completed a report detailing the production and consumption of energy resources for the state of Indiana. The entire report is available in PDF format from the IGS Web site.

Reconnaissance of Coal-Slurry Deposits

Indiana has a long history of coal mining, and since the late 1920s, many coal-mine operators have processed their raw coal at the mine site to produce more marketable products. The fine-grained residue from processing, known as “tailings” or “slurry,” often contains significant quantities of coal. Deposits of such materials are referred to as “coal-slurry deposits." The IGS has released a new report regarding the locations and sizes of coal-slurry deposits scattered throughout southwestern Indiana. As energy prices climb and coal-processing technologies improve, there is increased interest in recovering marketable coal from such deposits. To learn more about the results of this study view the full report.