“An entirely new look at the Earth” with LiDAR elevation data

LiDAR, which stands for “light detection and ranging” technology, is giving geologists a new and detailed look at the Earth’s surface, showing features that have never been seen before. Indiana is in the process of collecting this data for the entire state. John C. Steinmetz, the director of the IGS, explains this technology and outlines its benefits in this new article.

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Locations of Wells in the Trenton Oil and Gas Field

More than 3,000 maps and plats are being used to resolve conflicting or missing locations reported for ~36,000 wells in the Trenton Oil and Gas Field of eastern Indiana since its discovery in 1889. GIS (geographic information system) methods are used to integrate six main generations of map data. Thanks to the Indiana Oil and Gas Association for its generous support.

Stone to Build a State

Indiana is fortunate to have abundant geologic resources and at the IGS scientists conduct research to learn how best to use them. Crushed stone for building roads, raw materials for making cement, dimension stone for architectural uses, shale for making bricks, and prosaic sand and gravel for all sorts of uses—we study these to promote the wise use of our natural heritage.

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Bedrock Geologic Mapping

The Indiana Geological Survey participates in a federally funded program to produce high-resolution geologic maps. Here Dr. Brian D. Keith examines an outcrop of Pennsylvanian sandstone in Martin County as part of his south-central Indiana mapping efforts.