Home Page of the Illinois State Geological Survey
Home Page of the Illinois State Geological Survey
Note: Web site transformation in progress. Thank you for your patience!
EVENTS
Garden of the Gods Field Trips October 24 and November 14, 2009
Registration is now open for the fall 2009 Geological Science Field Trips.
These field trips mark the 80th anniversary of the ISGS' commitment to conduct public field trips each year for the benefit of the citizens of Illinois.
The Garden of the Gods area is located within the Shawnee Hills of southern Illinois. Trip participants will view many interesting rock formations, given names such as Camel Rock, Anvil Rock, and Devil's Smokestack. These rock formations and cliffs at the Garden of the Gods are made of sandstone deposited 320 million years ago during the Pennsylvanian Period. Overlying these sandstones, in the northern part of the field trip area, are the Pennsylvanian coal-bearing shales, siltstones, and sandstones formed about 300 million years ago. In the ...more on the field trips
HIGHLIGHTS
August 2009
Major New Funding Arrives for Height Modernization Program
Thanks to the efforts of Congressmen Timothy Johnson and Aaron Schock, the Illinois State Geological Survey has received nearly $725,000 to continue the Illinois Height Modernization program through the National Geodetic Survey (NGS). This new funding more than doubles the funding received for the initial year of the program.
Nearly every engineered design or structure needs current ...more on Height Modernization
September 2009
Coal Subsidence Mapping Project and Report Completed
Recent coal mine subsidence beneath a school in Benld, Illinois has drawn increased attention to the importance of documenting and locating old mine workings. More than 4,000 underground mines with known locations have operated in Illinois. All but 12 coal mines and 10 industrial minerals/metals mines have been abandoned. Although subsidence has occurred over all types of mines in Illinois, most subsidence is related to coal mines because of the extensive areas underlain by these mines. However, one of the state's largest subsidence events ...more on mine subsidence
Updated: 11/13/2009 SLD
News
ISGS in the News
From Environmental Expert.com, November 13, 2009...
DOE targets rural Indiana geologic formation for
CO2 storage field test –
A U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) team of regional partners has begun
injecting 8,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) to evaluate
the carbon storage potential and test the enhanced oil recovery
(EOR) potential of the Mississippian-aged Clore Formation in Posey
County, Ind.
Read more
A Minute with Geologist William Shilts
Illinois Basin-Decatur Carbon Sequestration Project
Upcoming Events
ISGS Seminar Series, Fall 2009
Monday, November 16th, 2009 - Chris Stohr, ISGS
"Close Range Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing for Description and
Measurements of Inaccessible Outcrops for 3-D Geologic Mapping"
Outcrops are valuable sources of three-dimensional geologic
information, but are often inaccessible or short-lived. Terrestrial
photography, photogrammetry, and remote sensing can be used to
collect outcrop information, including elevations and locations tied
to real-world coordinates.
Abstract
Full Seminar Calendar
International Year of Planet Earth, 2007-2009
"The International Year of Planet Earth aims to capture people's
imagination with the exciting knowledge we possess about our planet,
and to see that knowledge used to make the Earth a safer, healthier,
and wealthier place for our children and grandchildren."
Read more