Geology News
Tennessee Current Events

USGS has redesigned their PDF topo maps! Just released are complete map sets for Tennessee (694 maps) and Kentucky (671 maps) with more states coming soon (Alaska and Hawaii).

These maps are beautiful. If you want to see a sample we have Mammoth Cave, Kentucky unzipped and ready for you to download – but be warned that it is a really big file (30 megs) and will take quite a while to download – but well worth the wait…

If you have Adobe Reader or equivalent software, click here, get the download started, go for coffee, come back to a great map. Be sure to zoom in to see the great detail.

Did you know that most homeowners insurance policies do not cover damage from any type of subsidence? That includes collapse from sinkholes, oil production, ground water pumping and underground mining activity. Most insurance companies offering homeowners coverage exclude almost any type of geologic hazard from coverage – unless you make specific arrangements to acquire it yourself.

The folks at MyTopo.com are now printing supersized topo maps; large enough make a huge 8′ x 5′ (or 5′ x 8′) map that will look fantastic on the wall of your office, conference room, lobby, cabin or den. These maps are custom-centered on any location that you pick using their online map-making tool.

We are affiliates of MyTopo.com and receive a commission on sales.

Raven Maps are beautiful examples of shaded-relief wall maps that display the elevation of a state in vibrant colors. These large maps look great in a classroom, den or office. Use one to mark the locations of your work or company.

USGS has published “Geologic map of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park region, Tennessee and North Carolina“. You can view a pdf or purchase a printed map.

Water levels on the Mississippi River are at very low levels. This satellite image shows an area near Memphis, Tennessee on August 17, 2012 when water levels were from 2.4 to 8.3 feet below normal stage. Low water levels have narrowed the channel, made turns tighter and exposed numerous sand bars.

Mountain Press Publishing has released a new book by Albert B. Dickas titled: 101 American Geo-Sites You’ve Gotta See.

It provides a two-page presentation on each site that features photos, text and a map. It is a good way to get a quick glimpse of these 101 fantastic sites. It sells for $23.99.

See a table of contents.

The-Vug.com has an impressive listing of mineral clubs organized by state. You might be surprised at how many clubs are listed and there is probably one that meets within a short drive of your home.

“The importance of hydropower as a source of electricity generation varies by geographic region. While hydropower accounted for 6% of total U.S. electricity generation in 2010, it provided over half of the electricity in the Pacific Northwest.” Quote from the Energy Information Administration article.

“The third and probably the most widely felt of the three major earthquakes occurred on February 7, 1812, at about 3 a.m.”

USGS has recently published: “Shallow Coal Exploration Drill-Hole Data—Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas”. Data is available by state in MS Excel files.