Events

March 1, 2019 at 6:45 pm

Geology Colloquium | Glacial and Karst Mapping in Ohio, March 22

Douglas Aden , portrait outdoors

Douglas Aden

The Geological Sciences Colloquium Series presents Doug Aden, B.S. ’08, M.S. ’10, discussing “Glacial and Karst Mapping in Ohio – Matching the Borders and Finding the Holes” on Friday, March 22, at 2 p.m. in Clippinger 205.

Aden is a mapping geologist at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological Survey.

Abstract: Consultants, researchers, and the public are increasingly requesting data in digital and other more-seamless formats instead of traditional paper maps. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological Survey (ODGS) is developing digital-friendly interactive statewide datasets to meet this demand. Initially, the focus of this effort is the surficial geology and karst mapping programs.

Over the past 25 years, geologists mapped the glacial geology for more than two-thirds of the state. Typically, mapping geologists completed this work in individual 7.5-minute quadrangles. Over time, mapping methods and styles changed, which resulted in topological errors and mismatched borders. These problems are being systematically reviewed and corrected in a Geographical Information System and with Python script automation. New mapping work will continue in Ohio’s unmapped areas, and once complete the ODGS will release the seamless surficial dataset as an interactive web-based map.

Similar to the glacial mapping data, geologists are updating digital karst mapping data in Ohio to produce an interactive map. This ever-growing statewide dataset also supports karst research on the development of sinkholes and how their morphology varies by region. When complete, this map will raise public awareness of sinkholes and increase data accessibility for planners, geotechnical engineers, and other industry professionals.

Upcoming Colloquia

Jonathan Calede of The Ohio State University – Marion on “Whack-a-gopher: Why did burrowing rodents pop up during the Oligocene” on April 5 at 2 p.m. in Clippinger 205.

Audrey Sawyer of The Ohio State University on “Surface water-groundwater exchange and nitrogen fate in tidal rivers” on April 12 at 2 p.m. in Clippinger 205.

Chris Atchison of University of Cincinnati on “Moving beyond tradition: Rethinking field-based teaching and learning in the geosciences” on April 19 at 2 p.m. in Clippinger 205.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*