New! Click anywhere on the GIS map to view a summary of geologic features

The problem with geology maps you've seen before

Most geology maps have lots of colors and symbols representing various geologic units---too many, perhaps: Onlookers are constantly referring to the map legend, then back to the area of interest, legend, map, and back and forth your eyes go. 

Further, if you want to know something about surface versus bedrock geology, you have the added complication of using different maps altogether.  Most likely these "old school" paper-based maps are of different scales and areas of extent and it's hard to get a "big picture" view of the geology of an area.  Not to mention, the big paper maps are hard to use in the field -- especially a windy field.

This geology mapping project aims to be different.  Here's how:

Now you can just click on pretty much any location on the Wisconsin Geology online GIS map to open a popup showing a summary of geologic features for the spot clicked.

Here are three ways to access geology information from the Wisconsin Geology GIS map:

1. See a landform that looks interesting on the Wisco Geology GIS map?  Pick it and click it, and a popup will provide a summary of geologic information (bedrock and surficial) for that area.  Super interesting geology will eventually have links from the popup to a blog article.
2. Don't want to click and poke at the map so much?  Just press the "Info Summary" button in the top ribbon, then just zoom to an area of interest. Within your map view extent, you'll see a summary of geologic features along with any outcrops that might be in sight. These descriptions will update automatically as you pan or zoom around the map.  Nifty, huh? 
3. You know you can use the Wisconsin Geology GIS map on a smart phone, right?  Yep, you'll have gobs of geologic information at your fingertips while out in the field -- and the little blue dot knows where you are at all times, of course. While hiking, just tap the map to see what's around--and under--you.

This will take a while to compile

I'll have to compile information from dozens and dozens of geology maps and convert them into my specific GIS format to make this all work. It'll take a while.  As geologist J. David Love has said, "You can't do geology in a hurry."

This project overall is still in it's infancy, but since few people are even looking at this project, I thought I'd go ahead and publish this even as it's incomplete and I'm still testing this idea.

Areas that are completed with more refined, large-scale geologic map data summaries as of September 25, 2018 include the counties of:

• Brown
• Door
• Kewaunee
• Sheboygan

I suggest you try out the above counties first (look in the Green Bay area).

You can look at other parts of the state, but the summary information is based on a very generalized small scale maps and lacks detail. The polygons and boundaries are purposely transparent. If you are able to see polygon edges, please do not interpret them to be precise locations of geologic contacts.

In the near future, I will be compiling more detailed bedrock and surficial geology into this "summary" layer for the following areas:

• The Fox Valley area of Eastern Wisconsin
• Southeastern Wisconsin
• Northeastern Wisconsin
• Central Wisconsin including Marathon, Portage, and Wood Counties

Stay tuned!

GIS map updates coming soon

A user of the Wisconsin Geology GIS app made a great suggestion:  Differentiate the outcrop symbols by type (rocks, landforms, etc).  Most of the outcrop symbols represent bedrock outcrops, but I originally did have some marking the locations of glacial landforms (the moulin kames in western Sheboygan County for example) and other interesting sites as well.

In the future, the X symbols on the GIS map will represent bedrock outcrops only.  In case you read this: Thanks for the suggestion, Paul!

I'll be making the LiDAR-based hillshaded landforms "clickable" with popup information.  The hillshade effect already does a nice job of highlighting landforms, but I'd like to take it a step further and offer some interpretive information to help people identify them as drumlins, former lake plains, and so forth.   I think this will be pretty cool.

Stay tuned!

How to access citations / references

As I collect information for this Wisconsin Geology project, I am making every effort to ensure the work of others is being properly cited.  You will find source materials with the names of the authors located:

• As attributes of mapped features on the Interactive GIS map
• On the "References" page accessible as a tab on this blog (above)
• As references within the blog articles themselves

Thanks to all of the geologist who have done the hard work to make this project possible!  Special thanks to the Wisconsin Geological & Natural History Survey (WGNHS) and the United States Geological Survey (USGS ) for making so much information publicly available through their web site.

How this Wisconsin Geology project was born

This Wisconsin Geology project started as my effort to use GIS to map the rock outcrops that I have visited (or hope to visit). I wanted to attach basic information about each site so that it's all with me as I travel around my home state of Wisconsin. I also wanted to capture photos and notes about each site that I visit.  Further, I wanted to be able to access the unique perspective offered by LiDAR terrain maps to help interpret the geology of any given area.

That's how this GIS map came to be.

It was originally intended for my own use, but I decided to share it with you and create this companion blog because I thought you might find it interesting too.

When you open the GIS map and begin to zoom in and play with it, you'll see:

GIS app on a smart phone

• Outcrop locations mapped with a red or orange X.   When tapped on, these outcrops will bring up descriptions and/or photos or short articles about the outcrop.  Thousands of additional outcrops are mapped with a black X (visible when zoomed in) but the black ones will not have as much attached information as those colored red or orange.

• Landforms illustrated with a "hillshade" effect. There is a medium-resolution hillshade for the entire state (source: Wisconsin SCO) and this is displayed at the intermediate map scales.  When zoomed in to large scales, some areas (about half of the state so far) have an even more detailed hillshade that was produced from county LiDAR projects. The hillshade / topographic relief layers make landforms "pop out" and they help illustrate Wisconsin's wonderful glacial landscapes. 

• Lithology and stratigraphy:  Well and other borehole locations are represented as black dots. When clicked, these points will bring up information about subsurface lithostratigraphy (click the Related Tables link on the popup to view formation and rock type information with depth of each layer).  This GIS app includes about 35,000 of these locations.  The data source is the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey (WGNHS) "WiscLith" database dated January 2018.

• Property lines show up when zoomed in (large scale).  You can click on each property to see the land owner (helpful for field trips!). This information is from the Wisconsin Statewide Parcel Map project.  The base map also switches to an aerial photo at large scale. 

• Other map layers that further illustrate various aspects of Wisconsin's geography and geology are listed to the right of the map (click on the checkbox to make them visible--some are only visible at appropriate map scales).    You can also read more about the GIS app on it's description page. 

If you haven't done so already, go to the GIS map (click here) and start exploring!  Zoom to a place you are interested in (be that your home, your favorite park, etc) and learn more about the fascinating geology and natural history that belies the surface.

I intend to do much more with this project in the future.  Stay tuned!

Special note:
A great deal of information for this project comes from the WGNHS and I am grateful they make so much of it available.

How to get started

Take a look at this interactive GIS map (click here) and zoom in (Tip: your mouse wheel works great for that).

Wondering how to use it?  For starts:

Look for locations marked with a red or orange X.  Tap on them and see what pops up.  As of today, almost 300 of these locations are mapped across Wisconsin, marking interesting geologic outcrops or formations. If you're in Wisconsin or planning a visit, look for formations near you and tap on them.

Playing with the map in this manner is a great way to introduce yourself to this project and to Wisconsin's geology.

The popups include a summary, description, and significance. Not sure what some of the terms mean? No worries, future blog posts will help.  Interested in visiting any of these sites yourself?  Click the link to get driving/hiking directions on your smart phone.

Geology is like augmented reality for the planet

An excellent article in Wired by Marcia Bjornerud,  professor of geology at Lawrence University:

https://www.wired.com/story/geology-is-like-augmented-reality-for-the-planet/

An excerpt:
"As I hope my students will learn, though, looking at the planet through a geologic lens is something like strapping on an augmented-reality headset. It invites you, from your vantage point in the present, to summon up Earth’s deep past and far future—to see these parallel worlds with your own eyes, like digital overlays."

Welcome! A first post on why this blog exists, what it's about, who it's for, and where it's going.

Hi there and welcome!  I feel the need to write a short introduction before digging deeper into Wisconsin's geology.

Why did I create this blog?

I've had a lifelong fascination with Earth history, but I don't want to simply read about it -- I love to go  outdoors to see, touch, smell, and taste the Earth around me to see the evidence myself.  Also,  I like to map and document what I have seen, or hope to see in the future, and to try piece the evidence of the Earth's story together on my own.

And I happen to be living in Wisconsin.

Hence, this blog. And this app.

What's your reason for reading this? 

Most people are intrinsically interested about the Earth. As children, we examined rocks and wondered why they look the way they do.  Some are pretty. Some have interesting shapes.  Perhaps we visited state or national parks -- these are most always located near natural or geologic wonder.

As kids, we were given introductory lessons in Earth Science in school. Possibly, if we had a good teacher who really understood the subject and made it interesting, we learned something fascinating about the Earth.   Or, perhaps those early lessons didn't sink in.  Maybe we were distracted by other things (by adolescence, everyone is!).  Maybe we remained enthusiastic about Earth science, but by high school it just "wasn't cool" enough or "profitable enough" to take your studies in it further. 

Or perhaps you followed your passion for Earth science and became a geologist or related professional. Great!  I hope you continue reading too.  This project may not be for the professional geologist, but I hope even you find it useful.

Where is this going? 

I'm going to use this blog (and it's companion GIS mapping app) to dig deeper into Wisconsin's deep past.  My goal is to learn a lot myself as we go.   I hold a degree in this subject matter and I read as much as I can about it; However, I don't hold a PhD and I am not necessarily an expert in all of the topics this blog will explore.

 I hope you use this blog and the GIS mapping app as a guide to explore on your own.  If you are in Wisconsin, be sure to go outdoors!  I'll wrap up this post with one of my favorite quotes on geology:

"The best geologist is the one who has seen the most rocks".  Herbert Harold Read.