In accordance with Governor Holcomb's and the President of Indiana University's directives, the offices of the Indiana Geological and Water Survey are now closed. However, our researchers and staff are working from home and still producing the high-quality geological research and data that Indiana needs.

The IGWS Bookstore is still available on the web; there you can download our free open access publications. Bookstore purchases that require a physical product to be delivered will be on hold until our employees are allowed back into the building. We will let you know our reopening date via this newsletter and social media as soon as we receive word from Indiana University administrators.

During this time, many parents are searching for ways to keep their kids engaged while learning at home. The IGWS has a number of resources that may help.

Our sets of geological ABC cards are now up on our website for free downloads.

And on the main IGWS website, many of our public-oriented items, like state park guides, GeoNotes, and lesson plans and activities, can be downloaded for free.

In addition to the curriculum support materials, the IGWS has many other educational resources that we've developed over the years. These are available for free download. Links to external educational resources are also listed.

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Volume 2 of the Indiana Journal of Earth Sciences (IJES) is now available online at no cost.

The Indiana Journal of Earth Sciences is an open access peer-reviewed serial publication of the Indiana Geological and Water Survey. While the journal serves as the primary outlet for the scholarly communication of the IGWS, it has a broad mission to publish Earth science research about Indiana and the surrounding region. We invite researchers from outside the IGWS to submit articles to the journal.

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This folding two-sided trail map is printed on waterproof, tear-resistant paper and covers the entire length of the Knobstone Trail as it passes through Clark and Jackson-Washington State Forests, at a scale of 1 inch to 1/2 mile.

The Knobstone Escarpment forms the Uplands region of south-central Indiana and contains many opportunities for you to experience the remarkable topography and physiography of the Hoosier State. This area includes the Deam Lake State Recreation Area, Clark State Forest, Jackson-Washington State Forest, state nature preserves, state conservation areas, and fish and wildlife areas. This area offers more than 100 miles of recreational trails in Clark, Scott, and Washington Counties.

A digital version of this map is available through the Avenza Map app here.

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The third map in our new series of trail maps is also available.

This folding two-sided map is printed on waterproof, tear-resistant paper and covers the Starve Hollow State Recreation Area, Jackson-Washington State Forest, and other small parks and protected lands.

Geologic history has been written on the area’s landscapes. The flood plains of the East Fork White River and Muscatatuck River are covered with meander scars and abandoned channels from both past and modern-day floods. These plains were covered by glacial outwash during the last Ice Age, resulting in the fertile soil there today. And southeast of the Medora Covered Bridge, you can see small rises—relict dunes that formed 20,000 years ago when a large ice sheet stalled 30 miles to the north. While the region often floods, the forested hills above the plains offer a variety of trails for many forms of outdoor recreation. From hiking and biking in Jackson-Washington State Forest to quiet walks through the hemlocks on the bluffs of Guthrie Creek, visitors will find ample opportunities to explore this diverse terrain.

This map is available digitally through the Avenza Map app here.

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On January 20, 2020, the 200th anniversary of the founding of Indiana University, the Indiana Geological and Water Survey was awarded a Bicentennial Medal.

Survey Director Todd Thompson said, "We are honored to receive this award. The Survey became a part of Indiana University during the 19th century, and we remain an integral part of IU’s 21st-century mission to serve the education, outreach, collections, and research needs of the state of Indiana."

The Bicentennial Medal is given to organizations and individuals who, through their personal, professional, artistic, or philanthropic efforts, have broadened the reach of Indiana University around the state, nation, and world. The medals themselves are unique, made from materials salvaged from the old bells that hung in the Student Building on the IU Bloomington campus, giving recipients a lasting piece of IU history.