Publications Catalog

The portable X-Ray Fluorescence (pXRF) instrument provides fast, real-time, non-destructive, multi-element geochemical data (i.e. elemental concentrations) on rocks and minerals at a relatively low cost and with minimal sample preparation. This study quantifies the precision and accuracy of measurements collected by the WGNHS pXRF on reference materials...

Elevation contour data and an accompanying report provide an updated interpretation of the elevation of the top of Precambrian bedrock in south-central Wisconsin. The elevation surface was developed from geologic and geophysical data, and provides new detail on the entrenched bedrock valleys that were incised into the north and south ranges of the Baraboo...

The geologic map of the Bloomington and Brodtville quadrangles includes 1:24,000 scale mapping of both surficial and bedrock geology. There is little structural folding or faulting in this portion of the Driftless Area. Thus, it is ideal for studying the hydrostratigraphic framework of the mapped units. The accompanying report presents stratigraphic...

The geologic map of the Castle Rock and Long Hollow quadrangles includes 1:24,000 scale mapping of both surficial and bedrock geology. The accompanying report presents new observations about bedrock folds and fracture sets in this portion of the Driftless Area that lies just north of the main Upper Mississippi Valley zinc-lead mineral district. The...

Depth-to-bedrock maps show the thickness of unconsolidated materials overlying bedrock. These maps provide a key link between the underlying geology, groundwater flow, and land use and are important in guiding activities such as permitting, bridge construction, and the land application of waste products in sensitive areas. Given their role in guiding...

This map shows thicknesses of deposits of unconsolidated materials above the bedrock. Across the county, depth to bedrock ranges from 0 feet, where bedrock is exposed, to over 250 feet within bedrock valleys. Areas with bedrock depths shallower than 20 feet are of particular importance for land-use planning and to the construction stone industry. Such...

The Baraboo quadrangle, records where glaciers stopped in the east-central Baraboo Hills. On this map, 1:24,000 scale, Precambrian igneous and metasedimentary rocks are overlain by Paleozoic sedimentary rocks and, more recently, by glacial deposits. Superb exposures of all three can be found in Devils Lake State Park and Parfreys Glen State Natural Area.

The Rock Springs quadrangle is located in the western Baraboo Hills of south-central Wisconsin. This map, 1:24,000 scale, conveys the rich Precambrian through Quaternary history present on the ground. Here, ancient rocks metamorphosed and folded and were later displaced by a series of faults. Although never glaciated, an ice sheet 8 kilometers to the east...

Dodge County lies in southeast Wisconsin, an area almost entirely covered by glacial deposits. This map interprets the distribution of the buried bedrock units across the county. Geologist Esther Stewart’s refinement of the bedrock elevation contours may help land-use planners identify areas most susceptible to groundwater contamination from applications...

The North Freedom quadrangle is located on the South Range of the Baraboo Hills in south-central Wisconsin. The Baraboo Hills are recognized for their ecologic and geologic significance, with superb exposure of Precambrian and Paleozoic rocks and Quaternary sediments. Mapping focused on the Precambrian section, building on past work by subdividing and...

Analysis of the groundwater resources in Bayfield County, Wisconsin. Includes report, five plates, and digital data.

Results of regional study characterizing the elemental composition of rocks found at the Wonewoc-Tunnel City contact interval in west-central and southwest Wisconsin.

Two plates showing the bedrock geology and depth to bedrock in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin. Includes GIS data (shapefiles and grid files).

An overview of some of the projects worked on by the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey in 2018.

The authors of this open-file report scoured the literature for previous studies about the Central Sands area. This bibliography provides an overview of available research related to the hydrogeologic setting and water-budget components of the Central Sands Lakes Study (CSLS).

Field trip route and notes looking at Cambrian and Middle Ordovician rocks of southwestern Wisconsin.

In 2017, Survey staff worked in 69 Wisconsin counties. We mapped geology, inventoried springs, and created groundwater models. We provide natural resource managers – land and water conservationists, county boards, and water utilities – with the information they need to protect and share their resources. This publication provides a summary of some of the...

This open-file report documents the first year of a two-year mapping project in Trempealeau County, Wisconsin. This preliminary document is being released to encourage input on the mapping methods and map to make the final product as useful as possible. Contains 27-page report, map of southern Trempeleau County, cross section, and photos of drill core.

Field trip guidebook showcasing four sites in Trempealeau County in west-central Wisconsin. The focus of this trip is on the sandstone formations that are prized for frac sand mining. (A draft of this book was originally prepared for the 2017 American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG) Sand Mine Life Cycle Seminar held in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.)

Part of a larger regional study of the Eau Claire Formation, the core, from Dane County, Wisconsin, was tested using a portable x-ray fluorescence (pXRF) elemental analyzer. The report presents the data set and discusses lithologic interpretations, subsurface lithostratigraphic correlations, and hydrostratigraphic frameworks. Includes photos of the core.