Indiana Geological and Water Survey

09/02/2026

Did you know? The IGWS Indiana Springs database contains chemical analyses and photos for more than 100 springs in south-central Indiana.

Users can use the map to find for springs in their area, select sites from a dropdown menu to see chemical data reports, and report springs not listed on the map to help improve our understanding of groundwater in the state.

Water you waiting for? Explore Indiana Springs data at https://www.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/9e12d403d49745f0844e87e5b4d7aea1 #.

Photo Description: Photograph of a geologist in a khaki vest sitting on a log next to Eastridge Spring in Crawford County. He is observing a black multiparamenter sonde instrument in the water next to him to collect data.

08/25/2026

Trilobite Tuesday!

A Silurian-age trilobite fossil within a dolostone core was reboxed by staff yesterday. It was collected in 1961 from a depth of approximately 325 feet in Lake County, Indiana.

IGWS staff are reboxing our extensive bedrock core collection thanks to support from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation Program. This 3-year campaign will provide much-needed care to core samples that support state business, industry, and mapping. Learn more about our collections uses and needs at https://igws.iu.edu/collectionsneeds.

Photo description: A hand holding a light tan colored rock core segment with a trilobite fossil.

08/13/2026

FLINT AND STEEL!

Learn about the rocks and minerals that inspired the popular game and movie with our free, all-ages Minecraft Mania event this Saturday, August 15 from 10am-5pm.

Earn prizes with a themed scavenger hunt, make pixelated crafts, and match fossils to their biomes. Parking is free!

Photo description: A photograph of a dark gray flint rock, a steel hammer, and a bead craft in the shape of flint and steel. The items are placed next to a calcite vug in limestone.

07/13/2026

Want to have a BLAST this summer?

There are still spots available for the Bringing Life to Aggregates Summer Teacher's (BLAST) Institute on July 20-24!

All Indiana educators are invited to join the IGWS and Indiana Mineral Aggregates Association for five days of hands-on activities, industry demonstrations, and quarry visits. Register today at https://web.indmaa.org/events/BLAST2026%20%20Bringing%20Life%20to%20Aggregates%20a%20Summer%20Teachers%20Institute-7633/details.

Photo description: Gray rock dust sprays into the air during a blast demonstration at the Rogers Group quarry in Bloomington.

07/13/2026

The IGWS Learning Lab will be closed this Thursday, July 16 to celebrate our Director upon his retirement.

Read more about the 16th State Geologist's career on our newsletter: https://igws.iu.edu/news/story/2026-thompson-retirement

Photo description: A yellow background with blue text that reads "The Learning Lab will be closed July 16 to celebrate the retirement of our Director and State Geologist." There is a photo of a hard hat, rock hammer, and a man wearing a yellow vest with hand lens hanging from his neck.

06/29/2026

IGWS offices and Learning Lab will be closed this Friday, July 3 in observation of Independence Day. 🇺🇸

Photo description: Blue and red text on white background that reads "IGWS will be closed Friday, July 3rd for Independence Day."

06/29/2026

Early this morning, a M3.5 earthquake occurred along the Illinois-Indiana border near West Salem, Illinois.

Residents in Evansville and Terre Haute reported feeling weak to light shaking. To report your experience and learn more about recent earthquakes felt in the Hoosier state, visit https://igws.iu.edu/outreach/recentearthquakes.

Photo description: A screenshot of the USGS "Did You Feel It?" Intensity Map for the June 29, 2029 earthquake. The image has blue response squares and contour lines on top of a yellow-green map.

06/24/2026

Sharing 3 NEW publications in the Indiana Journal of Earth Sciences. Find these and more in Volume 8 of the journal at https://scholarworks.iu.edu/journals/index.php/IJES/index.

"Indiana High-temperature Geothermal Assessment" reviews the potential for high-temperature geothermal energy for power generation in Indiana.

"Interpreting the Origins of Some Conical Body and Trace Fossils from Upper Ordovician and Middle Silurian Strata of Southern Indiana" describes noteworthy macrofossils from Ripley County.

"Geological and Historical Development of the Mount Baldy Dune, Indiana Dunes National Park" summarizes historical developments and ongoing hazards along the southern edge of Lake Michigan.

The Indiana Journal of Earth Sciences is an open access serial publication of the Indiana Geological and Water Survey (IGWS), a research institute of Indiana University and the state-legislated archive for geologic and hydrologic data. While the journal serves as the primary outlet for scholarly com...

06/20/2026

Thank you to everyone who attended the Grand Reopening of the IGWS Learning Lab!

It was great to share our hands-on rocks, minerals, and fossils with so many visitors today. We look forward to hosting your youth groups, students, and families on Tuesdays-Friday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and third Saturdays from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Photo description: A collage of 9 images showing visitors of all ages interacting with specimens and activities in the Learning Lab

06/18/2026

The IGWS will be closed tomorrow, June 19, for Juneteenth.

The Learning Lab will be open on Saturday, June 20 for the Grand Reopening of the IGWS Learning Lab. Hope to see you then!

Photo description: White text on a black background that reads "We will be closed for Juneteeth Friday, June 19"