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Survey News


2007 News

Survey to host Digital Mapping Techniques Workshop in Columbia  The Workshop on Digital Mapping Techniques 2007 (DMT '07) is an invitation-only event designed to bring together scientists, cartographers, and GIS specialists, mostly at State and Federal agencies, who are using digital techniques to create and manage geologic maps.
Link to DMT '07

 

2006 News

See the Geological Survey's drilling program in action as featured on SC ETV  Members of the Geological Survey were featured in a recent segment of SC Wildlife TV.  Filmed on location in Aiken County in late August and originally aired in September on the ETV South Carolina Channel, the show highlights the Survey's Geologic Mapping Program in the Coastal Plain.  South Carolina Wildlife airs at 6:30 p.m. on the second Saturday of each month on ETV.
Link to the Video

Other DNR Videos

Digital Geologic Layers Available  1:24,000 Quadrangle geology data layers are now available for download through the DNR GIS Data Clearinghouse. Generalized geology data layers can be downloaded from the DNR web site.
Link to Statewide Data

Link to Quadrangle Data

Statewide DEM Available  The SC Geological Survey has produced a Statewide 30-meter grid DEM (Digital Elevation Model). The DEM is in GRD (ESRI Grid file) format and is available for download on the web site.
Link to Statewide DEM Grid

Jones Gap Landslide  Heavy rains in the upstate produced a mass-wasting landslide at Jones Gap State Park in Greenville County the week of July 9th.  The landslide occurred west of the park office along the Middle Saluda River. Trees, rocks, boulders, and soil moved from the mountain top and closed one hiking trail. Individuals should be aware that landslides also might occur during flash flood warnings resulting from heavy rain events.
Pictures of the Damage
Jones Gap State Park link
The State Paper Article

Landslides in NC after Hurricane Ivan

The New Geology Postcard is Here The revised General Geologic Map of South Carolina is now available as a postcard. The price is $1.00 each, 5 for $3.00, 10 for $5.00. Instructions for ordering the new Postcard are on the Publication page

Bag-of-Rocks Available  The Geological Survey is now offering a "Bag-of-Rocks" to aid in the identification of rocks and minerals common to SC.  The bag will contain 10 common samples including; limestone, granite, and gneiss collected throughout the state.  An identification key accompanies the "Bag-of-Rocks". The price is $10.00.  The Rock and Mineral Kit, a more comprehensive box of 24 samples, is still available.
Purchase a "Bag-of-Rocks"

Ordering Information

 

2005 News

South Carolina Wildlife May-June 2005  The South Carolina Geological Survey was featured in the May-June 2005 issue of South Carolina Wildlife magazine.  The article, "Sailing With The Bad Creek Navy", describes recent geologic mapping in the Jocassee Gorges area.  The mapping project shows how cooperative efforts inside the DNR are advancing our knowledge of the state's natural resources.
Read the Entire Article

Two new Geologic Quadrangle Maps (GQM) Released April 13, 2005  The Geologic Map of the Sunset 7.5-minute quadrangle in Pickens County and the Geologic Map of the Eastatoe Gap 7.5-minute quadrangle in Greenville and Pickens Counties, South Carolina are completed and available for purchase at the Survey.  These new geologic quadrangles have detailed descriptions of map units, cross sections and photos of geologic formations in the Piedmont of the state. Each map has more than 1000 station observations.  Eastatoe Gap is adjacent to the Table Rock quadrangle, which is available for purchase as GQM-9.
See Publication List

A Nor'easter on February 27, 2005 damaged many beachfront houses on Edisto Beach, S.C.  The damage is a result of an active beach system interacting with stationary man-made structures.  Beaches move.  They can grow out into the ocean, retreat landward, and also move left and right at their inlets. With the construction of headwalls and groins in front of houses, the beach is not allowed to move as it needs to. The result is a steeper beach, with possible damage to man-made structures every time a storm comes in.  If the headwalls and the beachfront dunes had not been there, the storm would have taken much of the sand from the beach and washed it onto the middle of the island.  This sand movement would have raised the elevation of the center portion of the island, limiting flooding events there in the future.
See photos
Learn more about Nor'easter storms

Magnitude 2.9 Earthquake was felt in the Midlands of South Carolina on Feb. 18, 2005. 
On February 18, 2005, a magnitude 2.9 earthquake occurred near Columbia, S.C. At approximately 9:21am several people in the South Carolina Geological Survey, located at 5 Geology Road, Columbia, SC 29212, felt this event. Most of the people here felt shaking lasting two to three seconds with some computer monitors noticeably shaking along with a loud boom. Originally thought to be a blast from a local quarry or the Lake Murray dam, after a few minutes, seismographs of the event were found via the web, and the event was identified as an earthquake and not a blast.
Read the Entire Report


South Carolina Geological Survey
5 Geology Road
Columbia, SC 29212
phone 803.896.7708 -or- fax 803.896.7695

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