These data represent digital GIS sinkhole coverage for all of Kentucky. The highest elevation, closed, topographic contour of each mapped sinkhole was digitized as a GIS polygon. The second highest elevation contour was also digitized where very large, shallow, karst valleys were so expansive that the area covered by the polygon obscured patterns in sinkhole distribution. These karst valleys are mostly confined to the Western Pennyroyal. The spacing of contour intervals on the topographic maps of the state vary in from 40 foot to 10 foot. No attempt was made to use a constant elevation, standardize the outline to a uniform contour interval, or record the elevation of the digitized contour. Digitization was done onscreen using digital raster graphic files of the 7 ½ minute topographic contours, registered and projected to the Kentucky State Plane coordinate system.Download Link: https://kgs.uky.edu/kgsweb/download/karst/kysinks.zip

The Karst Occurrence GIS polygon coverages for Kentucky were compiled from a digital version of the 1:500:000-scale geologic map of Kentucky (Noger, M.C., 1988). Because of the 1:500,000 scale of the source map, these coverages should NOT be used for evaluating karst geologic hazards or hydrogeology at scales larger than 1:500,000. The classification of the potential for karst development was based on the field experience of the authors and other data. A number of isolated carbonate units were newly digitized for these coverages. For more information about Karst Topography in Kentucky, please visit https://www.uky.edu/KGS/karst/For more information about these coverages, please contact Randall L. Paylor or James C. Currens at the Kentucky Geological Survey, 228 Mining and Minerals Building, University of Kentucky, 40506-0107. (859)257-5500.Sinkhole Data:These data represent digital GIS sinkhole coverage for all of Kentucky. The highest elevation, closed, topographic contour of each mapped sinkhole was digitized as a GIS polygon. The second highest elevation contour was also digitized where very large, shallow, karst valleys were so expansive that the area covered by the polygon obscured patterns in sinkhole distribution. These karst valleys are mostly confined to the Western Pennyroyal. The spacing of contour intervals on the topographic maps of the state vary in from 40 foot to 10 foot. No attempt was made to use a constant elevation, standardize the outline to a uniform contour interval, or record the elevation of the digitized contour. Digitization was done onscreen using digital raster graphic files of the 7 ½ minute topographic contours, registered and projected to the Kentucky State Plane coordinate system.

Vector data set consisting of polygons representing areas drained by sinkholes in Kentucky

This raster file was created to display in a geographic information systems (GIS) the density in square kilometers of mapped and modeled (indirectly mapped) sinkhole locations in southern Indiana and Kentucky.