Yellow phenakite crystal

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A small white minivan in front of a tall and extremely wide light brown quarry wall with a blue sky and puffy clouds above it. The photographer is standing very far away from the van, and the ground is a flat expanse of sandy soil.
Three geoscientists looking at an outcrop wall in a quarry

What has WGNHS done lately?

Find out in our 2022 Year in Review

WGNHS News

  • Sue Swanson outdoors

    New Director and State Geologist

    We are pleased to welcome Dr. Sue Swanson as the next Director and State Geologist at the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey. She begins her new role on September 1. She replaces Dr. Ken …

  • Farmland and tree-covered rolling hills of the Driftless Area in southwest Wisconsin (photo by Eric Carson, WGNHS)

    Southwest Wisconsin groundwater and geology study (SWIGG)

    Southwest Wisconsin has fractured bedrock beneath generally thin soils, putting groundwater at risk for contamination. The purpose of this study was to improve our understanding of groundwater quality in southwest Wisconsin and to better understand how local hydrogeology …

  • A small white minivan in front of a tall and extremely wide quarry wall with a bright blue sky and puffy clouds above it. The photographer is standing very far away from the van, and the ground is a flat expanse of sandy soil.

    2022 Year in Review

    Director’s Message The Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey (WGNHS) had an exceedingly busy and successful year in 2022. We progressed to a fully hybrid work model as the University of Wisconsin continues to emerge …

  • A flat landscape with tall green and brown grass and a blue sky with puffy clouds overhead. A stream flows through the center of the photo away from the viewer with very little curve to its path.

    Central Sands Nitrate and Neonicotinoid Study

    In 2021-2022, the Central Sands Nitrate and Neonicotinoid Study performed a data-gap analysis and compiled an exhaustive database of over 100,000 historical groundwater nitrate and neonicotinoid concentrations for wells across Adams, Juneau, Marquette, Portage, Waushara, …

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