U.S. Department of the Interior- -U.S. Geological Survey

USGS Southeastern Coastal Plain Project
Research and Outreach at Edisto Beach

Hydrogeologic Research and Science Education at Edisto Beach State Park, South Carolina

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The Edisto Beach Science Fair

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) are conducting a cooperative, multi-year study of the hydrogeologic framework of the South Carolina Coastal Plain. One of the most important parts of this study is the drilling of continuously cored stratigraphic and hydrologic test holes. In the Spring of 1999, a test hole was drilled near the coast at Edisto Beach State Park, South Carolina. As of mid-April, 1999, the test hole had reached a depth of 977 ft below the land surface.

The Edisto Beach drilling project is the sixth in a series of similar SCDNR-USGS projects to be accompanied by a public Science Fair. The use of public schools and other public land as drill sites provides the opportunity for local students and residents to observe, firsthand, a scientific research effort and to gain an understanding of earth-science problems. The Science Fair was conducted by the SCDNR and USGS on March 30, 1999. School students and faculty, and local community members, had the opportunity to observe sediment samples, a fossil display, other drill-site equipment, and the drill rig. Discussions of geology and hydrology were provided by SCDNR and USGS scientists.

All photographs by Arianne Govoni, USGS Volunteer-for-Science.

Go to more pictures from the Edisto Beach Science Fair