Maine's Bedrock Geology

Virtual Tour

• Our virtual tour is a series of photos which portray the complexity and diversity of Maine's bedrock.

Field Localities

• Originally published on the web as the Survey's "Site of the Month," these sites include more detailed descriptions of geologic features, field trips, and localities.

Frequently Asked Questions

Fact Sheets

• Bedrock Geologic History of Maine
• Maine Geology at the Smithsonian Institution
• Oil and Gas Potential in Maine – Onshore and Offshore
• Primary Sedimentary Structures in Some Metamorphic Rocks
• Pennington Mountain Discovery
• Lithium in Maine

Geologic Maps and Digital Data

• Available bedrock geologic maps
  • ONLINE bedrock geologic map series
    • ONLINE bedrock geology maps
    • Digital Data for Bedrock Geology Maps (shapefiles of individual quadrangles)
  • PRINTED geologic maps
    • Description of MGS Bedrock Geology Map Series
• Statewide geologic maps
  • Bedrock Geologic Map of Maine (scale 1:500,000)
  • Simplified Bedrock Geologic Map of Maine (scale 1:2,000,000)
  • Historical Bedrock Maps of Maine - Part I: The Hitchcock (1885) Map
  • Historical Bedrock Maps of Maine - Part II: The Keith (1933) Map
  • Historical Bedrock Maps of Maine - Part III: The 1967 Preliminary Geologic Map of Maine
  • Historical Bedrock Maps of Maine - Part IV: The 1985 Bedrock Geologic Map of Maine

Related Reading

• A Guide to the Geology of Baxter State Park and Katahdin - Bulletin 43
• Bedrock Geology of the Bath 1:100,000 Map Sheet, Coastal Maine - This bulletin is a companion to Maine Geological Survey Geologic Map 02-152, Bedrock Geology of the Bath 1:100,000 Quadrangle, Maine.
• The Geology of Sebago Lake State Park - web version of MGS Bulletin 11
• The Geology of Mount Blue State Park - web version of MGS Bulletin 17
• The Geology of Mount Desert Island - web version of MGS Bulletin 38
• The Geology of the Two Lights and Crescent Beach State Parks Area, Cape Elizabeth, Maine - web version of MGS Bulletin 26
• Bibliography of Maine Geology - For those interested in more in-depth research, the Bibliography of Maine Geology contains more than 12,000 references related to Maine geology. The Bibliography is part of the Maps and Publications Search. The search results displayed will have links to online Maine Geological Survey maps and publications.

Additional Information

• U.S. Geological Survey Geologic Names Lexicon
• Geologic Time
• Plate Tectonics
• Geology: Plate Tectonics - University of California, Berkeley, Museum of Paleontology
• PALEOMAP Project - Christopher R. Scotese
• Regional Paleogeographic Views of Earth History - Ron Blakeley
• This Dynamic Earth: The Story of Plate Tectonics
• This Dynamic Planet - pdf poster

---

Last updated on February 10, 2023