Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

Bureau of Geological Survey

The DCNR Bureau of Geological Survey, also known as the Pennsylvania Geological Survey, is more than 180 years old.

Since 1836, there have been four surveys in the state -- the fourth and current survey being established by legislative mandate in 1919.

Bureau geologists and partners work together to map the surface and subsurface geology of the state.

Their findings are made available to the public as published reports, which are available in the library at the bureau’s headquarters, through a list of bureau publications, and online through the survey’s web-mapping application PaGEODE.

Bureau Mission

Since 1836, the Pennsylvania Geological Survey has been serving the commonwealth as a science-based research organization that collects, preserves, and uses data in support of objective interpretations about Pennsylvania’s geologic resources:

Water
Energy
Mineral
Land

Our team of geologists and professional staff disseminates impartial geologic information essential to environmental stewardship, human health and safety, infrastructure development, and economic growth.

We provide convenient and openly available geologic maps, publications, reports, databases, libraries, collections, water well driller licensing, and educational outreach to both the public and private sectors.

Director’s Office

State Geologist Dr. Gale C. Blackmer is the Director of the Bureau of Geological Survey. She provides leadership for the bureau’s administrative functions and its three divisions:

Geologic and Geographic Information Services

Information Technology
Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
Earth Science Education
Library

Geologic Mapping

Stratigraphic Studies
Groundwater and Environmental Geology

Economic Geology

Mineral Resource Analysis
Petroleum and Subsurface Geology

Key Data

The Pennsylvania Geological Survey collects critical geologic data on groundwater, economic resources, and geologic hazards.

Water Well Driller Licensing

The Pennsylvania Water Well Drillers License Act of 1955 established a licensing process for water well drillers. The Pennsylvania Geological Survey licenses hundreds of drilling companies each year.

Drillers can register through the DCNR website, and those in need of a driller can find one by searching through the licensed well drillers database.

History of the Pennsylvania Geological Survey

The Pennsylvania Geological Survey has been documenting Pennsylvania’s geology since 1836, always with an eye toward meeting the ever-changing needs of the times.

Pennsylvania has evolved from a state primarily focused on coal and petroleum resources to one where these still-important commodities compete for attention with other concerns, including finding adequate supplies of water, locating resources for construction and pollution remediation, dealing with geologic hazards such as landslides and sinkholes, and even supporting tourism, an important statewide industry.

The survey’s present organization dates to 1919, when it was authorized by the General Assembly “to undertake, conduct, and maintain the organization of a thorough and extended survey of the State, for the purpose of elucidating the geology and topography of the State.”

It also was given the responsibility to “put the results of the survey, with the results of previous surveys, into form convenient for reference.”

The February 1987 issue of Pennsylvania Geology (PDF) tells the story of the four surveys.