A low-flying airplane over northern Maine later this month is going to be mapping the region’s geology.
The low-level flights from mid-May through August are being coordinated by U.S. Geological Survey and Maine Geological Survey scientists to get images of geology at the surface and below ground.
Instruments on the airplane will measure variations in the Earth’s magnetic field and natural low-level radiation created by different rock types up to several miles beneath the surface. Parts of Aroostook, Penobscot, Piscataquis and Somerset Counties will be covered.
The information will help researchers develop maps in three dimensions, providing scientists with the framework needed to better evaluate natural resources, groundwater and earthquake hazards.