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A new Web site is under construction to be a Wisconsin geologic Wikipedia of sorts, with user-generated content about rock exposures, fossils, sinkholes and more across the state.

Called the Wisconsin Geologic Record, the site is being created by geologists at UW-Richland, UW-Madison and the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey.

“It’s the first of its kind anywhere, as far as we know, in that it’s a community-based geologic Web site that really tries to foster collaboration between professionals, students and the public,” said Patrick McLaughlin, a UW-Extension geologist with the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey.

The project is funded by a $30,000 grant from the UW-Extension and UW Colleges Program Innovation Fund.

The site, which is expected to be launched next spring or early summer, will use a Google Earth/Google Maps screen to allow people to look up geologic information about places in Wisconsin.

Like Wikipedia or Facebook, users will be able to add information, including digital images.

For instance, a “citizen geologist “ who drives past a rock cut along the highway could add details about it to the site, or post a photo and ask other users for information, McLaughlin said.

“It will not only be a great resource for the community to learn about the rocks around them, but also a powerful research tool for geologists,” McLaughlin said.