Document 2501517

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Salina
Municipal
Airport
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A I R N AT I O N A L
135
%
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81
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35
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28
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26
Qal
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Pwe
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40
0
33
35
34
31
Qal
36
32
Kk
34
33
35
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32
31
36
C
Gypsum
36
35
34
33
Kk
C
40
Qal
Cree k
Pn
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Qal
T 15 S
!
Qal
30
A4
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0
33
25
26
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Cre
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32
27
28
29
40
0
Pwe
Pn
31
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1
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Dry
5
4
5
6
1
2
3
4
Qal
Pn
8
4
Sp r
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Qds
12
7
Pwe
Pwe
8
9
40 0
Kk
Kk
10
12
11
Qds
Pwe
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12
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10
9
8
7
10
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17
16
15
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19
20
21
24
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20
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22
21
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Qal
400
24
23
21
20
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C
Qal
22
23
20
19
24
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Qds
Pwe
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C
Hill
!
!
!
Argillaceous
limestone
!
!
!
Carlton Ls Mbr
marker bed
C
Alluvium and Terrace Valley Fill – Alluvium and terrace valley fill are found along major rivers
and smaller streams. Floodplain deposits associated with the major rivers (Smoky Hill, Saline, and
Solomon) contain mostly clay, silt, sand, and gravel (Latta, 1949). The smaller streams draining the
uplands contain floodplain sediments primarily derived from weathered shales and sandstones. As a
result, clay and silt dominate these deposits, although sand and gravel are present in varying amounts
(Latta, 1949). The thickness of the alluvium ranges up to approximately 60 ft (18 m).
Eolian Sand Dunes – Fine-grained Holocene sand dunes are found in small areas south of Gypsum.
These eolian sands were derived from the floodplain of Gypsum Creek and re-deposited by prevailing
winds along the west side of the creek.
Terraces – Unconsolidated, poorly sorted sand, gravel, and silt were probably deposited by the
Smoky Hill River when it flowed at a higher level during the Pleistocene (Latta, 1949). These terraces
have subsequently been dissected as the Solomon and Smoky Hill rivers downcut through the deposit.
The average thickness of this unit is about 15-20 ft (4.5-6 m).
Dakota Formation – The Dakota Formation consists of two members: in descending order, the
Janssen Clay Member and the Terra Cotta Clay Member (Plummer and Romary, 1947). Probably
only the basal Terra Cotta Clay Member is present in Saline County. The Terra Cotta is composed
primarily of red-mottled, light-gray to greenish-gray clay and siltstone, and coarse-grained and
conglomeratic sandstone (Bayne et al., 1971). Lenticular, crossbedded sandstone layers in the Terra
Cotta can be locally prominent – the iron-oxide cemented sandstones are resistant to erosion and cap
many of the hills and benches – but generally this member is mostly clay and siltstone (Bayne et al.,
1971). The maximum exposed thickness of the Dakota Formation is approximately 200 ft (61 m) near
the western edge of the county.
Kiowa Formation – The Kiowa Formation consists of medium- to dark-gray and black fissile shales
with scattered thin beds of fine-grained sandstone and siltstone and thin beds of fossiliferous
limestone (shell-beds). Pyrite, marcasite, gypsum crystals, cone-in-cone structures, siderite (ironclaystone concretions), and marine fossils occur within the shale. Thick (up to 100 ft, 30 m),
lenticular and thinner (less than 10 ft, 3 m), sheet-like, fine- to medium-grained, crossbedded
sandstones are more common in the upper part of the formation (Franks, 1979), but they are not
laterally continuous over long distances (Swineford, 1947). These sandstones are typically very light
gray to pale grayish orange, but in places iron-oxide cement colors it reddish brown. Locally, calcitecemented sandstones (“quartzite”) are found in the Kiowa. The Kiowa Formation includes the locally
mappable “Longford member” (Franks, 1966), which is present in the north-central part of the county
(Franks, 1979). The Longford, where found, is the basal unit of the Kiowa and is composed of a white
to grayish-orange capping siltstone underlain by red-mottled and gray clay rocks and siltstone,
although the lithologies below the capping siltstone can be highly variable (Franks, 1979). The
maximum exposed thickness of the Kiowa Formation in Saline County is about 140 ft (43 m).
Ninnescah Shale – The Ninnescah Shale is mostly red shale but may contain some green shale beds
and a few thin beds of argillaceous limestones. Thin, cross-cutting, secondary satin spar gypsum veins
may be present (Williams and Lohman, 1949). Erosion has removed the upper part of the Ninnescah
in Saline County where its maximum exposed thickness is about 100 ft (30 m) before it thins
eastward and pinches out in the vicinity of the Smoky Hill River valley. Its contact with the
Wellington is inferred along the I-135 corridor in the south-central part of the county. The Ninnescah
is poorly exposed in Saline County.
Wellington Formation – The Wellington Formation in Saline County is predominantly gray and
bluish-gray shale with beds of gypsum, anhydrite, and argillaceous limestone. Maroon, red, and green
argillaceous shales can also occur (Williams and Lohman, 1949; Byrne et al., 1959). The uppermost
Milan Limestone Member is not known to occur in central Kansas; however, Bauleke et al. (1967)
reported a dolomitic limestone bed at the stratigraphic position of the Milan Limestone in Saline
County. The Hutchinson Salt Member occurs only in the subsurface in the western part of the
county. The Carlton Limestone Member is a light-gray to pale-yellow-tan, thin-bedded, platy,
argillaceous limestone and interbedded tan-gray, calcareous shale (Byrne et al., 1959). Plant and
insect fossils are found at some localities. The Carlton crops out east of Gypsum Creek near the
eastern edge of the county. Below the Carlton in this area, several gypsum beds, ranging from 1 to 5
ft thick (0.3-1.6 m; Kulstad et al., 1956), crop out. Gypsum layers also occur elsewhere in the
Wellington. The Hollenberg Limestone Member does not crop out in Saline County but should be
present in the subsurface. Outcrops of the Wellington Formation are generally poor. Although the
Wellington Formation can be up to 700 ft (214 m) thick, only about 100 ft (30 m) is exposed in Saline
County.
C
LOCATION DIAGRAM
25
30
29
28
26
27
25
0
40 0
Qal
0
27
30
25
26
Pwe
28
29
Kk
C re e
k
Pwe
Pwe
27
Qds
25
26
Pwe
m
su
C
38°37'30"
Kd
!
!
!
!
-97°52'30"
R4W
R5W
-97°45'
R4W
R3W
33
32
31
Kk
Kk
-97°37'30"
MC PHERSON CO
Kk
Pwe
36
35
34
31
36
45
y
Pwe
33
0
Qal
R2W
C
Pwe
400
Pwe
Kk
-97°30'
36
35
34
Pwe
R2W
R3W
rv e
Ha
32
0
m
400
0
!
Kk
Coronado
Heights
45
45 0
Qal
T 17 S
Qal
35
!
R5W
Pn
Qal
Kd
Kk
Kd
4 50
Kk
Pn
34
40
33
Qal
St ag
32
0
31
40
0
0
36
Qal
Kk
45
35
Qal
ek
Cr
34
Kk
Qal
ky
33
S
Kentuc
Kk
32
45 0
Pn
T 16 S
Schoewe, W. H., 1949, The geography of Kansas, pt. 2,
Physical geography: Kansas Academy of Science
Transactions, v. 52, no. 3, p. 261-333.
31
Kd
Qal
R6W
36
!
Plummer, N., and Romary, J. R., 1947, Kansas clay, Dakota
Formation: Kansas Geological Survey, Bulletin 67, 241 p.
35
!
Pn
135
%
(
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&
A4 J
F
81
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Pn
34
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450
33
32
31
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West
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Qal
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Kk
Kd
Kd
45 0
Kk
Kk
Pn
Dr
45 0
Qal
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45 0
450
Pn
Kd
28
40 0
Bridgeport
H
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29
30
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26
45
Pn
27
40
28
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29
Cr eek
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Qds
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26
24
23
22
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28
40
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Pwe
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Resource Development
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Kd
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45
0
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15
16
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17
18
13
14
15
16
17
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23
Kd
Depression contour
(10-meter interval)
18
135
%
(
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&
81
J
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45 0
!
Depression contour
(50-meter interval)
22
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Pwe
Pwe
Pn
Kd
21
13
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Qal
Kk
Qal
20
19
!
!
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400
Kd
0
Cre
18
Cr
Pn
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Ca s tle
13
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Elevation contour
(10-meter interval)
14
Pn
Pn
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Kk
15
16
Pn
Qal
Kd
17
Qal
Kk
Cr
18
Kd
Pwe
Ri
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13
Kd
40
Pwe
Kk
s
M
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Ra
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14
Kk
Elevation contour
(50-meter interval)
Qal
Kk
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15
!
Cre
16
Qal
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Kd
45 0
Kd
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Kd
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18
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11
10
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9
Kd
Kk
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Sandstone
!
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PALEOZOIC
1
2
3
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0
7
4
5
6
1
Pwe
Qal
0
450
12
F
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2
3
40
450
!
11
Gypsum
Qal
Creek
10
Kk
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9
6
400
!
2
3
Kd
Kd
8
4
!
4 50
Kd
5
Kk
0
45
!
6
400
Kk
Kk
1
Limestone
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
Unconsolidated silt,
sand, and gravel
!
!
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!
!
!
!
!
!
Dolomitic
limestone
!
Qal
Qal
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2
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Ca
GUARD RANGE
3
Pn
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Salemsborg
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45
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Creek
T 16 S
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Shale
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MESOZOIC
C
Pwe
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40
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C r ee
36
30
25
26
27
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23
Sm o y
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30
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22
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20
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26
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Mid
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35
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Unconsolidated
sand
!
!
!
CENOZOIC
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34
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
Salt
!
GEOLOGIC UNITS
Cr
33
0
45 Kd
!
!
!
!
Siltstone
!
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0
32
Kd
T 15 S
Hil
23
22
400
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ON
27
Kd
Kk
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Pleistocene
13
Kk
Mentor
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Dr
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!
!
!
!
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!
!
!
!
Qal
11
Kk
Qal
45 0
45 0
!
!
SMOKY HILL
28
!
SO
LO
M
29
30
Qal
!
!
!
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Qal
B
C
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Kd
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25
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104
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26
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40 0
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19
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1
40
31
!
Calcareous
shale
Pwe
Qal
Kk
Kd
!
Lithologic Explanation
Qal
We
4 50
24
Kk
27
!
Holocene
2
Kk
Smolan
Kd
Kd
28
!
!
Unconsolidated
silt
C
400
!
ELLSWORTH CO
Kd
!
29
!
Pwe
M
!
Kd
30
!
!
T 14 S
R iv
Pn
0
Kd
!
Qal
Kk
17
!
50
!
T 15 S
Kk
4
8
Qal
H
!
23
Kd
Kd
!
36
Kipp
5
7
4 5 0 Kd
Kk
22
!
Carlton Ls Mbr
25
26
4 00
14
Ra
21
!
!
24
23
38°45'
Kk
20
!
Pwe
21
Qal
4 00
ee k
Cr
Pn
19
!
* Occurrence in Saline County questionable.
25
26
27
Pwe
M
!
!
400
!
450
15
!
Wellington Fm
13
14
0
16
!
Pwe
40
17
!
A'
Pwe
400
45
Iron
Mound
Pwe
6
Dry
!
400
0
!
!
Qal
18
Kd
24
23
0
Kk
Kk
38°45'
22
Kd
32
Pn Qal
Pn
Kk
Kd
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C
0
19
40
0
40
12
Qal
!
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12
11
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Kd
40
11
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Qal
Pn
!
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1
2
10
16
Kk
Qal
40 0
Pn
!
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Pwe
3
Pn
Kk
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T 13 S
0
40
31
36
C r e ek
st
0
Kd
Kd
40
28
M
Qal
5
Qal
!
!
Kk
40
40
Spring
!
!
Hutchinson
Salt Mbr
Qal
M
10
!
38°52'30"
3
9
17
Kk
N
6
Qal
9
!
!
M
29
Kd
8
!
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Pwe
18
13
14
Kk
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7
15
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C
B
W
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CIF
PA
B
C
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3
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36
H
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4
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4
8
7
12
11
0
40
140
Kk
Kk
45
Ri
35
Smoky
Pwe
21
Kk
0
0
45
M
M
Kd
Kd
45 0
34
Pwe
Pwe
Kd
5
5
6
1
2
40
M
H
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Kd
6
20
19
24
Kk
Bavaria
Qal
T 15 S
!
!
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Pn
C
T 14 S
3
10
16
Kk
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Qal
34
!
Qal
Qal
27
Kd
Kk
33
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Qal
R iv e r
Qal
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32
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9
17
18
13
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Kd
31
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Kd
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25
26
DICKINSON CO
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Kd
27
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Kd
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Kiowa Fm
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Kd
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450
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Kd
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Palmer, C. D., Hamilton, V. L., Hoffman, B. R., Fahnestock,
P. B., and Barker, W. L., 1992, Soil survey of Saline County,
Kansas: U. S. Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources
Conservation Service, in cooperation with Kansas Agricultural
Experimental Station, 133 p.; http://soildatamart.nrcs.usda.
gov/Manuscripts/KS169/0/saline.pdf.
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SCALE 1:5,000,000
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50
Swineford, A., 1947, Cemented sandstones of the Dakota and
Kiowa formations in Kansas: Kansas Geological Survey,
Bulletin 70, 104 p.
1
0.5
0
1
50 0
0.5
1
0
2
1
2
3
3
4 MILES
4
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QUATERNARY SYSTEM
or visit the Kansas Geological Survey website at www.kgs.ku.edu.
LAMBERT CONFORMAL CONIC PROJECTION
WITH STANDARD PARALLELS AT 33° AND 45°
NORTH AMERICAN DATUM OF 1983
Holocene - Pleistocene Series
1600
1550
A'
1500
West
1450
ADDITIONAL SOURCES
1350
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1150
1100
1100
Pwe
1050
Pwe
Pwe
1050
1000
1000
950
950
Pc
900
900
ELLSWORTH CO
1600
Elevation (ft)
Elevation (ft)
1400
East
!
! !
!
! ! ! ! !
! ! ! ! !
! ! ! ! ! !! !
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SALINE CO
Vertical exaggeration 20x
0
100
50
100
150
150
200 MILES
200 KILOMETERS
SALINE CO
DICKINSON CO
NEOGENE SYSTEM
Pliocene - Miocene Series
CARBONIFEROUS SYSTEM
Ogallala Fm
Pennsylvanian Subsystem
Sand dunes
CRETACEOUS SYSTEM
Mississippian Subsystem
Glacial-drift deposits
JURASSIC SYSTEM
Limit of Kansan Glaciation
PERMIAN SYSTEM
Loess and river-valley deposits
ISBN# 978-1-58806-982-6
A
Zeller, D. E., ed., [1968] 2009, Classification of rocks in
Kansas, revised by Kansas Geological Survey Stratigraphic
Nomenclature Committee; in, The Stratigraphic Succession in
Kansas: Kansas Geological Survey, Bulletin 189, 81 p., 1
plate; http://www.kgs.ku.edu/General/Strat/index.html.
50
GENERALIZED GEOLOGY OF KANSAS
Publication Sales
5 KILOMETERS
(785) 864-2157
Williams, C. C., and Lohman, S. W., 1949, Geology and
ground-water resources of a part of south-central Kansas with
special reference to the to the Wichita municipal water supply:
Kansas Geological Survey, Bulletin 79; http://www.kgs.ku.
edu/Publications/Bulletins/79/06_geocret.html.
0
Computer compilation and cartography by the Kansas Geological Survey's
Cartographic Services unit. For purchase information, or for information
about other KGS maps or publications, please call
SCALE 1:50,000
Whittemore, D. O., Basel, C. L., Galle, O. K., and Waugh, T.
C., 1981, Geochemical identification of saltwater sources in
the Smoky Hill River valley, McPherson, Saline, and
Dickinson counties, Kansas: Kansas Geological Survey,
Open-file Report 81-6, 78 p.; http://www.kgs.ku.edu/Hydro/
Publications/1981/OFR81_6/index.html.
McCauley, J. R., 2011, Surficial geology of Saline County,
Kansas; text and geologic-unit descriptions by C. M. PhillipsLander and R. S. Sawin; cross section geology by R. S. Sawin:
Kansas Geological Survey, Map M-123, scale 1:50,000.
!
!
!
!
!
Qal
2
Kk
450
TR
EN
TO
N
&
!
lb
M
Qal
Qal
Kk
Perennial water body
SUGGESTED REFERENCE TO THIS MAP
!
!
0
CU
LV
ER
I
( J
'
&
%
ry
er
ff
Kd
Kk
Intermittent stream
Lee, W., Leatherock, C., and Botinelly, T., 1948, The
stratigraphy and structural development of the Salina basin of
Kansas: Kansas Geological Survey, Bulletin 74; http://www.
kgs.ku.edu/Publications/Bulletins/74/02_intro.html.
!
!
!
!
!
Pwe
!
!
!
Milan Ls Mbr *
28
25
143
C
B
Cr
e
5
Kk
450
40
AN
GO
23
Kk
Hi
5
ek
JU
NI
AT
A
32
31
40
M
Cr e
BR
OO
K
SW VIL
LE
36
Kk
0
45
VE
N
M
26
H
Trenton !
4 50
LA
NG
LE
Y
21
Kk
4 50
TRUE NORTH
MAGNETIC NORT
H
27
0
!
Merriam, D. F., 1963, The geologic history of Kansas: Kansas
Geological Survey, Bulletin 162, 317 p.; http://www.kgs.ku.
edu/Publications/Bulletins/162/06_pres. html.
28
29
30
Kd
KANSAS
!
Latta, B. F., 1949, Ground-water conditions in the Smoky Hill
valley in Saline, Dickinson, and Geary counties, Kansas:
Kansas Geological Survey, Bulletin 84, 152 p.
40
Kd
Qal
0
!
Kulstad, R. O., Fairchild, P., and McGregor, D., 1956,
Gypsum in Kansas: Kansas Geological Survey, Bulletin 113,
110 p.
25
Kd
Dry
45
Perennial stream
Franks, P. C., 1975, The transgressive-regressive sequence of
the Cretaceous Cheyenne, Kiowa, and Dakota formations of
Kansas; in, The Cretaceous System in the Western Interior of
North America, W. G. E. Caldwell, ed.: Geological Association of Canada, Special Paper 13, p. 469-521.
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
21
20
!
!
!
Pwe
M
Pwe
Kk
6
!
Kansas Geological Survey, 2011c, Saline County - Oil and gas
production: Kansas Geological Survey; http://www.kgs.
ku.edu/PRS/County/rs/saline.html.
26
34
Qal
Kd
Open sand or gravel pit
!
!
!
!
M
19
!
Pwe
400
e ek
Kd
0
Kansas Geological Survey, 2011b, Saline County; in, KGS
Directory of Kansas Industrial Mineral Producers;
http://www.kgs.ku.edu/Magellan/Minerals/index.html.
27
33
32
Cr
Qal
Kk
7
M
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
24
!
i ll
T 14 S
45
Kansas Geological Survey, 2011a, Smoky Hills; in,
GeoKansas: Kansas Geological Survey; http://www.kgs.ku.
edu/Extension/smoky/smoky.html.
28
400
450
Jewett, J. M., 1942, Gypsum; in, Kansas Mineral Resources
for Wartime Industries, J. M. Jewett and W. H. Schoewe, eds.:
Kansas Geological Survey, Bulletin 41, pt. 3, p. 138-144.
22
Kk
Qal
Kd
Kk
400
T 13 S
4 50
Gogel, T., 1981, Discharge of saltwater from Permian rocks to
major stream-aquifer systems in central Kansas: Kansas
Geological Survey, Chemical Quality Series 9, 60 p. http://
www.kgs.ku.edu/Publications/Bulletins/CQS9/index.html.
20
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
Pwe
Terra Cotta
Clay Mbr
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
0
Frye, J. C., and Leonard, A. B., 1952, Pleistocene geology of
Kansas: Kansas Geological Survey, Bulletin 99, 230 p.;
http://www.kgs.ku.edu/Publications/Bulletins/99/index.html.
81
J
I
45
Franks, P. C., 1979, Paralic to fluvial record of an early
Cretaceous marine transgression - Longford member, Kiowa
Formation, north-central, Kansas: Kansas Geological Survey,
Bulletin 219, 55 p.; http://www.kgs.ku.edu/Publications/
Bulletins/219/index.html.
19
Kd
0
Franks, P. C., 1966, Petrology and stratigraphy of the Kiowa
and Dakota Formations (basal Cretaceous), north-central
Kansas: Unpublished Ph.D. thesis, University of Kansas, 2
vols., 312 p.
24
23
Qal
Kk
29
30
36
Kk
45
Concealed contact
!
!
!
16
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
70
4 50
Byrne, F. E., Walters, C. P., Hill, J. L., and Riseman, L., 1959,
Geology and construction-material resources of Marion
County, Kansas: U.S. Geological Survey, Bulletin 1060-B, 95 p.
22
R
ry
er
Qal
4 50
Bayne, C. K., Franks, P. C., and Ives, W., 1971, Geology and
ground-water resources of Ellsworth County, central Kansas:
Kansas Geological Survey, Bulletin 201; http://www.kgs.
ku.edu/General/Geology/Ellsworth/index.html.
21
20
19
Kd
kd
34
Kk
Hydrology and Topography
Observed contact
!
!
!
!
Qal
40
70 J
I
(
'
&
%
CITED REFERENCES
Bauleke, M. P., Hardy, R. G., Franks, P., Plummer, N., and
Stewart, G., 1967, Evaluating mineral resources, Saline
County (a pilot project): Kansas Department of Economic Development, Planning for Development, Report No. 15B, 52 p.
24
Pn
Geologic Unit Boundaries
1:24,000 quadrangle
boundary
25
26
Qal
Airport
!
!
A
27
0
Index Reference Features
23
Kd
45
Built-up area
(incorporated cities only)
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
35 0
Cr
Kk
b
ul
32
38°52'30"
Kd
400
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
Kk
0
M
31
Index to 1:24,000-scale USGS quadrangle maps
Railroad
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Sandstones in the Kiowa Formation produce highquality water in limited areas, and at some localities the
yields have been adequate for public water supplies (e.g.,
Gypsum, Kansas) (Latta, 1949; Bauleke et al., 1967).
Springs and seeps are often associated with these
sandstones.
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Unimproved road
Unincorporated city or locality
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28
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Holocene terraces and alluvial valley fills deposited in
the Smoky Hill River valley are the main source of
ground water in Saline County. Shallow wells in the
alluvium provide freshwater for Salina, the most
populous city. The Saline and Solomon rivers, and other
tributaries in the county, are an important source of
ground water for smaller wells. In general, the ground
water in Saline County is hard, and in some places,
contains high concentrations of iron and chloride
(Bauleke et al., 1967). In some places, saline water from
the natural dissolution of salt and gypsum in the
Wellington Formation contaminates the alluvial aquifer
of the Smoky Hill River valley (Gogel, 1981;
Whittemore et al., 1981).
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OKLAHOMA
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WATER RESOURCES
Light-duty road
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Sand and gravel, sourced from alluvium deposits along
the Smoky Hill, Saline, and Solomon rivers, is readily
available throughout the county and is used mainly for
aggregate (Kansas Geological Survey, 2011b). Calcitecemented sandstone in the Kiowa Formation, locally
called “quartzite,” was quarried 2 miles (3.2 km) east of
Bavaria (Swineford, 1947). These quarries are now
abandoned. This hard sandstone is commonly used for
aggregate and rip rap.
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Gypsum in the Wellington Formation crops out east of
the Smoky Hill River. An underground mine and mill
operated in the late 1890’s southwest of Solomon, and as
early as 1887 gypsum was quarried just east of Salina
(Kulstad et al., 1956). A mill and mine operated near
Gypsum (then called Gypsum City) in the 1890’s that
processed gypsum earth (gypsite) (Jewett, 1942).
Gypsite is a granular or earthy material that forms at the
surface where calcium-sulfate-charged ground water
accumulates (usually in low, swampy areas) and
evaporates (Kulstad et al., 1956). The Hutchinson Salt
Member of the Wellington Formation occurs in the
subsurface in western Saline County, but it has never
been commercially mined here.
Medium-duty
secondary road
County seat
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YGypsum
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Military reservation
boundary
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High-quality clay deposits (mostly kaolinite) have been
reported in the Terra Cotta Clay Member of the Dakota
Formation in the west-central part of the county
(Plummer and Romary, 1947; Bauleke et al., 1967).
Primary road
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MINERAL RESOURCES
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Salina
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A' Geologic cross section
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LINCOLN CO
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KANSAS
Saline County lies within the Salina Basin, a northwardplunging syncline that encompasses an area of
approximately 12,700 mi2 (32,893 km2; Merriam, 1963).
The general strike of the Permian units is north-south,
with a slight dip to the west. The younger Cretaceous
units strike northeast-southwest and dip gently to the
northwest (Bauleke et al., 1967).
U.S. highway, divided
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Index shows the names and locations of the 24 USGS 7.5-min
1:24,000-scale quadrangles used in the digital compilation of
the Saline County map. The geology was mapped in the field
using these topographic maps.
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STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY
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Transportation
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EXPLANATION
Boundaries and Locations
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Computer compilation and cartography by
John W. Dunham, Christopher R. Bieker, Darren J. Haag, Emily C. Hadley,
Richard B. Jarvis, Scott T. Klopfenstein, Peter A. Monshizadeh, and R. Zane Price
APPROXIMATE MEAN
DECLINATION, 2011
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Oil, first discovered in Saline County in 1929, is the
most important geological asset in the county (Bauleke
et al., 1967). In the southeast corner of the county, oil is
produced from the Mississippian at about 2,700 ft (824
m); south and east of Salina, oil production is mostly
from the Viola Limestone and Maquoketa Shale
(Ordovician) from about 3,200-3,400 ft (976-1,037 m).
Many of these wells were drilled in the 1940’s and
1950’s. In 2010, 101 wells produced 65,720 barrels of
oil and no gas; cumulatively, nearly 22.8 million barrels
of oil have been produced in Saline County (Kansas
Geological Survey, 2011c).
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Dissolution of gypsum beds in the Wellington Formation
has created a localized area of subsidence in the
floodplain near the confluence of the Solomon and
Smoky Hill rivers (Bauleke et al., 1967). Subsidence at
the surface occurs when alluvial materials fill voids
created by the dissolution of the underlying gypsum
beds. The subsidence tends to occur as broader areas
rather than localized sink holes (Bauleke et al., 1967).
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4½°
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The topographic relief of Saline County is about 515 ft
(157 m), with the lowest area (approximately 1,145 ft,
349 m) located in the northeast portion of the county
near the confluence of the Solomon and Smoky Hill
rivers, and the highest point (approximately 1,660 ft, 506
m) located about 3 miles (4.8 km) northwest of
Brookville near the western edge of the county. Three
major rivers - the Smoky Hill, the Saline, and the
Solomon - flow through the county. Fluvial activity has
resulted in large, relatively flat valleys that collectively
cover approximately 37% of the county. These valleys
are surrounded by rolling hills that are dissected by
numerous small streams. The hills in the southwest and
western parts of the county, especially those capped by
sandstones in the Dakota Formation, have noticeably
more relief. The Smoky Hill River flows northward
through south-central Saline County before turning east
at Salina. The Saline and Solomon rivers drain the
northeast part of the county. The Saline River is the
primary tributary to the Smoky Hill River; Gypsum
Creek is another major tributary. Other major streams
are Mulberry Creek, a tributary of the Saline River, and
Spring Creek, a tributary of Mulberry Creek (Palmer et
al., 1992).
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The majority of Saline County lies within the Smoky
Hills physiographic region, which is composed of mostly
Cretaceous rocks (Schoewe, 1949). The name Smoky
Hills comes from the haze that covers the valleys in the
early morning (Kansas Geological Survey, 2011a).
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Terraces
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Text and geologic-unit descriptions by
Charity M. Phillips-Lander and Robert S. Sawin
Cross section geology by Robert S. Sawin
GEOMORPHOLOGY
KY
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Geology by James R. McCauley
In addition to the unconformity between Quaternary
deposits and the underlying Cretaceous and Permian
bedrock, a major unconformity separates Permian and
Cretaceous rocks. In the subsurface in western Saline
County, the Ninnescah Shale lies conformably on the
Wellington Formation (Williams and Lohman, 1949),
and the Kiowa Formation sits unconformably on the
Ninnescah. Eastward, the Ninnescah thins and is
exposed at the surface before it pinches out in the
vicinity of the Smoky Hill River valley. East of the
valley, the Ninnescah is missing and the Kiowa sits
unconformably on the Wellington. The WellingtonNinnescah contact is generally described as the change
from gray shale (Wellington) to red shale (Ninnescah).
In south-central Kansas the top of the Wellington
Formation is defined by the Milan Limestone Member
(Zeller, [1968] 2009), but the extent of the Milan north
of that area is unknown. In the central part of Saline
County west of Interstate 135, Bauleke et al. (1967, p.
30) reported “a few wells [that] have produced water
from a dolomitic limestone bed that occupies the
stratigraphic position of the Milan limestone, at the
contact of the Ninnescah and Wellington.” Whether this
dolomitic limestone correlates to the Milan limestone in
south-central Kansas is unknown.
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During the Pleistocene Epoch, erosion and deposition of
sediments were driven by streams fed by glacial
meltwater. Terraces (unconsolidated silt, sand, and
gravel) preserved in the uplands in the extreme northeast
corner of Saline County represent the level of older
(Pleistocene) fluvial floodplains of the Smoky Hill River
(Latta, 1949). Prior to glaciation in Kansas, the Smoky
Hill River flowed south across western McPherson
County to the Arkansas River. Glacial isostatic
adjustments caused the Smoky Hill River to flow
northward and intersect the Saline River (Frye and
Leonard, 1952). Holocene sediments (clay, silt, sand,
and gravel) occur as terrace and alluvial valley fill along
today’s streams and rivers. Some alluvium was later
remobilized, creating the dune deposits that occur south
of Gypsum.
Qpt
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Saline County covers an area of approximately 721 mi2
(1,868 km2) (Palmer et al., 1992) of which about 1.67
mi2 (4 km2), or 0.23%, is surface water. The surficial
sedimentary rocks are Permian (Leonardian) to
Cretaceous (Lower Cretaceous) in age and are
dominated by shales, siltstones, and sandstones (Zeller,
[1968] 2009). The dip of the strata is generally to the
west. The oldest rocks (Wellington Formation) crop out
in the eastern portion of the county, generally east of
Interstate 135. The youngest rocks (Dakota Formation)
are most commonly found capping the hilltops in the
western part of the county. Sandstones in the Kiowa
Formation cap many of the hills bordering the Smoky
Hill and Saline River valleys.
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MESOZOIC
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SURFICIAL GEOLOGY OF
SALINE COUNTY, KANSAS
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Alluvium and
terrace
valley fill
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Formation
CRETACEOUS Q U A T E R N A R Y
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P E R M I A N
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Lithology
Lower Cretaceous Pleistocene Holocene
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line R
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OTTAWA CO
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GENERAL GEOLOGY
Map Label
400
40 0
MAP M-123
Elevation contours are presented for general reference. They were generated by the U.S. Geological Survey
from USGS National Elevation Dataset (NED) digital-elevation models (DEM) with 1/3 arc-second resolution,
which in turn contain resampled data from the 1/9 arc-second layer of NED. Secondary datasets used in
generation of the contours include the high-resolution flow lines, water bodies, and areas from the National
Hydrography Dataset (NHD). In some places the contours may be more generalized than the base maps used for
compilation of geologic-outcrop patterns. Outcrop patterns on the map will typically reflect topographic
variation more accurately than the associated contour lines. Repeated fluctuation of an outcrop line across a
contour line should be interpreted as an indication that the mapped rock unit is maintaining a relatively constant
elevation along a generalized contour.
The geology was mapped in the field using USGS 7.5-minute 1:24,000-scale topographic maps.
Roads and highways are shown on the base map as represented by data from the Kansas Department of
Transportation (KDOT) and Saline County. U.S. Department of Agriculture – Farm Services Agency (USDAFSA) National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) imagery and Saline County imagery also were used to
check road locations.
Shaded relief is based on 1-meter hydroflattened bare-earth DEMs from the State of Kansas LiDAR Database.
The DEM images were mosaicked into a single output DEM in Esri GRID format, converted to geographic
coordinates. This DEM was downsampled to 1/3 arc-second resolution and converted to a hillshade, a
multidirectional shaded-relief image using angles of illumination from 0°, 225°, 270°, and 315° azimuths, each
45° above the horizon, with a 4x vertical exaggeration.
Map partially funded by the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping STATEMAP Program.
This map was produced using the ArcGIS system developed by Esri (Environmental Systems Research
Institute, Inc.).
The Kansas Geological Survey does not guarantee this map to be free from errors or inaccuracies and disclaims
any responsibility or liability for interpretations made from the map or decisions based thereon.
Last edited 11/8/2011