USGS Science⌕ Search

Geology topics

Research about Kansas

Source-linked reports with geographic coverage including Kansas.

At least 307 records · Page 17Linked to original sources
USGS1984

Projected effects of ground-water withdrawals in the Arkansas River Valley, 1980-99, Hamilton and Kearny Counties, southwestern Kansas

A study was made, in cooperation with the Kansas State Board of Agriculture, to determine the effects that additional ground-water development would have on streamflow and water levels on an area along the Arkansas River in Hamilton and Kearny Counties, southwestern Kansas. A computer model was used to simulate the changes in streamflow and water levels from 1980 through 1999. Six pumpage options were tested using variations in pumpage rate and number of wells pumping in the model area. If the full amount appropriated by water rights were pumped rather than actual 1979 conditions of pumpage, annual pumpage would be reduced 24 percent, but net annual river loss would be reduced only 1 percent. A pumpage increase of approximately 19 percent over 1979 pumpage conditions would cause an increase of net annual river loss from 5 to 9 percent. Increased pumpage, in the form of additional wells in the model area, would cause additional ground water to be removed from storage in the aquifer and an increase in net annual river loss.

Kansas↗
USGS1984

Percentage change in saturated thickness of the High Plains Aquifer, west-central Kansas, 1950 to average 1982-84

Continuing studies are being made in west-central Kansas to provide up-to-date information to aid in the management of ground water for irrigation. This report, prepared in cooperation with the Western Kansas Groundwater Management District No. 1, presents the fourth in a series of studies that uses a statistical technique, called kriging, to produce hydrologic maps that are used as management tools.

Kansas↗
USGS1983

Groundwater observation network design for the Kansas groundwater management districts, U.S.A.

Concerns about the efficiency and economic soundness of the Kansas groundwater monitoring program led to a systematic redesign of this network, a tentative phase of which is presented in this study. The objectives of this paper include monitoring of major aquifers within each groundwater management district at a spatially more uniform level of accuracy, elimination of redundant measurements and optimization of the information gained from each observation well. The theory of regionalized variables is employed to estimate the amount of spatial variability of the water table, on which the network design is based. This study shows that it is not practical to attempt to reduce the already existing level of uncertainty uniformly throughout the various districts; to do so would tremendously increase the cost of well monitoring, which is already very high. Assuming that the currently existing network is satisfactory for the State's objectives, a reduced network consisting of one well every 6.4 km is equally satisfactory. The reduced network yields district-wide maps that do not differ significantly from those produced using the present network and at the same time it reduces the already-existing network by 18–47%. Therefore, adoption of a rearranged square well network is recommended, which is reduced to a 6.4-km spacing to achieve both a uniform level of information about the water table and a minimum required accuracy.

Kansas↗
USGS1983

Geohydrology and model analysis of the stream-aquifer system along the Arkansas River in Kearny and Finney counties, southwestern Kansas

A study was made, in cooperation with the Division of Water Resources, Kansas State Board of Agriculture, to determine geohydrologic conditions in an area comprising nearly 850,000 acres along the Arkansas River valley in Kearny and Finney Counties, southwestern Kansas. The Arkansas River meanders atop and interacts hydraulically with the area's multilayered, unconsolidated aquifer system. Declines in static water levels in wells in the heavily pumped lower aquifer ranged from 20 to 80 feet during 1974-80. The river is dry in much of the area. A digital computer model was calibrated to simulate the trends of historic water levels. Simulated 1974-80 conditions depicted an average annual recharge to the unconsolidated aquifer system of 66,900 acre-feet from precipitation and 36,200 acre-feet from river and canal seepage and boundary inflow. Simulated average annual discharge consisted of 634,800 acre-feet from pumpage and boundary outflow. Simulated average annual recharge to the unconsolidated aquifer system was 531,700 acre-feet less than average annual discharge, indicating the ground-water resource is currently (1982) being mined in the study area. Simulation also indicated that there would be sufficient saturated thickness in 2005 for irrigation if 1980 hydrologic conditions continued. Seepage losses from the Arkansas River and irrigation canals are a major source of recharge to the unconsolidated aquifer system. Therefore, the amount of flow in the Arkansas River would be important in determining the rate of future water-level declines in the study area. Streamflow seepage losses could be decreased by (1) decreasing the number of wells pumping in the study area in order to reduce downward leakage from the valley aquifer, or (2) increasing streamflow discharge in order to recharge the valley aquifer. The rate and direction of flow between the river and the valley aquifer depend on the hydraulic conductivity of the streambed and the hydraulic gradient between the river stage and the water table. As long as river stage remains high, the water table in the valley aquifer continues to rise. Seepage from the river to the valley aquifer decreases as the altitude difference between the river stage and the valley aquifer decreases, becoming insignificant when the water level in the valley aquifer nearly equals river stage. However, a rise in the water table in the valley aquifer because of recharge from the river will correspond to increased downward leakage to the lower aquifer, impeding recharge to the valley aquifer.

Kansas↗
USGS1983

Statistical summaries of selected chemical constituents in Kansas ground-water supplies, 1976-81

Data on 24 chemical constituents or properties obtained from 766 wells in the Kansas ground-water quality monitoring network between 1976 and 1981 are statistically summarized in this report prepared in cooperation with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Minimum, median, and maximum concentrations and percentage of samples above the ' maximum contaminant levels ' established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are presented for all wells in the statewide network. More detailed areal statistical summaries are presented for all wells in the statewide network. More detailed areal statistical summaries are presented for nine chemical constituents for which more than 3% of the observed concentrations exceeded the ' maximum contaminate level ' for that constituent. The State was divided into 14 ground-water regions based on water-use and physiographic characteristics. Summaries for these nine constituents include quartile values and percentage of samples with concentrations above the ' maximum contaminant level ' for each ground-water region. Accompanying figures show median concentrations and percentages of concentrations exceeding the ' maximum contaminant levels ' established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for each ground-water region. (USGS)

Kansas↗
USGS1983

Application of remote-sensing techniques to hydrologic studies in selected coal-mined areas of southeastern Kansas

Disturbances resulting from intensive coal mining in the Cherry Creek basin of southeastern Kansas were investigated using color and color-infrared aerial photography in conjunction with water-quality data from simultaneously acquired samples. Imagery was used to identify the type and extent of vegetative cover on strip-mined lands and the extent and success of reclamation practices. Drainage patterns, point sources of acid mine drainage, and recharge areas for underground mines were located for onsite inspection. Comparison of these interpretations with water-quality data illustrated differences between the eastern and western parts of the Cherry Creek basin. Contamination in the eastern part is due largely to circulation of water from unreclaimed strip mines and collapse features through the network of underground mines and subsequent discharge of acidic drainage through seeps. Contamination in the western part is primarily caused by runoff and seepage from strip-mined lands in which surfaces have frequently been graded and limed but are generally devoid of mature stands of soil-anchoring vegetation. The successful use of aerial photography in the study of Cherry Creek basin indicates the potential of using remote-sensing techniques in studies of other coal-mined regions.

Kansas↗
USGS1983

Nestling growth relationships of brown-headed cowbirds and dickcissels

Data on nestling growth of brood parasites and their hosts are surprisingly few in the literature, Even the Brown-headed Cowbird ( Molothrus ater ), whose host relations have been studied in some other respects, has not been studied in any detail from this standpoint. This is particularly regrettable because the lack of host specialization and high incidence of multiple parasitism in this species recommend it for intensive studies of parasite-host growth relationships. Isolated or fragmentary records of growth in cowbirds are available in Friedman (The Cowbirds, C. C. Thomas, Springfield, Illinois, 1929), Pickwell (Trans, Acad. Sci. St. Louis 27:1-160, 1931), Herrick Wild Birds at Home, Appleton-Century, New York, New York, 1935), Nice (Trans. Linn. Soc. N.Y. 4, 1937; Wilson Bull. 51:233-239, 1939), Mayfield (The Kirtland's Warbler, Cranbrook Inst, Sci., Illinois, 1960), and Nolan (Ornithol, Monor, No. 26. 1978). Hann (Wilson Bull. 49:145-237. 1937) illustrated the growth of five cowbirds raised in three nests of the Ovenbird ( Seiurus aurocapillus ), Norris Wilson Bull, 59-83-103, 1947) provided data for five individuals raised by different host species, and Scott (Wilson Bull, 91:464-466, 1979) presented pooled growth data for nine individuals raised by three different host species. King (Auk 90:19-34, 1973) measured the growth of Shiny Cowbirds ( Molothrus bonariensis ) in nests of Rufous-collared Sparrows ( Zonotrichia capensis ) and found that broods of two cowbirds grew at a substantially slower rate than broods of one, He suggested that Z. capensis could rear a maximum of two cowbirds or four sparrows, or an equivalent combination. In 1974 collected data on the growth relationships of Brown-headed Cowbirds and Dickcissels ( Spiza americana ) in prairie habitat in eastern Kansas (Konza Prairie Research Natural Area). The intensity of cowbird parasitism in this study was extremely high - I found nests containing as many as nine cowbird eggs and three host eggs, More than one cowbird was evidently laying in many of the nests, behavior that may present some intricate evolutionary problems with respect to clutch-size manipulation by cowbirds. Fifty-nine of 65 nests were parasitized 91%, and the mean number of cowbird eggs per parasitized nest was 3.1 (SD 1.74). Dickcissels raised up to five young in mixed broods of various composition. Brood composition at fledging in 27 successful nests (42% of the total) averaged 1.6 Dickcissels and 1.3 cowbirds.

Kansas↗
USGS1982

Nitrate-nitrogen concentrations in ground water from three selected areas in Kansas

Nitrate-nitrogen data collected during 1976-79 from 333 wells in western, central, and eastern Kansas were summarized and statistically analyzed on the basis of area, aquifer, and well depth. Concentrations exceeding 10 milligrams per liter occurred generally in wells less than 100 feet in depth, indicating that nitrate-nitrogen concentrations in ground water greater than 10 milligrams per liter commonly are derived from nitrogen sources at or near the land surface, although soluble nitrogen may be derived from fine-grained sediments in some aquifers. Water from shales in central and eastern Kansas and from limestone in eastern Kansas exhibited the highest median concentrations and highest incidence of concentrations above 10 milligrams per liter. Water from 10 percent of the wells in unconsolidated Quaternary deposits in western Kansas and almost 30 percent of the wells in eastern Kansas had nitrate-nitrogen concentrations that exceeded 10 milligrams per liter. Shallow wells in shales, limestones, and unconsolidated Quaternary deposits are highly susceptible to nitrate contamination. Water from unconsolidated Tertiary deposits produced a low incidence of nitrate-nitrogen concentrations greater than 10 milligrams per liter, indicating minimal nitrate contamination from sources at or near the land surface. Sandstones in all areas exhibited the lowest median and lowest incidence of nitratenitrogen concentrations above 10 milligrams per liter.

Kansas↗
USGS1982

Hydrologic maps of the High Plains aquifer, January 1981, southwestern Kansas

The U.S. Geological Survey furnishes maps depicting saturated thickness of the High Plains aquifer to the Southwest Kansas Groundwater Management District No. 3 through a continuing cooperative agreement. The Groundwater Management District uses the maps to calculated a planned depletion rate of 40 percent of the saturated thickness of the aquifer in 25 years for a 13-county area. Because the information contained on the maps is used in management decisions, the Groundwater Management District is concerned with the accuracy, reliability, and consistency of the hydrologic information that the maps show. A mathematical technique, called kriging, has been used in the form of a computer program to interpolate hydrologic data based on a network of measured values (Karlinger and Skrivan, 1980). The technique has been applied to geohydrologic data in west-central Kansas with good results (Dunlap and Spinazola, 1981). The program calculates the values at the center of each 1-mile section in a predefined region and facilitates contouring of selected values. The kriging technique was used to produce the hydrologic maps in this report.

Kansas↗
USGS1981

Seismicity map of the State of Kansas

The earthquake data shown on this map and listed in table 1 are a list of earthquakes that were originally used in preparing the Seismic Risk Studies in the United States in the United States (Algermissen, 1969) which have been recompiled and updated through 1977. These data have been reexamined which resulted in some revisions of epicenters and intensities as well as assignment of intensities to earthquakes that previously had none assigned. Intensity values were updated from new and additional data sources that were not available at the time of original compilation. Some epicenters were relocated on the basis of new information. The data shown in table 1 are estimates of the most accurate epicenter, magnitude, and intensity of each earthquake, on the basis of historical and current information. Some of the aftershocks from large earthquakes are listed but are incomplete in many instances, especially for ones that occurred before seismic instruments were in universal usage.

Kansas↗
USGS1981

January 1981 water levels, and data related to water-level changes, western and south-central Kansas

This report provides hydrologic data related to water-level measurements in observation wells in western and south-central Kansas during January 1981. Annual water-level measurements are made by personnel from the Division of Water Resources, Kansas State Board of Agriculture, and from the U.S. Geological Survey . State-agency support for this cooperative program is provided by the Kansas Geological Survey. Water-level measurements are made in mid-winter of each year, mostly in January, to minimize the effect of seasonal pumping. However, a few water-level measurements that are made in mid-winter of some years may reflect either the effects of recent pumping by the observation well or by nearby wells, or the effects of barometric-pressure changes. Thus, a significant change in water-levels for a particular well during a 1-year period may represent only a temporary condition, and any indication of a developing trend should be based on a comparison of changes that occur over a period of several years. Hydrologic data in this report relate water-level changes from: (1) A "base-reference year" ( predevelopment year), (2) a year of abnormally high rainfall and minimum pumpage (1966 or 1974) , and (3) each of seven consecutive years of measurement (1975-81). The "base-reference year" is designated as 1940 for the southwestern area, 1944 for the south-central area, and 1950 for the northwestern and west-central areas (fig. 1). Water levels for the "base-reference year" are established by measurements made during that year and by interpretation of maps showing water-level altitudes. Depth to bedrock, used in computing saturated thickness of water-bearing deposits, are based on driller' s logs, reported depths of wells, and interpretation of maps showing the altitude of the bedrock surface.

Kansas↗
USGS1981

Altitude and configuration of the water table in the High Plains aquifer in Kansas, 1980

The High Plains aquifer in Kansas is part of a regional system that extends into Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. The aquifer in Kansas underlies an area of 31,000 square miles in the western and south-central part of the State. This aquifer is a hydraulically connected assemblage of unconsolidated water-bearing deposits. In western Kansas, the High Plains aquifer consists principally of the Ogallala Formation of late Tertiary age and the overlying deposits of Quaternary age. In south-central Kansas, the aquifer consists of unconsolidated deposits principally of the Quaternary age. Valley alluvium of Quaternary age also is included in the deposits in both areas. The High Plains aquifer is delimited on the east by outcrops of Permian or Cretaceous rocks and by unsaturated deposits of Quaternary age.

Kansas↗
USGS1981

Preliminary data from Arbuckle test wells, Miami, Douglas, Saline, and Labette counties, Kansas

Preliminary data are presented for test wells in Kansas that were completed in Cambrian and Ordovician rocks of the Arbuckle Group in late 1979 and early 1980. Included in the report are hole history, electrical logs, geology (sample descriptions and cores), hydrologic testing, and geochemistry. These wells were drilled as part of a cooperative investigation between the U.S. Geological Survey and the Kansas Geological Survey, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to determine the regional hydrology of the Arbuckle Group and to investigate the hydraulic characteristics of the formation at site-specific areas. The test wells were drilled in Miami (site 1), Douglas (site 2), Saline (site 3), and Labette (site4) Counties, Kansas. Depths of the wells ranged from 1,816 feet in Labette County to 3,665 feet in Saline County. All wells have surface casing installed to depths well below the base of freshwater. The wells were cased from land surface to near the top of the Arbuckle Group; the remainder of the hole was left open so that additional hydrologic tests could be made. Cores of rocks in the Arbuckle Group were collected at sites 2, 3, and 4. Results ofcore analyses are presented for vertical and horizontal permeability to air, porosity , fluid saturation, accoustic velocity, resistivity indices, and formation factor. Gamma-ray logs of the core were run for correlation with electrical logs. A series of electrical logs was run at each site, consisting of dual-induction laterolog, sonic, and compensated neutron-formation density logs for correlating geologic and hydrologic data. Flow logs and temperature logs also were run at some sites. Formation data from drill-stem tests are presented for use in calculating transmissivity, hydraulic conductivity, and hydraulic head. Complete analyses of water samples from wells at sites 2, 3, and 4, and a partial analysis at site 1, are presented to indicate water quality in the aquifers.

Kansas↗
USGS1981

Map of water table in Graham County, northwestern Kansas, March 1979

A map of the water table in Graham County, prepared in collaboration with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, provides current (1980) information on water levels in the unconsolidated deposits. Graham County, an area of 900 square miles in northwestern Kansas, is within the rolling, moderately to well-dissected terrain on the eastern edge of the High Plains. The eastward-flowing South Fork Solomon River separates the county into nearly equal parts. The principal source of water for domestic, stock, municipal, and irrigation use if from wells in the shallow unconsolidated deposits. The aquifers occur chiefly in the Ogallala Formation of Miocene age and in deposits of Quaternary age.

Kansas↗
USGS1981

Water-resources investigations of the U.S. Geological Survey in Kansas; fiscal years 1979 and 1980

Activities of the U.S. Geological Survey in Kansas include the systematic collection and analysis of data to describe the framework of hydrologic systems, assess the water resources, define existing or potential problems in the quantity or quality of water, and provide information for optimum development and management of resources. Streamflow studies are made to determine availability of supplies and relations to rainfall runoff, urbanization, flood frequencies, and sediment-transport. Ground-water studies are made to determine the quantity of supplies available in aquifer systems, the effects of natural or artificial contamination, and the effects of withdrawals by irrigation, industrial, and municipal supplies. Water-quality studies are made to define physical, chemical, and biological characteristics in streams and principal aquifers, and to evaluate the chemical changes due to urbanization and surface mining.

Kansas↗
USGS1981

Analysis and computer simulation of stream-aquifer hydrology, Arkansas River valley, southwestern Kansas

A study was made, in cooperation with the Division of Water Resources, Kansas State Board of Agriculture, to determine geohydrologic conditions underlying nearly 110,000 acres of the Arkansas River Valley between the Colorado-Kansas State line and the Bear Creek Fault zone in southwestern Kansas. The Arkansas River meanders atop and interacts hydraulically with the area's unconfined sand and gravel aquifer. Owing to decreasing recharge and increasing discharge during the 1970's, water levels declined an average of 4 feet during 1970-79. Average annual streamflow at Syracuse, Kansas, also decreased from 232 cubic feet per second during 1951-69 to 85 cubic feet per second during 1970-79.

Kansas↗