Geokansas

The surface of the Wellington-McPherson Lowlands region of south-central Kansas is mainly a relatively flat to rolling alluvial plain, made up of unconsolidated sand, silt, and gravel. The region is dissected by the Arkansas River Lowlands region, which encompasses the Arkansas River floodplain. Within the Wellington-McPherson Lowlands, the ...

See full list on geokansas.ku.edu Fossils of the large, swimming reptiles called mosasaurs are common in western Kansas chalk beds, which were deposited in Cretaceous seas. Although mosasaur species varied in length, some grew to be more than 50 feet long. The longest one found in Kansas was about 40 feet long. Mosasaurs had long bodies, sharp teeth, and paddle-like limbs. 4 Images. View Gallery. Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is the only unit in the U.S. National Park System devoted to North America's tallgrass prairie ecosystem, which once covered 170 million acres from Kansas to Indiana and Canada to Texas. Less than 4 percent of the natural prairie remains today, most in the Kansas Flint Hills. Ozark Plateau. The Ozark Plateau region is the smallest in Kansas, covering just 55 square miles in the southeastern tip of Cherokee County and the state. It is, however, part of the much larger regional Ozark Plateau that extends tens of thousands of square miles into Missouri, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. In Kansas, the Ozark Plateau region is ...Shark. Among the first vertebrates to develop jaws and teeth, sharks have been around for at least 400 million years. Sharks shed and regrow teeth throughout their lives, so countless teeth were shed in seas that covered parts or all of Kansas off and on over hundreds of millions of years. The Cretaceous rocks of western Kansas are an ...Big Basin. Big Basin is a large circular depression about one mile across and 100 feet deep that is bisected by U.S. Highway 283/160. Based on the age of the rocks in its walls, geologists estimate the basin formed fairly recently (in geologic time, that is), probably within the last few thousand years. The floor of the basin, about 125 to 150 ...

Monument Rocks are composed of the Smoky Hill Chalk Member of the Niobrara Chalk. Despite its name, the Niobrara Chalk is a geologic formation made up mainly but not entirely of chalk, and the layers at Monument Rocks include chalky limestone and chalky shale. The chalk beds first became famous in the 19th century for fossils of giant swimming ...The Osage Cuestas region covers much of eastern Kansas south of the Kansas River. Cuesta, Spanish for hill or cliff, is the term geologists use to describe ridges with steep, cliff-like faces on one side and gentle slopes on the other. Cuestas, characterized by a series of east-facing ridges (or escarpments) up to 200 feet high in elevation ...Learn more about earthquakes, sinkholes, landslides, and environmental issues facing Kansas today and the KGS role in addressing them. Discover Kansas’ rich geologic history, unusual and unexpected topography, and natural resource gems in every corner of the state. Maps, oil and water well drills, seismic sensors, and other geologic tools ... Fossils of the large, swimming reptiles called mosasaurs are common in western Kansas chalk beds, which were deposited in Cretaceous seas. Although mosasaur species varied in length, some grew to be more than 50 feet long. The longest one found in Kansas was about 40 feet long. Mosasaurs had long bodies, sharp teeth, and paddle-like limbs.GeoKansas. Presented by the Kansas Geological Survey Geology Extension, GeoKansas presents regional information about the geology and geography of Kansas. Photography Projects Photo Library The KGS has created a database to explore the photos taken by KGS staff over the years. Historical Aerial Photos of KansasFort Larned lies at the intersection of three of the state's 11 physiographic regions — the Arkansas River Lowlands, the High Plains, and the Smoky Hills. Regional boundaries are drawn based on landforms — hills, plains, and river valleys — and the geologic forces that shaped them. The Pawnee River is a tributary of the Arkansas River.The Oread Limestone, a formation common in eastern Kansas, was named in 1894 by Erasmus Haworth, the first director of the Kansas Geological Survey. He named it after Mount Oread, the hill on which the University of Kansas is located and where the limestone cropped out. The Dakota Formation, a familiar rock unit in central Kansas, got its name ...

The Flint Hills were formed by the erosion of Permian-age limestones and shales. During the early part of the Permian Period (about 299 to 252 million years ago), shallow seas covered much of the state, as they did earlier in the Pennsylvanian subperiod. Unlike the Pennsylvanian limestones found at the surface to the east, many of the ...We would like to show you a description here but the site won't allow us.At least 3,500 living species and 15,000 fossil species are known. Bryozoans are small animals (just large enough to be seen with the naked eye) that live exclusively in colonies. In fact, the Phylum Bryozoa is the only animal phylum in which all known species form colonies. The name comes from two Greek words, bryon (moss) and zoon (animal ... One of the most common rocks in Kansas, limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of the mineral calcite, which is a calcium carbonate. Most limestone layers formed from marine sediment deposited on sea floors, although some formed in freshwater lakes and rivers and even on dry land. Sources for the calcite in limestone include seashells.Clams and their relatives (oysters, scallops, and mussels) are often called bivalves (or bivalved mollusks) because their shell is composed of two parts called valves. Bivalves have a long history. Their fossils first appear in rocks that date to the middle of the Cambrian Period, about 510 million years ago.

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Their fossils are common in the Pennsylvanian and Permian limestones of eastern Kansas. Brachiopods have an extensive fossil record, first appearing in rocks dating back to the early part of the Cambrian Period, about 541 million years ago. They were extremely abundant during the Paleozoic Era, reaching their highest diversity roughly 400 ...One of the most common rocks in Kansas, limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of the mineral calcite, which is a calcium carbonate. Most limestone layers formed from marine sediment deposited on sea floors, although some formed in freshwater lakes and rivers and even on dry land. Sources for the calcite in limestone include seashells.Chert. Commonly known as flint, chert is found in many Kansas limestones as nodules or continuous beds. It is a sedimentary rock composed of microscopic crystals of quartz (silica, SiO 2 ). It is opaque and ranges in color from white to dull gray or brown to black. Chert breaks with a shell-like ( conchoidal) fracture, and the edges of the ...Point of Rocks is west off of Kansas Highway 27 about 10 miles north of Elkhart. It is in the Cimarron National Grassland managed by the U.S. Forest Service. The grassland encompasses more than 108,000 acres of land left in poor condition after the Dust Bowl of the 1930s and restored by the federal government. Wagon ruts are visible in places.

Like their relatives—starfishes, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, and brittle stars—crinoids are echinoderms, animals with rough, spiny surfaces and a special kind of radial symmetry based on five or multiples of five. Crinoids have lived in the world's oceans since at least the beginning of the Ordovician Period, roughly 485 million years ago.Map of Oil and Gas Data in Kansas - University of Kansas ... CancelShale is a soft, brittle, fine-grained, and easily eroded sedimentary rock formed from mineral-rich silt, or mud, that was deposited in an aquatic environment, buried by other sediment, and compacted and cemented into hard rock. When exposed at the surface by erosion, shale weathers into thin layers called plates. Kimberlite is one of only two igneous rocks found at the surface in Kansas. Extremely rare in the state, igneous rocks form from hot molten magma that pushes up toward the surface from Earth's interior then cools. The magma may cool and harden before reaching the surface or erupt onto the surface. Kimberlite forms in vertical structures in the ... In October 2020, The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), began long‐term in‐stream monitoring downstream from the headwaters of Soldier Creek, a KDHE identified basin with a high probability of large‐scale implementation (more than 50% of area) of soil health best management ...4 Images. In eastern Kansas, most water used for drinking, industry, and other purposes comes from surface water sources, mainly larger rivers and lakes. These include the Kansas, Missouri, Cottonwood, and Neosho rivers and constructed reservoirs created by damming rivers. Although western Kansans depend more on groundwater, a few reservoirs ... Another catastrophic collapse—known as the Cargill sinkhole because of its proximity to the Cargill Salt company—left railroad tracks dangling precariously in midair and grew to 200 feet in diameter in just 14 hours in 1974. Three weeks later, the diameter stabilized at 300 feet. The KGS uses seismic reflection techniques to study sinkholes. The Castle Rock spires and other remnants of the Cretaceous sea floor will last well beyond the 21st century, but erosion from wind and water continues to wear them down. In 1998, a hoodoo in the badlands known as Cobra Rock collapsed, and in 2001 the top of Castle Rock's tallest spire toppled after a thunderstorm. A chalk badland overlooking ...The Flint Hills were formed by the erosion of Permian-age limestones and shales. During the early part of the Permian Period (about 299 to 252 million years ago), shallow seas covered much of the state, as they did earlier in the Pennsylvanian subperiod. Unlike the Pennsylvanian limestones found at the surface to the east, many of the ...

Of all the water on Earth, more than 96% is too salty to drink. Most of that is in the oceans. Surface water—in lakes, rivers, creeks, ponds, and playas and other wetlands—is our most visible source of freshwater, but it …

Sandstone -capped hills characteristic of the Chautauqua Hills region are visible along a 14-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 160 between Longton in Elk County and Elk City in Montgomery County. The sandstones capping the hills along this route are the Tonganoxie Sandstone Member of the Stranger Formation and the Ireland Sandstone Member of the ...Salt is mined in Kansas using two methods: underground mining and solution mining. Underground mines in Kansas range in depth from 500 to 1,000 feet. With the underground room-and-pillar method of mining, a shaft is drilled through overlying rock to reach the salt deposit. The salt is removed in a checkerboard pattern so that large square ...2 Images. The Chautauqua Hills region—averaging just 10 miles in width—is a sliver of sandstone-capped rolling hills that splits the Osage Cuestas region from the southern Kansas border up to Yates Center in Woodson County. Small patches of similar terrain can be found as far north as Leavenworth County. During the Pennsylvanian subperiod ... Fort Larned lies at the intersection of three of the state's 11 physiographic regions — the Arkansas River Lowlands, the High Plains, and the Smoky Hills. Regional boundaries are drawn based on landforms — hills, plains, and river valleys — and the geologic forces that shaped them. The Pawnee River is a tributary of the Arkansas River.The second route — the Gyp Hills Scenic Drive — is a 22-mile loop through the heart of the Red Hills region in Barber County. Starting three miles west of Medicine Lodge at the junction of Highway 160 and Gyp Hills Road, the route runs south on Gyp Hills Road, turns west on Scenic Drive, and heads back north toward the highway on Lake City ... When linked to human activities, it is referred to as "induced seismicity." Oil and gas operations, mining activities, geothermal energy production, construction, underground nuclear testing, and impoundment of large reservoirs can all be sources of induced seismicity. Beginning in 2013, Kansas saw an unusual increase in earthquake activity in ...Their fossils are common in the Pennsylvanian and Permian limestones of eastern Kansas. Brachiopods have an extensive fossil record, first appearing in rocks dating back to the early part of the Cambrian Period, about 541 million years ago. They were extremely abundant during the Paleozoic Era, reaching their highest diversity roughly 400 ...

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Sometimes, the sediment is cemented by minerals and other materials. Common sediments in Kansas: S and— rock fragments or mineral particles that range in diameter from about 1/16 to 2 mm (from 0.002 to 0.08 inches). Gravel —chipped or rounded rock fragments that typically range in diameter from about 3 to 75 mm (0.125 to 3 inches).Coronado Heights. Rising more than 300 feet above the Smoky Hill River valley, Coronado Heights is on the southern end of a four-mile chain of hills known as the Smoky Hill Buttes. North of Lindsborg, which is in northern McPherson County, Coronado Heights lies just across the line in Saline County. Capped by hard sandstones of the Dakota ... Geologic maps. Geologic maps depict bedrock—the solid rock at the earth's surface or directly beneath the vegetation, soil, and thin deposits of unconsolidated material collectively called "cover." Limestone, …Blending in with the surrounding High Plains landscape, the optimistically named Mount Sunflower in Wallace County is hard to spot on the horizon. Yet at 4,039 feet above sea level, it holds the distinction of being the highest point in Kansas. That puts it more than 3,300 feet above the state's topographic low point in southeastern Kansas.Learn more about earthquakes, sinkholes, landslides, and environmental issues facing Kansas today and the KGS role in addressing them. Discover Kansas’ rich geologic history, unusual and unexpected topography, and natural resource gems in every corner of the state. Maps, oil and water well drills, seismic sensors, and other geologic tools ...Learn more about earthquakes, sinkholes, landslides, and environmental issues facing Kansas today and the KGS role in addressing them. Discover Kansas’ rich geologic history, unusual and unexpected topography, and natural resource gems in every corner of the state. Maps, oil and water well drills, seismic sensors, and other geologic tools ... The strangely shaped rocks at Mushroom Rock State Park in Ellsworth County are composed of sandstone from the Dakota Formation. The sandstone formed from sand and other sediment deposited along the edge of a Cretaceous sea about 100 million years ago. Over time, circulating water deposited a limy cement between the sand grains in some parts of ...One of the most common rocks in Kansas, limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of the mineral calcite, which is a calcium carbonate. Most limestone layers formed from marine sediment deposited on sea floors, although some formed in freshwater lakes and rivers and even on dry land. Sources for the calcite in limestone include seashells. Clinton spillway. The dam for Clinton Lake was constructed on the Wakarusa River in the late 1970s, and the spillway was carved out below the dam to hold excess water to prevent flooding if the lake's water level exceeded its capacity. The spillway provides a rare vertical view of a sequence of rock layers that stacked one on top of the other ... ….

Coal (which consists chiefly of carbon compounds derived from plants and plant debris that have been compacted into firm, brittle rocks) occurs throughout the Osage Cuestas. It was extensively mined in Osage County. Between 1885 and 1892, Osage County had 118 coal mines, which employed more than 2,200 people and produced almost 400,000 tons of ...One of the most common rocks in Kansas, limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of the mineral calcite, which is a calcium carbonate. Most limestone layers formed from marine sediment deposited on sea floors, although some formed in freshwater lakes and rivers and even on dry land. Sources for the calcite in limestone include seashells. When linked to human activities, it is referred to as "induced seismicity." Oil and gas operations, mining activities, geothermal energy production, construction, underground nuclear testing, and impoundment of large reservoirs can all be sources of induced seismicity. Beginning in 2013, Kansas saw an unusual increase in earthquake activity in ...Desde hoy hasta el próximo 21 de agosto podremos capturar a Kangaskhan en Pokémon GO en estas ciudades españolas: Badajoz, Barcelona, Cádiz, Madrid, …Post rock country is about 200 miles long, stretching diagonally southwest from near the Nebraska border in Washington County to just north of Dodge City in Ford County. East to west, it ranges from less than 10 miles to nearly 60 miles wide. Still dotted with the fence posts, the region also has many churches, barns, homes, bridges, businesses ...When linked to human activities, it is referred to as "induced seismicity." Oil and gas operations, mining activities, geothermal energy production, construction, underground nuclear testing, and impoundment of large reservoirs can all be sources of induced seismicity. Beginning in 2013, Kansas saw an unusual increase in earthquake activity in ...Ozark Plateau. The Ozark Plateau region is the smallest in Kansas, covering just 55 square miles in the southeastern tip of Cherokee County and the state. It is, however, part of the much larger regional Ozark Plateau that extends tens of thousands of square miles into Missouri, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. In Kansas, the Ozark Plateau region is ...Explore Northeast Kansas. Northeast Kansas encompasses the Glaciated physiographic region in the north and part of the Osage Cuestas along its southern edge. At sites in this area, you'll find massive quartzite boulders transported from northern states by glaciers, a water stop vital to travelers on the Oregon Trail, scenic drives, and ...The Flint Hills Scenic Byway stretches 48 miles along Kansas Highway 177 from Cassoday in northeastern Butler County to Council Grove in Morris County. Besides providing a view of prime Flint Hills and tallgrass prairie scenery, the route takes you to Cottonwood Falls, home of the Chase County Courthouse, and the Tallgrass Prairie National ...Rock City. Huge sandstone spheres ranging up to 20 feet in diameter cover an area roughly the size of two football fields at Rock City, about four miles south of Minneapolis in Ottawa County. Known as concretions, the spheres weathered out of a sandstone layer in the Dakota Formation. The sandstone was formed mainly from sand deposited along ... Geokansas, The carapace is divided lengthwise into three lobes (hence, the name trilobite): a prominent central axis and two flatter lobes. The carapace consists of a head, or cephalon, which is typically crescent shaped; a middle region called the thorax, made up of a number of overlapping segments (anywhere from 2 to 61); and a tail, or pygidium, in ..., Another catastrophic collapse—known as the Cargill sinkhole because of its proximity to the Cargill Salt company—left railroad tracks dangling precariously in midair and grew to 200 feet in diameter in just 14 hours in 1974. Three weeks later, the diameter stabilized at 300 feet. The KGS uses seismic reflection techniques to study sinkholes. , Southeast Kansas comprises all or part of four of the state's 11 physiographic regions. Discover the rolling plains of the Osage Cuestas, the rugged Chautauqua Hills, the gently sloping Cherokee Lowlands, and …, Before the surrounding area was settled, Cheyenne Bottoms was an intermittent marshland in a 64-square-mile basin. In the 1950s, the state of Kansas began developing it into a more permanent and stable wetlands and wildlife area. Dikes now divide the marsh into a series of pools, and water is diverted between pools to maintain suitable habitat. , Big Basin. Big Basin is a large circular depression about one mile across and 100 feet deep that is bisected by U.S. Highway 283/160. Based on the age of the rocks in its walls, geologists estimate the basin formed fairly recently (in geologic time, that is), probably within the last few thousand years. The floor of the basin, about 125 to 150 ..., Most sinkholes in central Kansas, whether natural or related to human activities, are the result of dissolution of halite (rock salt) by groundwater in the Hutchinson Salt Member. That thick salt bed—about 350 feet thick and 400 feet deep in the Hutchinson area—formed from deposits of salt and other sediment left behind when a shallow sea covering the area receded about 252 million years ..., Clams and their relatives (oysters, scallops, and mussels) are often called bivalves (or bivalved mollusks) because their shell is composed of two parts called valves. Bivalves have a long history. Their fossils first appear in rocks that date to the middle of the Cambrian Period, about 510 million years ago., Fort Larned lies at the intersection of three of the state's 11 physiographic regions — the Arkansas River Lowlands, the High Plains, and the Smoky Hills. Regional boundaries are drawn based on landforms — hills, plains, and river valleys — and the geologic forces that shaped them. The Pawnee River is a tributary of the Arkansas River., 2 Images. Aquifers are underground layers of porous and permeable rock or unconsolidated sediment, such as sand and gravel, that hold water. Porous means that rocks contain pores, or holes, and permeable means the pores are interconnected in a way that allows water to flow from pore to pore. Spaces containing water in sand and gravel or loosely ... , Butcher Falls, on Pool Creek in Chautauqua County, drops 10 feet over a blocky rock ledge into a pool eroded out of the Plattsmouth Limestone Member of the Oread Limestone. The rock was formed from sediment deposited in shallow seas during the Pennsylvanian subperiod about 323 million to 299 million years ago. Just beyond the pool, Pool Creek ..., The strangely shaped rocks at Mushroom Rock State Park in Ellsworth County are composed of sandstone from the Dakota Formation. The sandstone formed from sand and other sediment deposited along the edge of a Cretaceous sea about 100 million years ago. Over time, circulating water deposited a limy cement between the sand grains in some parts of ... , The only urban state park in Kansas, Kaw River State Park encompasses 76 acres of oak and hickory forest along the south side of the Kansas River — informally known as the Kaw — in west Topeka., Dinosaurs appeared and disappeared during the Mesozoic Era, which lasted 186 million years and encompasses three periods: the Cretaceous, Jurassic, and Triassic. During the first part of the era, much of the surface in Kansas was being eroded. If dinosaurs lived in Kansas then, they weren't preserved. Later, seas covered much of the state. , Clinton spillway. The dam for Clinton Lake was constructed on the Wakarusa River in the late 1970s, and the spillway was carved out below the dam to hold excess water to prevent flooding if the lake's water level exceeded its capacity. The spillway provides a rare vertical view of a sequence of rock layers that stacked one on top of the other ..., Insects are arthropods (arthro means jointed and pod means foot). Like other arthropods—shrimps, lobsters, crabs, spiders, scorpions, and the extinct trilobites—insects have a hardened outer covering, or exoskeleton, and jointed appendages used for feeding and movement. Insect wings contain a network of veins that serve as blood vessels and ..., Blending in with the surrounding High Plains landscape, the optimistically named Mount Sunflower in Wallace County is hard to spot on the horizon. Yet at 4,039 feet above sea level, it holds the distinction of being the highest point in Kansas. That puts it more than 3,300 feet above the state's topographic low point in southeastern Kansas., Geologic maps depict bedrock—the solid rock at the earth's surface or directly beneath the vegetation, soil, and thin deposits of unconsolidated material collectively called "cover." Limestone, sandstone, and shale are common types of bedrock in Kansas. Portion of Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve geologic map., The surface of the Wellington-McPherson Lowlands region of south-central Kansas is mainly a relatively flat to rolling alluvial plain, made up of unconsolidated sand, silt, and gravel. The region is dissected by the Arkansas River Lowlands region, which encompasses the Arkansas River floodplain. Within the Wellington-McPherson Lowlands, the ..., When an increasing frequency of earthquakes rattled south-central Kansas, starting in 2013, the KGS deployed technology to gather geologic information and pinpoint the cause, shared information with neighboring states, and helped state officials develop a response plan. Since then, the KGS has set up a permanent network of seismic stations to ..., As oil prices have risen and fallen, production in the state has gone through boom and bust cycles. Through 2018, the cumulative production in Kansas is more than 6.7 billion barrels of oil and 41.2 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. The most recent information about Kansas oil and gas production is available on the KGS website. , The Smoky Hills region in north-central Kansas encompasses a range of hills composed largely of sandstone, a second composed largely of limestone, and a third composed largely of chalk. Although visibly different, they are unified by age—all were formed from sediment deposited during the Cretaceous Period, which lasted from 145 to 66 million ... , South-central Kansas—a mix of the Smoky Hills, Arkansas River Lowlands, Red Hills, High Plains, and Wellington-McPherson Lowlands physiographic regions—includes a transition zone between lush eastern prairie and the arid grasslands of the western prairie. Visit the salt marshes and wetlands that are vital stops for thousands of migrating ..., Like an oasis in the desert, the Lake Scott State Park area stands out from the typical High Plains landscape of western Kansas. Situated in a valley carved into the steep bluffs of the Ogallala Formation, the 100-acre lake is surrounded by canyons and natural springs. The Ogallala bluffs consist of cemented sands and gravels that eroded off ..., How rocks are named. In the same way that biologists use categories to identify animals and plants, geologists have created categories such as formations, groups, and members to distinguish one rock layer from another. Clockwise, from top left: chert outcrop, Flint Hills; brachiopods commonly found in Kansas rocks; Cottonwood Limestone fence ..., Disclaimer:This web page and accompanying pages are not maintained by the SEG Business Office staff.SEG does not necessarily endorse or concur with representations made on these pages and has no responsibility for the content., Gypsum is a common mineral in Kansas. It is found in thick beds amid layers of sedimentary rocks, such as limestone, shale, and sandstone. Of the three varieties of gypsum—selenite, satin spar, and rock gypsum—Permian-age rock gypsum is mined in Barber County in south-central Kansas and in Marshall County in northeastern Kansas. …, An unexpected strip of ravines and canyons, the Arikaree Breaks region in the northwestern tip of Kansas stands out in sharp contrast to the surrounding plain. The rugged canyonland, just two to three miles wide, cuts diagonally across northern Cheyenne County and stretches just across the state line west into Colorado and north into Nebraska ..., Remnants of a village occupied in the late 1700s by the Kitkahahkis — one of four Pawnee bands — are visible at the Pawnee Indian Museum State Historic Site in northwest Republic County. The limestone museum building encircles the excavated remains of a large earth lodge, and evidence of 26 other lodges are found on the six-acre site. In ..., The Cherokee Lowlands region is mainly a gently rolling to flat plain that covers about 1,000 square miles in Bourbon, Crawford, Cherokee, and Labette counties. "Lowland" means it is relatively level compared to other regions, such as the Ozark Plateau region to the southeast. The Cherokee Lowlands developed on the easily eroded shales and ..., The Castle Rock spires and other remnants of the Cretaceous sea floor will last well beyond the 21st century, but erosion from wind and water continues to wear them down. In 1998, a hoodoo in the badlands known as Cobra Rock collapsed, and in 2001 the top of Castle Rock's tallest spire toppled after a thunderstorm. A chalk badland overlooking ... , How rocks are named. In the same way that biologists use categories to identify animals and plants, geologists have created categories such as formations, groups, and members to distinguish one rock layer from another. Clockwise, from top left: chert outcrop, Flint Hills; brachiopods commonly found in Kansas rocks; Cottonwood Limestone fence ..., Sphalerite or zinc sulfide (ZnS) is the most important mineral of zinc ore. Also called zinc blende, blende, blackjack, and mock lead, pure sphalerite is nearly colorless, but it is commonly brown, yellow, black, or dark red because of impurities. It has a white to dark-brown streak, always lighter than the color of the specimen., Fossils, Paleontology, and Geoarchaeology. Kansas rocks are full of fossils, the remains of plants or animals that have been preserved in rock. Through fossil finds, geologists and paleontologists piece together evidence of earlier life and landscapes on Earth.