Introduction to Earth Science 
Field Trip
Introduction to Earth Science
Nearly all surficial rock in Kansas is sedimentary. This is a consequence of sediments, accumulating for hundreds of millions years, deposited by wind and water, both stream and shallow sea. These sediments were compacted and lithified into the sandstones, shales, and limestones that we drive on, build on, and quarry today. This field trip is designed to take you on a quick tour through a portion of two Kansas counties, Lyon and Chase. Observations will be made regarding elevations within Emporia and the resulting problems encountered with drainage and land use. Bedrock geology, stone lines and exposed layers of limestone and shale, will be observed in Chase county.
The geologic past is told through the fossil remains in rock and position in sequence of layers. Marine fossils indicate Kansas was covered by a shallow sea, while plant, insect, and animal remains represent continental environments. Different depositional environments created different rock types, limestone and shale, intermixed in areas with sandstone and coal. Many of the rock deposits are nearly horizontal, which gives rise to the term "layer-cake stratigraphy." This layer-cake stratigraphy is exposed as wind and water dissect the landscape and is classically displayed throughout most of Kansas. Although topographically the state's elevation rises to the west, subsurface the rock layers dip down to the west as evidenced by the surficial age of rock, older in the east and younger in the west. The geologic maps for Lyon and Chase counties are shown below. Railroads and roads are shown in black, streams are thin blue lines and lakes are in blue also. The tan and yellow formations are the recent alluvial sediment found on the floodplain of the tributary streams and main rivers.
During Pennsylvanian and Permian geologic times, a shallow sea inundated the area, transgressing and regressing (growing and shrinking) with changes in sea level. Sea level change may occur when water is frozen in the form of glaciers, with lower sea level worldwide resulting. When temperatures warm, ice melts and sea level rises. Rocks form from the sediment deposited in the shallow seas. The rocks are later exposed with uplift and/or erosion. Emporia is underlain with Pennsylvanian age bedrock. An easy outcrop to view is the exposure on the east side of the Emporia State University campus (hillside across the street from the glass blowing art annex). Chase County consists of resistant Permian limestone and shale, draped over the crest of a buried anticline called the Nemaha uplift. The rock in both counties is weathered into hills. The hills in Lyon County are called cuestas. Cuestas are flat topped hills with one steep slope, called an escarpment, and an opposite gentle slope. The cuestas are geologically composed of alternating sandstone, limestone, and shale, whereas the Chase County hills are limestone and shale, with chert or flint found within the limestone.
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The relief, or difference in high and low elevations, may be seen in these shaded relief images.
The specific relief for Lyon and Chase counties is shown below. Higher relief is found going west into the Flint Hills, from Lyon to Chase County.
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Revisit or move on to Emporia and Lyon County, Flint Hills and Chase County. Return to the ES111 Syllabus OR the ESU Summer Workshop.
This page originates from the Earth Science
department for the use and benefit of students enrolled at Emporia State University. The
curriculum is © by the author, 2000-2003. For more information
contact the course instructor, S. W. Aber, e-mail: abersusa@emporia.edu Thanks for
visiting! Last update: 18 January, 2003. copyright 2000-2003 © Susan Ward Aber.
All rights
reserved.
General Geology
General Topography
Emporia and Lyon County
Flint Hills and Chase County
ReferencesGeneral Geology
The geologic map of Kansas is from
Kansas Generalized Geology,
which is a page found within
Kansas Geological Survey.
These images were taken from
http://gisdasc.kgs.ukans.edu/kanview/geology/html/Lyon.html (right) and
http://gisdasc.kgs.ukans.edu/kanview/geology/html/Chase.html (left) in 2000.General Topography
Physiographic provinces are regions of similar geologic structure and climate that also have a unified geomorphic history or evolution of land forms. Kansas is divided into eleven physiographic regions as shown below. While Lyon County has more in common with the Osage Cuestas, Chase County is located in the Flint Hills.
Image taken from the Kansas Geological Survey,
http://crude2.kgs.ukans.edu/Physio/physio.html 
This image was taken from the
Kansas Shaded Relief,
http://gisdasc.kgs.ukans.edu/kanview/slope/ks_slope.html.
The illumination angle = 315 degrees, angle from horizon = 40 degrees, topographic exaggeration = 15 times.
These images were taken from
http://gisdasc.kgs.ukans.edu/kanview/slope/html/Lyon.html (right) and
http://gisdasc.kgs.ukans.edu/kanview/slope/html/Chase.html (left).
REFERENCES