USGS Home
Contact USGS
Search USGS

Mineral Resources > Online Spatial Data > Geology > by state > Kansas Geology

Geologic units in Marshall county, Kansas

Sumner Group (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Permian [Cimarronian]) at surface, covers 1 % of this area

Ninnescah Shale (base N)- mostly red silty shale with some gray shale , argillaceous limestone and dolomite. Wellington FM with Carlton Limestone Member (base CR)-mostly gray and some red shale with minor limestone and dolomite, siltstone, gypsum and anhydrite

Lithology: shale; limestone; siltstone; dolostone (dolomite); evaporite

Chase Group (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Permian [Gearyan]) at surface, covers 27 % of this area

Nolans Limestone- upper and lower limestone separated by shale, 40 ft thick. Odell Shale- mostly red and green shale, 40 ft. thick. Winfield Limestone (base WF)- cherty limestone with fossiliferous gray shale, 25 ft. thick. Doyle Shale- two shale members separated limestone, 70 ft. thick. Barneston Limestone (base BA)- two thick limestone members separated by thin limestone, 90 ft. thick: with Fort Riley Limestone Member( base FR)- gray to tan massive to thin bedded limestone with minor gray shale, 45 ft thick. Matfeild Shale- two varicolored shale members separated by limestone, 80 ft. thick. Wreford Limestone- two cherty limestone members separated shale, 40 ft. thick.

Lithology: shale; limestone

Dakota Formation (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Cretaceous-Early) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

White, gray, red, brown and tan kaolinitic claystone, mudstone, shale and siltstone interbedded with grayish to yellowish brown thick lenticular sandstone beds. It also contains lignite and sandstone is commonly well cemented with iron oxide and calcite.

Lithology: claystone; mudstone; shale; siltstone; sandstone; coal

Council Grove Group (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Permian) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Shale and interbedded limestone. Shale is gray, green, red, reddish brown, or maroon, sandy, calcareous, fossiliferous, locally fissile; several fissile black shale beds are in lower 75 feet. Interbedded dark- to light-gray, medium- to thick-bedded, argillaceous, cherty limestone beds are very fossiliferous and locally contain shale partings. Approx. max thickness 300 ft

Lithology: shale; limestone

Council Grove Group (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Permian [Gearyan]) at surface, covers 7 % of this area

Includes: Speiser Shale, Funston Limestone, Blue Rapids Shale, Crouse Limestone (base CS), Easy Creek Shale, Bader Limestone (base BE), Stearns Shale, Beattie Limestone, Eskridge Shale, and Neva Limestone.

Lithology: limestone; shale

Chase Group (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Permian) at surface, covers 0.2 % of this area

Limestone and shale. Limestone is light gray to dark gray, yellowish gray to pale yellowish brown. Two limestones in the upper part are thin bedded to medium bedded, argillaceous, cherty and fossiliferous; two limestones in the lower part are medium to massive bedded, very cherty, and fossiliferous. Shale is gray, green, red, redish brown, calcareous, arenaceous, fossiliferous; locally fissile. Approx. max thickness 300 ft.

Lithology: limestone; shale

Loess (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Quaternary | Pleistocene Holocene) at surface, covers 9 % of this area

eolian silts

Lithology: silt

Drift (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Quaternary | Pleistocene) at surface, covers 41 % of this area

sand, silt, clay, and some gravel

Lithology: sand; silt; clay or mud; gravel

Alluvium (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Quaternary | Pleistocene Holocene) at surface, covers 12 % of this area

unconsolidated sand, silt, clay, and gravel

Lithology: gravel; sand; silt; clay or mud

Admire Group (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Carboniferous Pennsylvanian-Late) at surface, covers 2 % of this area

Includes: Grenola Limestone, Roca Shale, Red Eagle Limestone (base RE), Johnson Shale, Foraker Limestone (base FO), Janesville Shale with Five Point Limestone Member (base FP), Falls City Limestone, and Onaga Shale.

Lithology: shale; limestone; coal

Wabaunsee Group (Phanerozoic | Paleozoic | Carboniferous Pennsylvanian-Late [Virgilian]) at surface, covers < 0.1 % of this area

Includes: Wood Siding FM, Root Shale, Stotler Limestone (base ST), Pillsbury Shale, Zeandale Limestone (base Z), Willard Shale, Emporia Limestone (base E), Auburn Shale, Bern Limestone (base BR), Scranton Shale, Howard Limestone (base H), and Severy Shale.

Lithology: shale; sandstone; limestone