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

Geologic units in Mitchell county, Kansas

Carlile Shale (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Cretaceous-Late) at surface, covers 18 % of this area

chalky shale with bentonite and thick chalk beds, dark gray fissile shale containing septarian concretions, and fine-grained sandstone.

Lithology: shale; limestone; sandstone

Loess (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Quaternary | Pleistocene Holocene) at surface, covers 46 % of this area

eolian silts

Lithology: silt

Alluvium (Phanerozoic | Cenozoic | Quaternary | Pleistocene Holocene) at surface, covers 13 % of this area

unconsolidated sand, silt, clay, and gravel

Lithology: gravel; sand; silt; clay or mud

Greenhorn Limestone and Graneros Shale (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Cretaceous-Late) at surface, covers 17 % of this area

Greenhorn FM- thin bedded gray, chalky limestone and calcareous shale. Graneros Shale- fissile, noncalcareous, gray shale locally contains sandstone and siltstone beds.

Lithology: limestone; shale; sandstone; siltstone

Niobrara Chalk (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Cretaceous-Late) at surface, covers 1 % of this area

interbedded, soft, light-gray calcareous shale and chalk

Lithology: shale; limestone

Dakota Formation (Phanerozoic | Mesozoic | Cretaceous-Early) at surface, covers 2 % 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