KGS--Kiowa County Geohydrology--Sections

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Measured Stratigraphic Sections

The following stratigraphic sections were measured in Kiowa County by me unless otherwise noted. They are listed in order by townships from north to south and by ranges from east to west. Within a township they are listed in the order of the sections. Stratigraphic names that are no longer in use have been placed in parentheses.

1. Section of Meade formation in draw in the cen. E2 sec. 22, T. 29 S., R. 18 W.				Thickness, feet
		4.	Soil silty, gray	4.0
Quaternary--Pleistocene
	Meade formation
		3.	Sand, fine, limy, red brown	6.0
		2.	Sand, fine to coarse, tan and red	3.0
		Thickness of Meade formation exposed		6.0
	(Unconformity)
Cretaceous--Comanchean
	Kiowa shale
		1.	Clay, blocky, gray, yellow, and brown; contains two beds of concretionary ironstone, each about 3 inches thick	8.0

2. Section of the Meade formation in the NE sec. 5, T. 30 S., R. 16 W., about 1.25 miles north of Belvidere, Kansas.				Thickness, feet
			Surface covered with gravel and cobbles of igneous rocks; composed chiefly of granite and Cretaceous sandstone and shale
Quaternary--Pleistocene
	Meade formation
		4.	Silt, sandy, tan brown, contains stringers and nodules of caliche	3.0
		3.	Volcanic ash, massive, lensing, white, weathers gray ton; forms ledge	5.0
		2.	Clay, silty, structureless; contains sand and gravel. Seems to be reworked Kiowa shale	4.0
		Thickness of Meade formation exposed		12.0
	(Unconformity)
Cretaceous--Comanchean
	Kiowa shale
		1.	Shale, thin-bedded, black	20.0

3. Section of Kiowa shale and Cheyenne sandstone in east branch of Champion draw about 0.5 mile south of Belvidere, Kansas. (Measured by Bruce F. Latta, John C. Frye, and Claude W. Hibbard.)				Thickness, feet
Cretaceous--Comanchean
	Kiowa shale
		13.	Shale, black; contains few thin beds of sandstone (mostly covered)	43.0
		12.	Shale, thinly laminated, black	10.0
		11.	Shell bed, capped by 1-inch,layer of aragonite	0.3
		10.	Shale, thinly laminated, black; contains small red to brown concretions of iron (limonite)	9.9
		9.	Shell bed; capped by thin bed of tan fine-grained sandstone	0.3
		8.	Shale, thinly laminated, black	8.4
		7.	Sandstone, fine-grained, light gray	0.5
		6.	Shale, thinly laminated, black	1.8
		5.	Shale, fissile, thinly laminated, black, contains a few thin lenses of fine-grained sandstone	16.7
		4.	Shell bed (Champion); capped by thin layer of white fine-grained sandstone	0.8
		Thickness of Kiowa shale exposed		91.7
	Cheyenne sandstone
		3.	Sandstone, fine- to medium-grained, tan, buff, and brown; grades laterally into blue-gray lensing shale containing crystals of selenite and fossil plant material	6.0
		2.	Sandstone, fine- to medium-grained, cross-bedded, white, gray, tan, buff, and brown; streaked locally with brighter colors such as red, yellow, and purple; contains small lenses of weathered chert conglomerate and lenses and partings of blue-gray shale. A 3- to 4-inch zone of pebbles and cobbles of quartzite, quartz, and chert is at the base	26.5
		Thickness of Cheyenne sandstone exposed		32.5
	(Unconformity)
Permian-Guadalupian
	Whitehorse sandstone
		1.	Sandstone, silty, red and gray	10.1

4. Section of Kiowa shale and Cheyenne sandstone in draw in the SE sec. 9, T. 30 S., R. 16 W.				Thickness, feet
Cretaceous--Comanchean
	Kiowa shale
		13.	Shale (covered)	15.0
		12.	Shell-limestone, hard, gray and brown	0.3
		11.	Clay shale, blocky, black; contains thin beds of buff to tan fine-grained sandstone	10.8
		10.	Shell-limestone, hard, gray to brown	0.2
		9.	Shale, thinly laminated, black; contains irregular yellow and brown streaks	11.0
		8.	Sandstone, fine-grained, buff to tan	0.1
		7.	Shale, thinly laminated, black	23.0
		6.	Sandstone, fine-grained, white	0.2
		5.	Shell-limestone, weathered, red brown; contains crystals of selenite. Fossils are poorly preserved. (Champion shell bed)	0.8
		Thickness of Kiowa shale exposed		61.4
	Cheyenne sandstone
		4.	Clay shale, lensing, dark gray; contains crystals of selenite	6.0
		3.	Sandstone, fine- to medium-grained, cross-bedded, massive, gray, white, tan, buff, red, and purple; contains white conglomeratic zones of pebbles of quartz and chert in lower part	39.0
		2.	Shale, fissile, light gray	3.3
		Thickness of Cheyenne sandstone exposed		48.3
Permian-Guadalupian
	Whitehorse sandstone
		1.	Sandstone, fine-grained and shale, sandy, brick-red

5. Section exposed on side of hill and in draw in the NE sec. 12, T. 30 S., R. 16 W. (Measured by Bruce F. Latta and Perry M. McNally).				Thickness, feet
Quaternary--Pleistocene
			Top of hill covered with thin mantle of coarse granitic gravel and cobbles
	Meade formation
		12.	Clay, sandy, block, mottled green and brown; volcanic ash occurs as thin beds and nodules in clay about 6 feet from bottom of interval and nodules of caliche occur near top	11.4
		11.	Sand, fine, to gravel, fine, loosely consolidated, yellow brown; contains flakes of gray shale	0.5
		Thickness of Meade formation exposed		11.9
Cretaceous--Comanchean
	Kiowa shale
		10.	Shale, thinly laminated, black; grades upward into soft blue-gray sale containing yellow streaks and splotches	26.3
		9.	Sandstone, fine-grained, shaly in places, light to dark gray	0.5
		8.	Shell-limestone, brown. Composed almost entirely of fossil shells (Champion shell bed)	1.6
		Thickness of Kiowa shale exposed		28.4
	Cheyenne sandstone
		7.	Shale, silty, blue gray to black; grades upward into light- to medium-gray silty sale; contains large crystals of selenite	11.2
		6.	Sandstone, very fine-grained, shaly, light to medium gray; contains veins and lenses of dark-red sandy and silty clay	5.2
		5.	Sandstone, massive, cross-bedded, fine-to- coarse-grained, gray, yellow, tan, white, and purple. Contains lenses of coarse weathered chert and quartz. Small nodules of iron weather out on surface. White to gray fine-grained sandstone is most prominent	21.6
		4.	Sandstone, soft, shaly, very fine-grained, light gray to yellow brown; contains yellow streaks and splotches	2.8
		Thickness of Cheyenne sandstone exposed		40.8
Permian-Guadalupian
	Whitehorse sandstone
		3.	Siltstone, red brown; weathers to small shaly blocks or flakes	0.5
		2.	Silt, sandy, very fine, light gray	1.5
		1.	Siltstone, sandy, and sandstone, very fine; brick red	15.0
		Thickness of Whitehorse sandstone exposed		17.0

6. Section of Dog Creek shale in road cut in the NW sec. 13, T. 30 S. R. 16 W.				Thickness, feet
Permian-Leonardian
	Dog Creek shale
		11.	Clay shale, block, red	6.0
		10.	Sandstone, fine-grained, massive, mottled red and light gray	1.5
		9.	Clay shale, blocky, red	10.0
		8.	Sandstone, fine-grained, massive, mottled red and light gray	2.0
		7.	Clay shale, blocky, mottled red and gray	1.0
		6.	Shale, silty, thinly bedded, light blue gray	1.0
		5.	Clay shale, blocky, red; contains thin beds of light-gray fine-grained sandstone	5.0
		4.	Dolomite, saly, thinly bedded, gray	1.5
		3.	Clay shale, blocky, red	3.0
		2.	Covered, probably red clay shale	10.0
		Thickness of Dog Creek shale exposed		41.0
	Blaine formation-Medicine Lodge gypsum member
		1.	Gypsum, massive, white	4.0

7. Section of Pleistocene and Permian rocks in the SW sec., 14, T. 30 S., R. 16 W.				Thickness, feet
Quaternary--Pleistocene
	Terrace deposits (Gerlane(?) formation)
		4.	Silt, sandy, tan, brown, and gray, and gravel, very coarse; contains pebbles of granite, sandstone, and shell fragments. Fossil deer tooth (Pleistocene) found 3 feet below top of interval	9.0
		3.	Silt and sand, red; contains blocks of Permian sandstone and gravel and red shale	5.0
Permian-Leonardian
	Dog Creek shale
		2.	Siltstone, sandy, red	3.0
	Blaine formation-Medicine Lodge gypsum member
		1.	Gypsum, massive, white	3.0

8. Section of Cheyenne sandstone in the SW sec. 26, T. 30 S., R. 16 W. (Measured by Bruce F. Latta and Claude W. Hibbard.)				Thickness, feet
Cretaceous--Comanchean
	Cheyenne sandstone
		4.	Sandstone, fine to medium-grained, cross-bedded, white, tan, buff, and brown; contains a few lenses of weathered chert gravel in lower part	48.5
		3.	Conglomerate, cross-bedded, white to gray. Consists of loosely cemented fine to coarse sand containing pebbles of white to gray weathered chert and quartz. Coarser in upper part	45.5
		Thickness of Cheyenne sandstone exposed		94.0
	(Unconformity)
Permian-Guadalupian
	Whitehorse sandstone
		2.	Siltstone, sandy, red; contains pockets of white to gray weathered chert and quartz conglomerate	3.5
		1.	Siltstone, sandy, red	20.0
		Thickness of Whitehorse sandstone exposed		23.5

8a. Section of Cheyenne sandstone in the SW sec. 26, T. 30 S., R. 16 W., about 50 yards north of measured section 8. (Measured by Bruce F. Latta and Claude W. Hibbard.)				Thickness, feet
Cretaceous--Comanchean
	Cheyenne sandstone
		4.	Sandstone, fine to medium-crained, cross-bedded, white, gray, buff, tan, and brown	36.5
		3.	Sandstone, fine to medium-grained, yellow, buff, tan, and gray, and shale, fissile, black; interlensing. The maximum thickness of the shale lenses is about 2 feet and of the sandstone lenses about 4 feet	30.0
		2.	Sandstone (same as bed 4 in section 8)	8.5
		1.	Conglomerate (same as bed 3 in section 8)	6.0
		Thickness of Cheyenne sandstone exposed		81.0

9. Section of undifferentiated Pleistocene deposits in road cut in the SW sec. 31, T. 30 S., R. 16 W.			Thickness, feet
Quaternary--Pleistocene (undifferentiated)
	5.	Silt, tan and gray, contains nodules of caliche	3.0
	4.	Sand, fine to medium, lime-cemented, light gray to white	1.0
	3.	Sand, fine to coarse, brown	2.5
	2.	Sand, fine blue green	1.0
	1.	Clay, sandy, blue green and brown; contains few scattered pebbles	5.0
	Thickness exposed		12.5

10. Section of Kiowa shale, and Cheyenne sandstone in draw in the N2 sec. 36, T. 30 S., R., 16 W. (Measured by Bruce F. Latta and Claude W. Hibbard.)				Thickness, feet
Cretaceous--Comanchean
	Kiowa shale
		14.	Shale (covered)
		13.	Shell-limestone, gray. Fossils are larger than those found in lower shell-beds. Thin layer of fibrous aragonite occurs above shell-bed	1.1
		12.	Shale, thinly laminated, black; contains concretions of iron near top of interval	7.8
		11.	Shell-limestone, brown	0.3
		10.	Shale, thinly laminated, black	6.2
		9.	Shell-limestone, hard	0.2
		8.	Shale, thinly laminated, black	11.2
		7.	Shell -limestone, weathered. Breaks apart easily	0.2
		6.	Shale, thinly laminated, black	4.3
		5.	Sandstone, fine-grained, white, and shale, thinly laminated, black. Forms ledge	1.5
		4.	Shale, thinly laminated, black	14.6
		3.	Shell-limestone, gray (Champion shell bed)	0.5
		Thickness of Kiowa shale exposed		47.9
	Cheyenne sandstone
		2.	Clay shale, sandy, gray (Stokes sandstone)	1.5
		1.	Clay shale, blue gray; contains crystals of selenite. A thin bed of white to gray fine-grained sandstone occurs about 2 feet below top of interval (Lanphier beds)	15.0
		Thickness of Cheyenne sandstone exposed		16.5

11. Section of Cheyenne sandstone in box canyon in the Cen. sec. 36, T. 30 S., R. 16 W. (Measured by Bruce F. Latta and Claude W. Hibbard.)				Thickness, feet
Cretaceous--Comanchean
	Cheyenne sandstone
		4.	Sandstone, fine- to medium-grained, gray to white, contains fossil plants and pyrite. Weathered surface is brown owing to iron staining (Stokes sandstone)	1.5
		3.	Clay shale, blue gray, sandy at top; contains yellow streaks and splotches (Lanphier beds)	9.5
		2.	Sandstone, fine-grained, gray to white; contains zones of pebbles of weathered chert in lower part and lenses of gray to black shale. (Corral sandstone)	34.0
		1.	Clay shale, blue gray to yellow	1.5
		Thickness of Cheyenne sandstone exposed		46.5

12. Secion of Kiowa shale along the south bluff of.Medicine Lodge River in the E2 sec. 16, T. 30 S., R. 17 W. (Measured by Bruce F. Latta, Claude W. Hibbard, and John C. Frye.)				Thickness, feet
Cretaceous
	Dakota (?) formation (Gulfian)
		16.	Sandstone, hard, dark brown	2.0
		15.	Clay shale, tan to gray	5.0
	Kiowa shale (Comanchean)
		14.	Sandstone, fine-grained, cross-bedded, tan to buff	5.2
		13.	Shale (covered)	20.8
		12.	Shale, fissile, black; contains crystals of selenite	31.2
		11.	Shale, gray to black; contains thin bed of tan to buff sandstone near top. Mostly covered	15.6
		10.	Shell-limestone, gray	0.2
		9.	Shale, blue black to tan; contains beds of thinly laminated sandstone and crystals of selenite	21.2
		8.	Aragonite (?), fibrous, having cone-in-cone structure	0.2
		7.	Shale, thinly bedded, gray to tan	2.5
		6.	Shell-limestone, gray	0.8
		5.	Shale, fissile, black to dark gray	5.2
		4.	Shell-limestone, gray	0.4
		3.	Shale, fissile, black; contains thin beds of gray to tan shale	15.6
		2.	Shell-limestone, gray	0.9
		1.	Shale, fissile, black	2.5
		Thickness of Kiowa shale exposed		122.3

13. Section of Mead formation in draw in the SW cor. sec. 19, T. 30 S., R. 17 W.				Thickness, feet
		4.	Soil, silty, dark gray; contains scattered pebbles of igneous rock	2.0
Quaternary--Pleistocene
	Meade formation
		3.	Caliche, soft, write to gray	0.5
		2.	Silt, clayey, tan and yellow brown	4.0
		1.	Sand, fine to coarse, granitic; contains some scattered coarse gravel	12.0
		Thickness of Meade formation exposed		16.5

14. Section of the Meade formation in road cut in the SE sec. 32, T. 30 S., R. 17 W.				Thickness, feet
		3.	Soil, silty, gray	1.0
Quaternary--Pleistocene
	Meade formation
		2.	Sand and gravel, loose, tan and brown; contains pebbles and cobbles of granite, quartz, and feldspar	6.0
		1.	Clay, sandy, blocky, mottled gray and brown; contains soft caliche	3.0
		Thickness of Meade formation exposed		9.0

15. Section of the Dakota formation and Kiowa shale in Spring draw in the SE sec. 4 and E2 sec. 3, T. 30 S., R. 18 W. (Measured by Bruce F. Latta, John C. Frye, and Claude W. Hibbard.)					Thickness, feet
Cretaceous
	Dakota formation (Gulfian)
		(Reeder sandstone)
			7.	Sandstone, iron-cemented, hard, massive, dark brown	10.0
			6.	Sand, loose, fine to medium, tan and brown	12.0
		(Kirby clay)
			5.	Clay, mottled red and gray, and shale, silty, red and light gray; contains thin seams of yellow fine-grained sandstone in lower part. Mottled clay contains small red concretions of iron that have weathered out and cover the slope	20.0
			Thickness of Dakota formation exposed		42.0
	Kiowa shale (Comanchean)
		(Greenleaf sandstone)
			4.	Sandstone, fine-grained, cross-bedded, lensing, yellow tan and buff	29.0
		(Spring Creek clay)
			3.	Clay shale, silty, mottled gray tan, red, and red brown; contains small concretions and thin beds of ironstone. Weathered slope is strewn with red-brown ironstone rubble	11.0
			2.	Sandstone, iron-cemented, silty, irregularly bedded, red brown to gray tan. Contains concretions, nodules, and wavy bands of ironstone. Weathers brownish black	1.7
			1.	Clay shale, silty, massive to thin-bedded, mottled gray, red, and red brown; contains concretions of iron. Grades laterally into blue-gray siltstone and shale which contain beds lenses of light-gray fine-grained sandstone	17.8
			Thickness of Kiowa shale exposed		59.5

16. Section of the Meade formation in a draw in the SE sec. 13, T. 30 S., R. 18 W.				Thickness, feet
Quaternary--Pleistocene
	Meade formation
		7.	"Mortar bed," hard, fine-grained, gray. Forms ledge	0.3
		6.	Silt and sand, fine, loose, gray	1.0
		5.	"Mortar bed," hard, fine-to medium-grained, gray. Forms ledge	0.3
		4.	Sand, fine, loose, gray to white, and silt; contains volcanic ash (?)	2.0
		3.	Caliche, silty, medium hard, white	1.0
		2.	Silt, sandy, red brown	8.0
		1.	Clay, silty, blocky, mottled gray, green, red, and blue	10.0
		Thickness of Meade formation exposed		22.6

17. Section of the Meade formation along East Kiowa Creek in the SW sec. 31, T. 30 S., R. 19 W.				Thickness, feet
		6.	Gravel, very coarse; contains pebbles of quartz, feldspar, and granite. Caps upland surface as thin mantle
Quaternary--Pleistocene
	Meade formation
		5.	Silt and sand, fine; lime-cemented, white to light gray	5.0
		4.	Sand, fine to coarse, loose; contains thin lime-cemented zones, lenses and balls of clay (reworked Cretaceous shale), and lenses of coarse gravel composed of pebbles of shale, sandstone, and shells	15.0
		3.	Clay, gray to yellow gray (reworked Cretaceous shale)	5.0
		2.	Sand, fine to coarse, granitic, lime-cemented	0.3
		Thickness of Meade formation exposed		25.3
Permian-Guadalupian
	Whitehorse sandstone
		1.	Sandstone, silty, fine-grained, red, and shale, silty and sandy	6.0

18. Section of the Meade formation in east bluff of creek in the NW sec. 19, T. 30 S., R. 20 W.				Thickness, feet
Quaternary--Pleistocene
	Meade formation
		9.	Gravel, fine to coarse, tan	8.5
		8.	Sand, silty, limy; contains nodules of lime and thin lenses of silt	20.0
		7.	Sand,and gravel, poorly sorted, lime-cemented	7.5
		6.	Sand, coarse, to gravel, coarse, loose, tan to red brown, cross bedded	12.0
		5.	Silt, clayey, tan	0.5
		4.	Sand, coarse to gravel, coarse, tan to red brown, cross-bedded	6.0
		3.	Sand, fine to medium, silty, limy, tan to light gray	6.0
		2.	Sand, fine to coarse, cross-bedded, stained black	0.5
		1.	Silt and sand; tan	3.0
		Thickness of Meade formation exposed		64.0

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Kansas Geological Survey, Geology
Placed on web Feb. 4, 2008; originally published Feb. 1948.
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