Kansas Karst Map

Problem Definition

Karst features in carbonate and evaporite-bearing rocks pose significant engineering hazards and challenges for the protection of water supplies from contamination in parts of Kansas. Elsewhere in the state, playas, (pseudo-karst features) may act as sources of recharge to underlying shallow aquifers and may be in need of protection from plugging or ground-water contamination from agricultural practices. Evaporite dissolution has been and is on-going in parts of central and western Kansas due to both natural processes and human activities and has resulted in features ranging over several orders of magnitude in size. In western Kansas playas are common features on the High Plains surface where it is underlain by thick sequences of unconsolidated Cenozoic deposits.

Where these geomorphic features occur near urban areas, such as Wichita and Hutchinson, and along the transportation routes, they may present construction problems or impact water supplies that were unforeseen during project planning. The inaccessibility to and the lack of information indicate a need for a registry of karst and pseudo-karst features linked to a geographic information system that can be used to alert public- and private-sector agencies to these hazards.

Project Objectives and Products

The objectives of the National Park Service-funded Kansas karst map project are to: (1) revise and update the Kansas portion of the Davies et al. (1984) national karst map, including carbonate and evaporite karst areas and areas of the High Plains where the pseudo-karst features are present; and (2) design and implement a registry of karst and pseudo-karst features in Kansas with links to a GIS for display of their distribution.

The Kansas portion of national map will identify features of natural origin as well as those resulting from human activity, such as the subsidence and catastrophic collapse features that have resulted from salt dissolution caused by the improper plugging of oil and gas wells. Maps showing the distribution of these features will be updated periodically and publicly available. Outlines of known karst and pseudo-karst areas will be delineated and include the distribution of carbonate and evaporite units, intrastratal karst, karst beneath surficial overburden, and the percentage of area covered by karst and pseudo-karst. All revisions will be based on the available data from the literature, unpublished work, discussion with KGS and other state and local agency personnel, colleagues at other universities, amateur speleologists, and groups interested in playa research in the High Plains. All mapping will be done at 1:500,000 scale. As part of the work an annotated bibliography will be produced and included as part of the metadata for the coverage.

The tasks for completion of the second objective will focus on development of a digital on-line registry of karst and pseudo-karst features in Oracle. Data entry will be set up using an on-line form maintained on the Kansas Geological Survey website and other electronic means, such as ftp. The data from the registry will be displayed as an overlay on the statewide 1:500,000 scale karst map as needed using ARC-GIS. With the on-line data-entry feature it will be possible to update the registry in real time as new karst and pseudo-karst features are discovered. This will enable production of up-to-date statewide karst maps that can be produced on demand.