The Stratigraphy of the Kansas 

 Coal Measures.* 



BY ERASMUS HAWORTH. 



OUTLINES OF STRATIGRAPHY: 



Ratio of Limestone to Shales and Sandstone. 

 Characteristics of the Limestone. 

 Characteristics of the Shales and Sandstone. 

 Extent of Marginal Areas. 

 Inclination of Strata, Faults and Fissures. 

 Shales Principally Sub-Marine in Origin. 

 General Conditions of Deposition. 



One of the first conceptions regarding the stratigraphy of the Kan- 

 sas Coal Measures is that in general all formations both dip and 

 thicken to the westward, and that occasionally a wedge-shaped form- 

 ation which may be quite heavy underground at one place fails to 

 reach the surface to the east on account of its thinning out in that 

 direction until it entirely disappears. The second point of general 

 importance is that while the Coal Measures consist of limestones, 

 sandstones, and shales, the limestones are by far the most regular artd 

 persistent laterally and therefore are the most important stratigraphi- 

 cally, although they never nearly equal the others in thickness. There 

 are great shale beds, it is true, which are remarkably persistent aiid 

 tolerably regular. If we look upon them as the principal formations 

 with occasionally included sandstones, into which they may grade and 

 again change back into shales, we can also use them very well in 

 doing stratigraphic work. In this way we would consider but two 

 formations, the limestones and the shales. It is believed that the 

 student, who, with report in hand, may pass over the ground to correct 

 or verify the conclusions here reached will find it to his advantage 

 actually to think of the formations in this way. 



OUTLINES OF STRATIGRAPHY. 



Beginning at the base of the Coal Measures we will now mention in 

 ascending order each formation of any considerable thickness up to 

 the Cottonwood Falls limestone, and add such remarks of a general 

 character as may be deemed advisable in order to give a clear and 



* The University Geological Survey has about completed its work on the stratigraphy 

 of the Coal Measure area lying south of the Kansas river, a report on which will soon 

 appear as Volume I of the Survey. From it the following summaries are condensed. 



(371) KAN, UNIV. gUAB. VOL. Ill, NO 4, APRIL 1, 1885^ 



