THE NEBRASKA PERMIAN 1 



Whether or not true Permian rocks occur in Nebraska has 

 been an open question for many years. Nevertheless, it has 

 been customary for geologists mapping southeastern Nebraska 

 to assign to it a narrow belt of territory extending from a point 

 on the Nebraska-Kansas line sixty miles west of the Missouri 

 River, north and east to Omaha. So far as the literature on the 

 subject goes, there is absolutely no data that would warrant this 

 construction. Probably these maps have been constructed upon 

 the supposition that, since Permian rocks were known in Kansas, 

 they might extend northward into Nebraska, and in case they did 

 they would be found between the Carboniferous Coal Measures 

 and the Dakota sandstone of the Cretaceous. 



Professor Marcou 2 was the first geologist to suggest the 

 occurrence of Permian rocks in Nebraska. Prior to that time 

 the Paleozoic escarpments along the Missouri River had been 

 considered Carboniferous by both Nicollet 3 and Owen. 4 In 

 studying this region Professor Marcou made a very thorough 

 examination, and it was his candid opinion that the rocks were 



1 In 1885, while a student in the University of Nebraska, the question of the 

 occurrence of the Permian rocks in Nebraska came up in class and was thoroughly 

 discussed, some maintaining the statements of Marcou, others those of Meek. The 

 result was anything but satisfactory, and Dr. Hicks suggested to me that it would be 

 a good plan to investigate the Paleozoic rocks of Nebraska and determine, if possible, 

 whether there were any rocks that could be assigned to the Permian. This was car- 

 ried out. The Missouri River, Platte River, ("ass, Otoe, Richardson, Johnson, and 

 Pawnee counties were visited, and Meek's conclusions that these rocks were Coal 

 Measures confirmed. Still believing that the Permian rocks might occur in the 

 southern portion of the state, work was resumed in Gage county. The data collected 

 at that time are here presented in their original form, except that there are numerous 

 references to Prosser's papers. 



2 Bull. Soc. Geol. France, 2 ser., Jan. 1864, Vol. XXI, pp. 134-137. 



3 Nicollet's map. 



4 Report of the Geol. Surv. of Wis., Iowa, and Minn., and incidentally of a portion 

 of Nebraska Territory, pp. 133-135. 



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