LEAD AND ZINC DEPOSITS OF THE JOPLIN DISTRICT, 
MISSOURI-KANSAS." 
By W. S. Tangier Smith. 
INTRODUCTION. 
The lead and zinc deposits of the Mississippi Valley have been 
divided into three groups, those of (1) the Ozark region, (2) the Upper 
Mississippi Valley, (3) outlying districts. Of these the most impor- 
tant is the Ozark region, which extends from the Arkansas River on 
the south to the Missouri River on the north and from eastern Kansas 
on the west to the Mississippi River on the east. It contains four 
districts, (1) the Southeastern Missouri district, (2) the Central .Mis- 
souri district, (3) the Missouri-Kansas or Southwestern Missouri dis- 
trict, (4) the Northern Arkansas district. 
LOCATION AND TOPOGRAPHY. 
The Joplin subdistrict, as considered in this paper, includes that part 
of the Missouri-Kansas district lying along its western margin and 
between 04° 15' and 94° 45' west longitude and 37° and 37° 15' north 
latitude. While thus embracing an area of only 47G square miles, it 
produces more zinc than all the other districts of the Mississippi Val- 
ley combined, and is in fact the most important zinc-producing dis- 
trict of the United States. Tu addition to the zinc, it produces a smaller 
though still considerable amount of lead. In the year 1002 the lead 
production of the district was about 12 per cent of its zinc production, 
the latter being 223,337 tons. 
About three-fourths of the Joplin district is in Missouri, and includes 
among its larger towns Joplin, Webb City, Carterville, and Carthage. 
The remaining one-fourth (except for a fraction of a square mile fall- 
ing in Indian Territory) is in Kansas, and its largest towns are Galena, 
Empire, and Baxter Springs. 
The Joplin district lies on the western margin of the Ozark uplift, 
and its upland surface is almost flat, with a low general slope to the 
northwest. These level uplands are cut by numerous stream valleys, 
for the most part open and rather shallow. The courses of many of 
"A more extended article, of which this i>aper is an abstract, is in course of preparation for 
Survey publication. 
197 
