46 University Geological Survey of Kansas. 
Geology of Kansas Gypsum. 
The oldest geological formation in the state of Kansas is the 
Mississippian or Subcarboniferous series of rocks, covering afew 
square miles in the southeastern corner of the state. Then fol- 
low the coal-bearing strata or the Carboniferous, covering all 
the eastern part of the state, and consisting of sandstone, lime- 
stone, shale, and coal; and over this series, through the middle 
part of the state, rest the Permian strata. 
All of these formations are of great economic importance, 
and they add very much to the resources of the state, compris- 
ing nearly all the mineral wealth. Inthe Mississippian forma- 
tion are found rich caves and veins of lead and zinc of superior 
quality. In the Carboniferous occur the various forms of stored 
heat energy which are so very closely connected with the prog- 
ress of this century. In this series are found the solid fuel, or 
coal; the liquid, or oil; the gaseous, or natural gas. In the 
Permian are found the large deposits of salt, gypsum, and clay. 
In Europe the Permian is separated, in very many places, 
from the Carboniferous by broken and crumpled rocks showing 
sreat disturbances in the strata, but in North America the story 
is different. In this country the Permian follows the Carbon- 
iferous with a gradual transition in rocks and life forms, so that 
it has been very difficult to assign any lower limit; and in order 
to avoid troublesome discussions inany writers have called the 
uppermost Carboniferous and the Permian beds, Permo-Carbon- 
iferous. This name is still applied to the formation in the east, 
but through Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, the Per- 
mian is better developed and of greater extent and thickness. 
In this area attempts have been made to separate the Permian 
from the Carboniferous. 
The series in the Appalachian mountain region is without 
much doubt Lower Permian. West of the Mississippi river the 
Permian series, as separated from the Carboniferous, is much 
thicker, and reaches 2000 feet in Kansas and 5000 feet in Texas. 
Kansas has been noted, not only as a battle ground in the his- 
tory of social and political problems, but also in the history of 
