geology

Geology News
Kansas Current Events


Mineral Clubs and Organizations Worldwide
December 30, 2011 | The-Vug.com

The-Vug.com has an impressive listing of mineral clubs organized by state. You might be surprised at how many clubs are listed and there is probably one that meets within a short drive of your home.

High Plains Aquifer: Water Level Changes
December 27, 2011 | USGS

Water-level declines began in parts of the High Plains aquifer soon after the beginning of substantial irrigation with groundwater in the aquifer area. This report presents water-level changes in the High Plains aquifer from the time before substantial groundwater irrigation development had occurred (about 1950 and termed “predevelopment” in this report) to 2009, from 2007-08, and from 2008-09. The report also presents change in water in storage in the aquifer, from predevelopment to 2009.” Quoted from the USGS report release.

Sedimentation and Reservoir Life Expectancy
December 21, 2011 | Saline.com

USGS studies on two federal reservoirs in Kansas revealed that they lost 34% and 43% of their storage capacity since construction about 50 years ago.

Leasing for an Unconventional Play in Southcentral Kansas
December 20, 2011 | FuelFix.com

An article on the FuelFix.com website reports that Chesapeake Energy, Shell and other companies have leased hundreds of thousands of acres in southcentral Kansas with hopes of producing oil and gas from unconventional formations.

Supersized Topographic Maps
December 4, 2011 | MyTopo.com

The folks at MyTopo.com are now printing supersized topo maps – large enough make a huge 5′ x 8′ (or 8′ x 5′) map that will look fantastic on the wall of your office, conference room, lobby, cabin or den. These maps are custom-centered on any location that you pick using their online map-making tool. Lots of smaller sizes are also available.

We are affiliates of MyTopo.com and receive a commission on sales.

Wall Maps of US States
November 16, 2011 | Geology.com Store

Raven Maps are beautiful examples of shaded-relief wall maps that display the elevation of a state in vibrant colors. These large maps look great in a classroom, den or office. Use one to mark the locations of your work or company.

Oil from the Mississippi Lime
September 27, 2011 | Tulsa World

Several oil and gas companies are producing oil from horizontal wells drilled into the Mississippi Lime, a permeable limestone beneath the Kansas-Oklahoma state boundary.

Local Emergency Management Agencies
September 20, 2011 | Ready.gov

Ready.gov is a website that connects visitors to state, county, regional, tribal and other emergency management agencies in all fifty states.

Pregnant Plesiosaur
August 17, 2011 | Los Angeles Times

A Plesiosaur fossil discovered in Kansas indicates the animal did not lay eggs on land. Instead it grew a fetus and gave live birth in the water.

July Sets ‘Exceptional Drought’ Record for the United States
August 2, 2011 | University of Nebraska-Lincoln

“Nearly 12 percent of the contiguous United States fell into the “exceptional” classification during the month, peaking at 11.96 percent on July 12. That level of exceptional drought had never before been seen in the monitor’s 12-year history, said Brian Fuchs, UNL assistant geoscientist and climatologist at the NDMC.” Quoted from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln news release.

Water Level Declines in the High Plains Aquifer
July 31, 2011 | USGS

The High Plains Aquifer underlies some of the most important agricultural land in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas, and Wyoming. The Aquifer is in trouble because overpumping has dropped water levels in many areas over 100 vertical feet. This USGS report summarizes changes in the Aquifer from predevelopment to 2009.

Severe Drought Across Southern U.S.
July 13, 2011 | New York Times

Fourteen states from Florida to Arizona are experiencing a drought so severe that some people are saying it could rival the Dust Bowl days.

Problems With Man-Made Reservoirs
May 18, 2011 | USGS

Reservoirs designed to serve as flood-control structures, recreational sites and water supply sources can suffer a variety of problems. Sedimentation slowly decreases their capacity, algal blooms can taint the water and contaminants can accumulate in their sediment. A USGS study of Clinton Lake, near Lawrence, Kansas demonstrates some of these problems.

Manufacturing Oil and Gas Reservoirs in the Niobrara Shale
April 12, 2011 | Billings Gazette

Mark Northam, director of the School of Energy Resources at the University of Wyoming says that horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing allow drillers to “manufacture a reservoir” in the Niobrara Shale.

New Drilling Technology Opens the Niobrara Shale
April 7, 2011 | Billings Gazette

An article in the Billings Gazette explains how horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing are opening a bonanza of oil and natural gas from the Niobrara Shale in Colorado, Kansas and Wyoming.

Anadarko Basin: Assessment of Undiscovered Oil and Gas
March 9, 2011 | United States Geological Survey

The U.S. Geological Survey in 2010 completed an assessment of the undiscovered oil and gas potential of the Anadarko Basin Province of western Oklahoma, western Kansas, northern Texas, and southeastern Colorado.

Every day you can find links to several earth science news topics right here. Bookmark this page and visit often. You can also receive our news for free by RSS feed or in a daily email message.

Earn a Master of Education in Earth Science


marcellus shale gasMarcellus Shale: The most overlooked resource in the eastern United States!
Diamond formationDiamonds from Coal? Diamonds form under a variety of conditions that rarely involve coal as a source of carbon.
Mineral RightsMineral Rights / Oil & Gas: Who owns the minerals under your land? Have they been sold? Can someone mine without permission?
uses of gold The Many Uses of Gold: Learn how the unique properties of gold make it extremely suited for a large number of industrial uses.
download google earth Download Google Earth Free! High resolution 3D satellite views of Earth. Download it Free.
meteorites Meteorites: Learn about meteorites from meteorite hunter, Geoffrey Notkin. What are meteorites? irons, stones, stony-irons.
© 2005-2011 Geology.com. All Rights Reserved.
Images, code and content of this website are property of Geology.com. Use without permission is prohibited. Pages on this site are protected by Copyscape.