GEOLOGY AND MINERAL RESOURCES. The sur face geology of Kansas is simple. since the strata lie undisturbed and nearly horizontal. Hence the outcroppings of the comparatively thin strata of the main systems form broad belts, over 100 miles wide; there are, roughly, only three of these belts, which cross the State from north to south. dividing it approximately into three equal parts. though the central belt is somewhat narrower than the other two. The eastern belt, consisting of the Carboniferous sys tem, begins in the extreme east with narrow out croppings of the lower coal measures, the oldest strata in the state, but consisting for the greater part of the upper coal measures. This system is composed of numerous layers of sandstone, limestone, shales, clay, elate, etc.. with inter bedded seams of coal. To the west of the coal measures and overlying' them appears a narrow belt of Permian sandstones. limestone, and con glomerates interlaid with red and green clays. Then follows the second or central belt, consist ing in the northern half of Cretaceous rocks, largely of the Dakota and Niobrara groups. and in the southern half of the Jura-Trias eystem. Finally, the western third of the State is covered by the Neocene or upper Tertiary syetem. With the exception of the Jura-Triae region in the south central part, the strata are fuesiliferous and have yielded many interesting fossils.
Though Kansas is primarily an agricultural State and devoid of mountains, yet its mineral deposits are of great value. Deposits of bitu
minous coal are found in at least five seams of workable thickness in the ea-tern portion, and probably underlie more than half of the State. The natural gas which occurs in the southeastern part is utilized largely for fuel and smelting purposes. Lead and zinc ores occur in intimate association in the limestone of the Lower Car boniferous in the southeast, where the strata have been tilted. The ores are chiefly galena and Mende. In the Permian and partly in the uppermost Carboniferous strata running north and south through the centre of the State are extensive deposits of rock salt and gypsum. The latter cover a belt many miles wide and are found in massive beds fifteen feet thick. inter laid with shale and limestone. Large deposits of chalk appear in the Niobrara formation of the Cretaceous series, and is found in almost. inexhaustible quantities in numerous localities. Equally inexhaustible are the building-stones. which are among the most important of the natural resources of Kansas. In the east central region are wide belts of limestone of various shades somewhat loosely textured and easily wrought, while excellent sandstones are yielded by the Dakota group of the Cretaceous formation and by a large portion of the Tertiary series in the west.