News


Thu, 06/09/2022

Kansas Geological Survey Receives Grant to Study Critical Minerals Mining Potential in Region

The Kansas Geological Survey has been awarded $1.5 million dollars to study the feasibility of recovering minerals critical to advanced and defense manufacturing as well as the clean energy industry from coal deposits, associated rock layers, and legacy mining wastes.
Wed, 03/23/2022

Groundwater Levels Fall Across Western and Central Kansas

LAWRENCE — Average groundwater levels across western and central Kansas fell by more than a foot in 2021, with the greatest declines in the southwest portion of the state, according to preliminary data compiled by the Kansas Geological Survey. ...

Wed, 01/19/2022

Kansas Geological Survey to Study Social and Environmental Factors of Successful Groundwater Conservation Programs

Researchers at the Kansas Geological Survey (KGS) at the University of Kansas have teamed with colleagues at three other institutions to investigate what makes some groundwater conservation programs more effective than others. ...

Thu, 01/13/2022

Kansas Geological Survey to Study Hydrogen Storage in Underground Salt Beds

As wind and solar operations supply an increasing share of the country's energy needs, a new project at the Kansas Geological Survey may help address the challenge of intermittent production from renewable sources. ...

Mon, 05/17/2021

Kansas Geological Survey to Study Interaction of Agriculture, Playas in Western Kansas

LAWRENCE — Shallow depressions that hold water from rainfall and runoff to create small temporary lakes called playas dot the western Great Plains. When full, they're transformed into mini-wetlands that are home to a variety of plants and wildlife not normally found in the region. They also serve as areas...

Mon, 02/22/2021

Groundwater Levels Fall in Central and Western Kansas

LAWRENCE — After three years of small increases, average groundwater levels in central and western Kansas dropped during 2020 as most of the area experienced abnormally dry conditions for much of the year, according to preliminary data compiled by the Kansas Geological Survey. ...

Mon, 12/07/2020

Kansas Geological Survey to Measure Groundwater Levels in Western Kansas

LAWRENCE — A crew from the Kansas Geological Survey, based at the University of Kansas, will be in western Kansas measuring groundwater levels the first week of January. ...

Mon, 10/12/2020

New Kansas Geological Survey Online Journal Geared Toward Midcontinent Research

LAWRENCE — Leading scientific journals today mostly address topics with broad international appeal, making it increasingly difficult to publish significant regional studies. To fill a niche for geoscience research undertaken in a large swath of the United States - from Ohio to Montana and North Dakota to west Texas -...

Tue, 08/25/2020

Kansas Geological Survey Scientist Receives National Award for Groundwater Research

LAWRENCE — Jim Butler, senior scientist and geohydrologist at the Kansas Geological Survey, is the 2020 recipient of the National Ground Water Association's M. King Hubbert Award. ...

Wed, 08/12/2020

Kansas Geological Survey in Partnership Researching Underground Storage of CO2

The KGS partners with 15 other state and federal entities to study safety and viability of injecting carbon dioxide from industrial sources into underground rock formations for long-term storage and to recover hard-to-reach oil.
Tue, 07/07/2020

Geologic Map for Bourbon County Now Available

LAWRENCE — Layers of limestone, coal, and other rocks formed about 310 million years ago and now found on or near the surface throughout Bourbon County are featured on a newly revised map available from the Kansas Geological Survey. ...

Mon, 05/04/2020

Kansas Geological Survey Receives Funding for Surface and Subsurface Geologic Mapping

LAWRENCE — The Kansas Geological Survey received annual funding from the U.S. Geological Survey to advance its county geologic mapping program. For the first year, the KGS also got increased funds for additional projects that will lead to the development of a 3-D geologic profile of the entire country. ...

Wed, 04/22/2020

Kansas Geological Survey Gets Funding for Preservation and to Study Critical Minerals

LAWRENCE — Hundreds of thousands of drilling records and rock cuttings, historical aerial photographs, and other resources housed at the Kansas Geological Survey provide valuable insight into the state's natural resources. To continue long-term efforts to preserve its collections, the KGS will receive increased annual funding from the U.S. Geological...

Wed, 04/08/2020

Kansas Geological Survey Investigates CO2 Use in Oil Recovery and Underground Storage

The Kansas Geological Survey has joined forces with private and public partners to help determine whether carbon dioxide from industrial sources can be safely and economically injected underground for long-term storage and to produce hard-to-reach oil.
Thu, 03/19/2020

Groundwater Levels Near Stable in Western Kansas, Up Slightly in Central Kansas

Average groundwater levels in central and western Kansas held fairly steady during 2019 as annual precipitation rates were near to above average in much of the state, according to preliminary data compiled by the Kansas Geological Survey.
Mon, 02/17/2020

Kansas Geological Survey Sample Repository in Wichita Expanded and Renamed

The KGS's Kansas Geologic Sample Repository in Wichita preserves rock cuttings recovered from boreholes and wells drilled as deep as 6,000 feet beneath the surface.
Mon, 02/03/2020

New Edition of Widely Used Reference for Assessing Groundwater Issues Now Available

A simple and economical method used to evaluate a range of groundwater-related problems, from contamination to water-well deterioration, is the focus of a newly revised book by Kansas Geological Survey senior scientist Jim Butler.