News
Fri, 05/10/2024
KGS Postdoc Wins Research Travel Award
The Buzas Award for Travel will allow KGS postdoctoral scholar Belkasim Khameiss to study the renowned Cushman Collection of foraminifera at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.
Fri, 04/12/2024
Geologic Map for Lincoln County Now Available
Our new full-color geologic map of Lincoln County shows the type and age of rock layers at or near the surface in the north-central Kansas county.
Thu, 03/21/2024
Live Climate-Focused Podcast to Feature KGS Researcher
An interview with KGS postdoctoral researcher Malena Orduña Alegría will be featured in a live episode recording of the climate-themed podcast “The Sweaty Penguin.” “Understanding Water Use in Kansas” will take place at 5:30 p.m. March 25 in the Hawk’s Nest of the Kansas Union.
Thu, 03/14/2024
Groundwater Measurement Results Mixed in Western, South-Central Kansas
Preliminary groundwater level measurements compiled by the KGS show mixed results for western and south-central Kansas in 2023, with some areas in the northwest and west-central part of the state experiencing increases for the first time in three or more years.
Tue, 12/12/2023
KGS, State Agency to Measure Groundwater Levels in Western Kansas
A KGS crew and staff from three field offices of the Kansas Department of Agriculture's Division of Water Resources will be in western Kansas measuring groundwater levels the first week of January.
Wed, 12/06/2023
KGS Report Assesses Health of the High Plains Aquifer
A new publication from the Kansas Geological Survey assesses current conditions and trends in water levels and groundwater usage in the High Plains aquifer, the state’s most economically important groundwater resource.
Tue, 10/24/2023
KGS Scientist, Colleagues Receive $1.16 Million NSF Grant
A collaboration of scientists from six organizations, including the KGS, has received a $1.16 million grant from the National Science Foundation to implement and study the effects of a field safety, anti-harassment, and bystander intervention training certificate program.
Mon, 07/31/2023
In New Space Race, KGS Scientists Propose Geoarchaeology Can Aid in Preserving Space Heritage
Two KGS scientists and their colleagues have proposed a new scientific subfield: planetary geoarchaeology, the study of how cultural and natural processes on Earth’s moon, on Mars, and across the solar system may be altering, preserving, or destroying the material record of space exploration.
Mon, 05/22/2023
KU Scientist Receives Honorary Membership Award from International Organization
Evan K. Franseen is the recipient of the 2023 Honorary Membership Award from SEPM, the Society for Sedimentary Geology, for “excellence in professional achievement and extraordinary service to the Society.”
Thu, 05/04/2023
Geochemists at the University of Kansas Determine Age of the Dinosaur Utahraptor
Scientists from three state geological surveys determined that rocks in the Yellow Cat Member of the Cedar Mountain Formation — and the Utahraptor fossils found within — are 10 million years older than previously known. Earlier estimates put the age of the rocks and fossils at 125 million years old.
Wed, 03/15/2023
Survey Shows Geoscientists from Historically Excluded Groups More Likely to Experience Hostile, Discriminatory Behavior at Work
A first-of-its-kind workplace climate survey of earth and space scientists indicates that scientists of color, women, those with disabilities, and other groups historically excluded from geoscience careers are more likely to experience hostile and discriminatory behavior at work.
Fri, 03/10/2023
Groundwater Levels Fall Across Western and South-Central Kansas
Average groundwater levels across western and south-central Kansas fell by nearly 2 feet in 2022, according to preliminary data compiled by the Kansas Geological Survey.
Mon, 01/30/2023
New Program to Match STEM Undergraduates, Faculty Mentors
A team of University of Kansas scientists has received a five-year, $1 million grant to match undergraduates in STEM disciplines with faculty mentors as a means of increasing diversity in STEM graduate programs and careers while combatting career challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mon, 01/23/2023
KGS Associate Researcher Receives KU Research Achievement Award
Blair Schneider, associate researcher and science outreach manager at the Kansas Geological Survey, is this year’s recipient of the KU Research Staff Achievement Award.
Thu, 01/12/2023
Kansas Coalition to Take Step Toward Development of Regional Hydrogen Hub
A coalition of Kansas public entities and private partners will apply for federal funding that could make Kansas a regional hub in the emerging hydrogen economy.
Tue, 12/06/2022
Geologic Map for Miami County Now Available
The KGS has released a new full-color geologic map of Miami County that highlights the type and age of rock layers found at the surface or immediately below the vegetation and soil in the east-central Kansas county.
Mon, 11/28/2022
KGS Emeritus Scientist Receives Water Legacy Award
Donald O. Whittemore, emeritus scientist at the Kansas Geological Survey whose groundbreaking work toward understanding and addressing water resources issues in Kansas has touched every corner of the state, is the recipient of the Water Legacy Award presented by the Kansas Water Office.
Tue, 11/01/2022
KGS Map Wins Award at Professional Conference
LAWRENCE — A new geologic map of Miami County published by the Kansas Geological Survey received an Excellence in Cartography award at the world’s largest conference dedicated to geographic information system (GIS) technology. ...
Wed, 10/26/2022
DASC Manager Receives National 2022 Geospatial Excellence Award
LAWRENCE — Eileen Battles, manager of the Kansas Data Access & Support Center housed at the Kansas Geological Survey at the University of Kansas, is the recipient of the 2022 Geospatial Excellence Award–Catalyst from the National States Geographic Information Council. ...
Tue, 10/11/2022
Kansas Geological Survey Scientist, Partners Receive National Science Foundation Funding to Expand Program to Reduce Barriers in STEM Occupations
A National Science Foundation grant will allow a researcher from the Kansas Geological Survey and her collaborators at seven other institutions to expand a program to reduce hostile workplace climate barriers in STEM occupations.
Mon, 10/10/2022
Kansas Geological Survey Scientists Collaborate on Project to Identify Unmarked Graves in Local Cemetery
A joint project of the Kansas Geological Survey, Douglas County Historical Society’s Oak Hill Cemetery Program Committee, and Watkins Museum of History aims to uncover and memorialize the stories of hundreds of people interred in Oak Hill Cemetery’s potter’s field from the 1860s through the 1910s.
Tue, 08/16/2022
Kansas Geological Survey Scientist Receives Early Career Award
Sam Zipper, assistant scientist and geohydrologist at the Kansas Geological Survey, is the 2022 recipient of the Kohout Early Career Award from the Hydrogeology Division of the Geological Society of America.
Wed, 08/10/2022
Kansas Geological Survey Honors Outstanding Students
LAWRENCE—Four University of Kansas students received outstanding achievement awards in May from the Kansas Geological Survey (KGS), based in KU's West District. ...
Thu, 06/23/2022
Kansas Geological Survey Project Aims to Help Agricultural Communities Prepare for Risks of Climate Change in the Kansas River Basin and Eastern Great Plains
A new project based at the Kansas Geological Survey aims to help rural communities on the eastern Great Plains, including in eastern Kansas, manage agricultural and water resources today and prepare for potential risks posed by a changing climate.
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. ...