News

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

LAWRENCE — Leading scientific journals today mostly address topics with broad international appeal, making it increasingly difficult to publish significant regional studies.

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.

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.

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.