GYPSUM KARST RECONNAISSANCE IN BARBER COUNTY, KANSAS OF THE PERMIAN BLAINE FORMATION

Field reconnaissance examining the various lithologies of the Permian Blaine Formation and the karst features related to those rocks was conducted on a ranch in Barber County, Kansas. Karst features are developed dominantly in gypsum and include caves, sinkholes, losing streams, springs, and other surficial karst features. The Blaine Formation is known as a great karst unit in Oklahoma; however, little work has been conducted in southern Kansas. The thickness of the various facies of the Blaine Formation thin from Oklahoma towards the north into Kansas. This study aims to document the local distribution of karst features and determine the controls on formation, distribution, and surface expression. In addition, this study seeks to identify the processes that lead to karst development in the Blaine Formation in Kansas and represents the first stage of a karst land-use study to examine how ranchers interact with karst features in Kansas.