Reconnaissance of Pleistocene Deposits in North-Central Kansas

Abstract

A field reconnaissance of Pleistocene deposits in north-central Kansas was made during the summer of 1943. The Sanborn formation of Pleistocene age mantles the uplands of much of this part of the state, and terrace deposits occur along the major valleys. The Sanborn formation consists of an upper gray silt bed which is persistent over the entire area and exhibits a unique topographic expression, an underlying soil zone that occurs only in north-central Kansas, and pre-soil zone deposits consisting of a wide variety of lithologic types. Seventeen measured sections of these Pleistocene beds are given.

The vertebrate fossils listed from the Sanborn formation are Canis lupus Linnaeus, Citellus richardsonii (Sabine), Cynomys vetus Hibbard, Cynomys ludovicianus (Ord), Geomys sp., Microtus cf. pennsylvanicus (Ord), Equus sp., and Platygonus leptorhinus Williston. Mollusks are listed from the upper gray silt bed and from the pre-soil zone deposits.